Deep Rest When We Are Exhausted

We’re exhausted. Tapped out. Our well is dry and we’re struggling.

Our collective theme song as we near the second anniversary of Covid is that we’re exhausted. Tapped out. Our well is dry and we’re struggling. Why is this so prevalent and why is this year so much harder than a year ago?

Stress is tiring and has a cumulative effect. Two years ago in February 2020, most people had significant personal and collective stress. The concentration of wealth in the 1% takes economic freedom and security away from the rest of us. We were struggling with mental health issues, family issues and a range of other stressors. That was before the pandemic hit and suddenly everything changed.

We carry our lifetime experiences in our body and nervous system. Things we associate with past traumas activate us more quickly, intensely and last longer. About a third of us have significant childhood developmental trauma. This means that in daily life we have a sub-optimal nervous system and brain neural networks. We have less access to a stable calm emotionally regulated state, and are more likely to be in a protective survival state of fight/ flight/ freeze/ fawn. Adverse Childhood Experiences affect us throughout life.