It’s very possible that the reason you cannot overcome your fatigue is…..fear.
If you are battling with fatigue I bet that you’ve been told or read or heard that you ‘should’ slow down and stress less?
Maybe you have been told that you should practice mindfulness or rest more or sleep more?
Maybe you’ve heard these things from me too!
However, I would not be surprised if, even with the strong willpower that you possess, you continue to keep falling back into your old patterns and old ways of doing?
Perhaps, even just hearing that you should “do less” or “stress less” awakens a snarling beast or petulant teenager within you? Or maybe shame because you just can’t seem to “DO” it even though you know you “SHOULD”?
There is a reason you are doing life the way you do life.
It serves you somehow.
It is also, very likely, the way you have done it for most of your life.
The young version of you decided (unconsciously and very ingeniously) that to strive, do, push, achieve, be perfect, rescue others, fix all problems, be in control always etc (this is the Holding Personality) would keep you safe, help you belong, make you acceptable and/or make you good enough.
So, of course, when I or someone else comes along and says “you should learn to relax” or “you should practice more meditation” that amazingly, capable and super-protective part of you that has helped you to feel good enough and safe in life is going to feel very threatened and possibly quite defensive and angry.
Maybe the part of you that is very, very tired and can see that a change would be good, wins for a while and the change happens for a short time but that protective part cannot just be shoved in a corner and told to “stop it”. It’s going to bounce back with a vengeance especially when life gets tough and it can triumphantly say “See, I told you so. Life is hard and you need to be prepared and work hard and be in control”, and all of those exhausting endeavours.
To truly overcome adrenal fatigue, chronic fatigue and burnout and to achieve lasting change you need to address those old patterns associated with that protective part of you.
It’s important to shine a light on that part and bring it out of the shadow where it can rule with so much more power. It’s important to bring compassion to these old patterns and for how they helped you to adapt and get through your childhood feeling relatively unscathed. It’s also important to then introduce a new sense of being supported and safe so you can let go of those old patterns and embrace a less exhausting way of being where you can comfortably do less, relax, let go, and trust that you are safe without your protective part breathing over your shoulder and ready to jump into action.
If you’ve tried the medical route, various diet and supplement regimes, and also various lifestyle changes but you’re still exhausted and can’t quite seem to just slow down as you know you should because it seems too darn threatening and difficult, then addressing the psychology behind why you are where you are right now can make a massive difference and put the power back in your hands.
You can start here where you’ll learn more about the Holding Personality; how it comes about in childhood; and how it can create physical and emotional imbalance and fatigue.
Does this resonate with you? Do you have any questions? Let me know below
