Have you ever felt bone tired of struggling with difficult thoughts or feelings? You say, “I’m so done with this, I just want to rest.”
This can seem like giving up and cause more dismay.
But rather than an end, this fatigue from the internal fight might be the beginning of a better path. Dropping the struggle can allow you to reassess how you are expending the attention and energy.
Often when I'm in session and I hear someone say, “I'm just so tired”, I see it as an invitation to making change.
Steven Hayes s is one of the founders of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and, along with Russ Harris, another great contributor, they'll suggest sitting with the feeling or making room for the thought or feeling. And this can seem daunting, suggesting that you might see something scary or hideous.
That's where the fatigue might set in, and what I would suggest is trust yourself in this moment.
The fatigue is the starting point. The checkered flag is waving.
You've already begun to take some action by saying, “I'm done with what I've been doing. I want to move forward.” The fatigue isn't giving up. Setting aside the typical battle allows you to take a real hard look at the feelings of sadness or worry, or the judgmental self-beliefs that keep popping up, the painful memories.
The weariness of the fight might just be the starting point of discussion and reflection.
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