Maybe you feel like you have reached your absolute breaking point. Perhaps you’re tired, frustrated, and feeling like things are never going to get better. 

This state of burnout can happen to anyone, but people with chronic stress or other mental health conditions may be at a heightened risk. Treating your symptoms effectively requires awareness and being proactive. Let’s get into the best strategies for coping with emotional exhaustion.

What Is Emotional Exhaustion? 

We all experience stress from time to time, but emotional exhaustion refers to a chronic state of feeling drained or fatigued. The symptoms often develop over time, and many people don’t recognize that they’re in this state until certain signs feel unbearable. 

Many factors may contribute to emotional exhaustion. Work is a main variable- working too much, feeling out of control in your job, or working in a particularly demanding role can all contribute to ongoing stress. Furthermore, certain traits like pessimism, perfectionism, and high-achieving personalities can trigger burnout. 

 Emotional exhaustion looks different for everyone, but some of the common symptoms include:

• Irritation.

• Depression symptoms (apathy, lack of motivation, persistent sadness).

• Sleep problems.

• Appetite changes.

• Poor concentration and focus.

• Memory issues.

• Anxiety and panic attacks.

• A persistent sense of hopelessness or considering yourself a failure.

• Declining performance in work or school.

• Failure to complete basic tasks and deadlines.

• Negative, cynical attitude.

• Physical symptoms (headaches, stomach problems, high blood pressure).

• Increased desire to engage in substance use or other ‘numbing’ activities.

• Frequent fantasies about impulsively escaping from your current situation.

Emotional exhaustion is one of the key signs of burnout, especially in professional settings. In addition, if you struggle with other mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, emotional exhaustion may exacerbate those symptoms. 

Tips for Coping With Emotional Exhaustion

If you have identified that you’re struggling with some of these symptoms, ignoring them won’t make them disappear. In fact, doing nothing often results in certain problems progressing. Taking action now is one of the best steps towards feeling better.

Identify the Main Triggers

What situations most contribute to your emotional exhaustion? Do you dread doing a particular task at work? Are you generally frustrated when you spend time with a certain friend? Do you feel more spent at specific times of the day?

If you aren’t sure exactly what elevates your stress, devote a week to track your emotions throughout the day. Consider either using a traditional journal or a digital mood tracking app. Jot down when you notice yourself feeling more stressed, agitated, or depressed than usual. 

Over time, you should be able to recognize specific trends. Having that insight gives you a launchpad for what to do next. Even if you can’t change the situation, being able to identify triggers before they arise can help you prepare to cope with them. 

Begin Each Day With a Positive Routine

How do you typically begin your day? If you’re like most people, you probably reach for your phone and start scrolling through emails or social media.

But this habit may only perpetuate more anxiety and dread. Instead, spend some time reflecting on how you can audit your morning routine.

Think about how you can start the first ten minutes of each day on a positive note. For example, maybe you can take a quick shower, think about your gratitude, and then start brewing your morning coffee. And, as a general tip, try to put off looking at your phone for as long as possible!  

If you’re not a morning person, reflect on simple strategies for making the beginning of the day feel more pleasant. This may take some trial-and-error, but there is no downside to trying! 

Practice More Gratitude 

Identifying your appreciation often can help you feel more empowered and optimistic. Gratitude isn’t about invalidating your challenging experiences. Instead, it’s about widening your perspective and orienting yourself to find positive opportunities in hard circumstances.

Consider devoting a few minutes to practicing gratitude each day. This can take less than a minute. For instance, maybe you can write down three things that went well before going to bed each night. Or, you can commit to “reflecting on gratitude” whenever you hear a designated song or drive on a specific road. 

Set Healthier Boundaries

Typically, the impulse to oblige to every obligation comes from a place of insecurity or people-pleasing. But emotional exhaustion often occurs when people overextend themselves. 

Boundaries are essential for maintaining some sense of ownership over your life. You have every right to set limits with others. Furthermore, you can and should rigorously assess what priorities are most important to you.

If you feel emotionally exhausted, think about what’s in your control right now. Can you talk to your boss about reducing your workload? Can you ask a family member to help with babysitting next weekend? What about hiring a cleaner instead of devoting every weekend to tidying your houses? 

In other words, it’s okay to say no and delegate when needed. The more you learn to say no, the more you free yourself for opportunities that bring you joy and fulfillment. 

Start Making (Smaller) Healthier Lifestyle Choices

Unfortunately, emotional exhaustion tends to make it challenging to prioritize nutrition, exercise, and sleep. However, taking care of your physical health can have a direct impact on your emotional well-being.

Try to commit to making small, achievable changes at a time. For example, consider packing a lunch to work each day this week. Or, challenge yourself to take a thirty-minute walk with your partner every night. You will notice how even tiny steps in the right direction can significantly change how you feel. 

Cultivate Positive Relationships

Positive social support can make a meaningful imprint on how you cope with daily stress. If you spend time with optimistic, compassionate people, their attitude will likely rub off on you.

The opposite, of course, can also be true. Frequently associating with pessimistic colleagues may cause you to also feel just as bitter in the workplace.

Focus on spending time and energy on people who make you feel good about yourself. Laughter is also essential! Ideally, these friends support and accept you for who you are, but they can also call you out when you’re “stuck” in an unhealthy mindset. 

Release the Need for Perfectionism 

Perfectionism is a dangerous trap that can trigger and maintain symptoms of emotional exhaustion. If you consistently hold yourself to unrealistic standards, your mental health will suffer.

Changing perfectionistic patterns takes time. Self-compassion is one of the first steps- you must be willing to be kinder and more forgiving of yourself. You also will need to adjust your expectations for control and power.

But letting go of perfectionism allows you to embrace “being human.” With that, there is inherent permission to learn, make mistakes, and grow as you evolve. In addition, having this mindset encourages you to focus on being healthy and happy, rather than feel immense pressure to “do everything right.” 

Pursue Meaning Wherever You Can

Maybe you hate your job, but leaving it isn’t an option right now. That’s okay. There are plenty of other opportunities for cultivating meaning and fulfillment in life.

Spend some time reflecting on your core values. What are the most sacred, nonnegotiable priorities? What, if taken away tomorrow, would impact you the most?

Your answers can help you define your personal sense of purpose. Honoring your purpose and cherishing it can help you feel more inspired. It also diffuses the effects of emotional exhaustion. 

If you feel like you have no time, spend a week ruthlessly cutting out distractions. Eliminate TV and excess technology- just for a week. Chances are, you will notice plenty of “time suckers” that could be spent on more productive, enriching activities! 

Reevaluate Toxic Environments 

Despite your best efforts, some situations may not improve. For example, let’s say you set a boundary with your boss about refusing to engage in tasks outside of your scope of practice. But your boss still makes those requests, and your HR representative refuses to intervene.

In that case, you have made the best efforts within your realm of control. But if the workplace remains toxic, you may need to seriously reconsider your situation. 

Of course, there may not be a simple solution. However, recognizing what is and isn’t in your control can help you recognize if coping with emotional exhaustion requires external changes.

Seek Professional Support

Emotional exhaustion can impact all areas of your life. If left untreated, it may seriously compromise your emotional and physical well-being. 

With that in mind, emotional exhaustion may be an underlying symptom in other mental health issues. Therapy can help you untangle your thoughts and feelings- it also provides a roadmap for restoring a sense of balance in your life.

Final Thoughts

Emotional exhaustion can be challenging, but it isn’t your fault. Moreover, is possible to heal and recover from your distressing symptoms. No matter your circumstances, we are here for you. Elevate Counseling serves clients in the Chicagoland area.