Anxiety and Emotional Exhaustion: Why You Feel So Tired
Anxiety can feel incredibly tiring.
If you feel overly anxious or worried, you might notice:
Feeling drained, even after a typical day
Frequently feeling on edge, followed by having very little energy left for everyday tasks
Wanting to isolate or pull back from others due to fatigue
Why Anxiety Is So Exhausting
Your brain and body are always “on.”
When anxious, it’s common for your mind to be scanning for what could go wrong, replaying uncomfortable memories, or planning for worst-case scenarios. Even if your external environment is calm in the moment, your brain is working overtime.
Your body is in a stress response.
Even low-level anxiety can keep your nervous system activated in hyperarousal (fight-or-flight mode). If you’ve been in this heightened state for a long time, you may recognize how intense the emotional “crash” can feel when your system finally comes down.
You’re holding a lot inside.
I work with many people who are high-functioning on the outside but feel overwhelmed internally, even if others aren’t aware of it. Keeping things in and pushing emotions aside adds up over time. Emotions can also be held in the body, which actually feels heavy due to pain and tight muscles.
Your Body Is Trying to Protect You
I hope you can hear this: your brain and body are very intelligent. Your system works hard to keep you safe and on high alert when you are in a state of fear.
Can this be frustrating in moments where there doesn’t seem to be a reason to feel anxious? Absolutely. Sometimes there are very real reasons to feel on edge. Other times, your body is responding to a perceived threat—even if there isn’t actual danger in the present moment.
Regardless of the trigger for anxiety, it can be a helpful reframe to give your body credit for trying to protect you from a survival perspective.
If you feel exhausted after a day of anxiety, it often comes from your body working overtime to keep you safe. Learning to gently teach your nervous system that you’re not always in danger can begin to shift this cycle.
3 Small Places to Start When You Feel Exhausted
Notice your anxiety
Try to notice it without judgment. What do you feel in your body (tension, racing heart, fatigue, etc.)? Where do you feel it? What thoughts are racing through your mind? You don’t need to change anything in this moment. Simply notice what’s there.
Practice self-compassion
Instead of pushing through or getting frustrated with yourself, see if you can respond with kindness. This is easier said than done and takes practice! You could start by reminding yourself that your nervous system is just trying to protect you, or try this quick self-compassion break from Dr. Kristin Neff.
Take deep breaths through your diaphragm
Place a hand on your abdomen and try breathing slowly into your stomach. If it helps, slow it down by inhaling through the nose for 4, holding for 7, and exhaling through the mouth for 8. This kind of breathing helps stimulate the vagus nerve to activate your body’s calming response. Over time, creating small moments of regulation can help reduce overall exhaustion.
Therapy for Anxiety in Oregon
Many of the people I work with are navigating anxiety and exhaustion with a nervous system that’s been under strain for a long time. Therapy for anxiety can provide a place to better understand your experience, learn ways to work with it, and begin to process what’s being held in the body.
If you resonate with feeling anxious for seemingly no reason or are on high alert much of the time, EMDR therapy can help with reprogramming how your body responds to perceived threats to reduce the intensity and frequency of anxiety. If you’re interested in learning more about EMDR therapy for anxiety in Oregon, you can read more here.