Let me be clear (a thread):
Those "all over the place" feelings you've been having? They are symptoms of stress, NOT personal failures of yours.
Do you feel FLAKEY + INCONSISTENT? That's b/c your brain doesn't know what news to brace for next, or what next month will hold.
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TIRED EASILY? That's because your brain is burning your energy 10x faster than usual.
CAN'T SEEM TO FOCUS? That's b/c your brain has temporarily shut down some functionality in your prefrontal cortex—the part that juggles complex tasks + planning— due to the stress response.
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Feeling CREATIVELY BLOCKED? That's because your brain has temporarily diverted all its creativity (aka ability to solve novel problems) to "how do I avoid dying?" while in a narrowed, slow burn, fight-or-flight state.
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SUDDENLY DON'T GIVE AF about future-based goals, projects, or dreams like you used to? That's because your brain knows being short-sighted is a safer way to cope right now.
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Your plans, creativity, energy, focus + motivation are on a YO-YO right now, b/c your brain believes you need to be EXTREMELY ADAPTIVE.
You will not be on this rollercoaster forever. Be patient with your brain.
Sincerely,
a positive psychology-certified coach + fellow human
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and since it's become clear so many of us are dealing with this kind of slow-burn stress—if u want more "understand your brain, like your life" content [w/ sources] join my email list bit.ly/alexisemails — or read my book on the science of happiness findyourfyeah.com🙃
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And of course for those of us with mental illnesses that already present with these symptoms, everything's just become an untenable shitshow.
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Exactly. From one untenable shitshow to another—I see you. May we be patient with our exhausted brains. 🖤
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And suddenly, a lot more people can understand what it means to feel like me, and millions of people like me, everyday. All of the "oh come on you're always tired" or "it's not a big deal" and "cant you just try harder" start to disappear when everyone has to deal with them.
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It's weird how we go unseen until someone else experiences even the most ~remote flicker of pain~ that looks or sounds like ours. I see you. 🖤
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