“Sleep doesn’t help if it’s your soul that’s tired.” – Unknown
The world is currently suffering from an exhaustion epidemic, and it’s been festering for decades. With the advent of social media, jobs require a lot more out of their employees. Our days are busier, so we get home from work later and go to sleep later. However, it’s not only jobs that cause soul exhaustion.
We have more to worry about in terms of safety, politics, the state of the planet (read: global warming), the worldwide economy, and everything in between. It’s a vastly different world we live in now compared to even 10 years ago, and we don’t seem to be adjusting too well. Rates of diseases ranging from heart attacks to depression are on the rise, and stress could be the underlying culprit.
Being alive can feel like quite a burden at times. The world demands so much from us and it doesn’t really stop just because we feel tired. Going to sleep at night might help your brain and body recover from a long day, but how exactly does a person rest their soul? Sure, meditation and exercise can take you away from stress for a short time, but you always have to face it afterwards. This can take quite a toll on a person’s soul after a while.
If you find yourself feeling unrested upon waking up in the morning and you don’t know why, you might suffer from something called “soul exhaustion.” In this article, we’ll go over what exactly this means and signs you might have it.
Here are 10 telltale signs of soul exhaustion:
1. You don’t feel rested when you wake up.
As we said above, feeling tired when you wake up can point to something more than just a night of tossing and turning. It might mean that you just don’t want to face the day due to the amount of stressors you’ll inevitably face, and this can lead to feeling depressed and lethargic.
Sleep doesn’t really help when you suffer from soul exhaustion, because unfortunately, sleep doesn’t help the soul recover from the demands of daily life. Plus, many people with tired souls have difficulty falling and staying asleep in the first place due to lying in bed at night overthinking, and this can certainly result in a feeling of exhaustion upon waking.
If you constantly feel fatigued when you wake up, you might have soul exhaustion.
2. You constantly daydream about living a different life.
If your soul feels tired, you probably have awakened to the false reality you live in, and you no longer want to play a part in it. You might daydream about running away and living a simple life in the woods away from the stress of the daily world. Or, maybe you dream about living on a different planet entirely, where life seems more peaceful and quiet. People with soul exhaustion often use their imagination to escape reality, because their dreams give them more solace than their daily lives.
You could use this trait to your advantage, however; creative people use their imagination to create books, movies, artwork, etc. Turning your pain into a passion could serve as a positive outlet and help you work through those intense emotions you feel.
3. Your body aches often.
People with emotional issues often report feeling aches all over their body. If you have soul exhaustion, it could present with stomachaches, back pain, joint problems, headaches, or anything in between. Oftentimes, physical pain can point to a deeper issue, so if you have been feeling aches and pains lately, pay attention to how you feel emotionally. If you go to a doctor and they can’t find a diagnosis, you probably have soul exhaustion.
4. You feel disconnected from life.
If you feel like an alien in your own body and don’t feel connected to anyone, including yourself, this is a red flag that your soul is tired. Feeling uninterested in life and only doing enough to get indicates that you have a worn-out soul.
Perhaps you struggle to maintain friendships and relationships and find yourself spending most days alone. Or maybe you don’t feel connected to others any longer. Do you struggle with figuring out what to say in a conversation because you just don’t feel engaged? Pay attention to these feelings; they might hold the key to unlocking deeper issues occurring within you.
5. You have intense emotions.
Having intense emotions and not knowing how to express them could also point to soul exhaustion. You have so many thoughts and feelings going through your soul throughout the day that they become tangled inside you. You may find yourself crying even when nothing is wrong or becoming angry for no reason.
Your emotions may rage because you have an acute awareness about the world. You grow weary of the horrors that exist on our planet. This could induce a variety of emotions that you find hard to control. If you’ve been more emotional lately, look into your soul and see what you find. It might need some extra attention. Surely, it will hold the answers you’ve been seeking once you find a way to tap into it.
6. If you have soul exhaustion, you will suffer from frequent loneliness.
As we said before, having a tired soul comes with feeling lonely even in a crowd of people. You’ll feel disassociated from yourself and others because you can’t relate to the shallow topics most people seem infatuated with. Your soul is deeply hurting, and you feel that no one truly understands where you’re coming from. You’re on the outside looking in, and it’s lonely from your vantage point.
While others might seem consumed with buying the latest phones and gadgets or gossiping about their coworkers, you are wondering when the world will become a kinder, more hospitable place. You might feel lonely because you see things so differently from others.
7. You might suffer from anxiety, depression, or other mental illnesses.
The soul houses our deepest emotions. Therefore, a disconnect between your soul and body may cause you to suffer from mental illnesses such as anxiety or depression. Unfortunately, fatigue is a common symptom of depression. In fact, in one study, 90% of patients with major depressive disorder suffered from fatigue even though 80% of them were taking an antidepressant. It isn’t just physical fatigue either – it’s also emotional and mental fatigue from trying to meet demands that the soul literally doesn’t have energy for.
8. You dread going to work every day.
Someone with soul exhaustion will usually dread waking up each morning, because when the sun rises, that also means bills have to get paid. Most people don’t enjoy their jobs, but if you absolutely loathe going to work, your soul might suffer from exhaustion. You might be experiencing burnout, a common condition in today’s world.
According to the American Psychological Association, 77% of people in the U.S. experience physical symptoms due to chronic stress. Additionally, 73% experience psychological symptoms. Since the largest stressor in most people’s lives is work, it isn’t surprising that people are suffering from work-related burnout on an increased scale.
9. It feels like you’re on autopilot all the time.
If it feels like you’re just going through the motions and counting down the days until the weekend, you might need some soul rejuvenation in your life. Throughout your day, are you engaged with what you’re doing, or are you just checking off tasks until you can finally make it to your couch and relax? If your answer was the latter, soul exhaustion might be an accurate diagnosis.
No one really wants to do chores all the time, but you should get a little enjoyment out of at least one or two things during your day. If you don’t, you might want to do some soul searching and figure out what really makes you happy.
10. You don’t feel joy doing activities that used to make you happy.
If even hobbies don’t seem fun anymore, your soul may be crying out for attention. If your soul is truly exhausted, it will be hard for you to enjoy yourself no matter what you’re doing. For example, if you used to love going to karaoke night but now have zero interest in it, your mind might be preoccupied with other matters that drain your energy. You might be worried about bills, your job, the state of the world, etc.
This could also be a symptom of depression. If it affects you often, consider seeing a licensed professional who can help you get back on track.
Final thoughts on Suffering from Soul Exhaustion
Soul exhaustion can happen to anyone at any time, because life requires a lot from us humans. If you feel five or more symptoms on this list fairly often, make sure to take time to feed your soul. Remember – the world can wait, but your happiness and well-being can’t. Make sure to make yourself a priority, because your inner peace is so worth it.
