This is a fairly common phenomenon, mainly affecting residents of large cities. In a huge metropolis it is so easy to get lost and start to feel lonely. If nothing noteworthy happens day after day, it becomes quite easy to believe that you are truly worthless. Although this is a big misconception, people usually begin to doubt themselves and lose adequate self-esteem. The feeling of spiritual emptiness usually develops gradually, in connection with certain life events. Some circumstances influence us in such a way that our internal strength and desire to do anything disappear. This is how apathy and unwillingness to act are formed.
Where does apathy come from?
There can be many reasons for the development of apathy. More often, the reasons are characteristic of both age categories and gender.
Depending on gender and age, various psychological, psychophysical or endogenous factors may be decisive.
The most common causes of apathy in middle age, which can be put in first place, are the presence of work that provokes emotional exhaustion, the so-called “burnout.” It is inherent, in particular, to people whose professions involve constant communication with other people.
For all groups and ages, the cause of apathy can be physical weakness of the body - for example, after a severe pathological condition (illness, stress, surgery).
Emotional emptiness, as a result after some expected event, is another provocateur of an apathetic state.
Lack of interest in anything can also be associated with vitamin deficiency and even a seasonal lack of sunlight, for example, in winter or late autumn.
Long-term stress, whether physical or emotional, can also lead to apathy.
Very often, the impetus for the appearance of apathy is stress that arises as a consequence of a negative life event. This could be a threat to the life or death of a loved one, as well as separation from a loved one.
Large-scale national holidays entail the occurrence of apathy as a result of taking large amounts of alcohol, as a consequence of a toxic “blow” to the body and can affect large groups of people, and not just individuals, sometimes this happens among the entire adult population of the city. In addition, at such moments, even for those who did not drink alcohol, a period of decreased mood also occurs, since people are influenced by mass moods, and at such moments they become indifferent to everything.
Lack of interest in something indicates the psycho-emotional and physical state of a person, and if such conditions occur frequently or if there is a long-lasting lack of interest over time, we can say that the person has developed or is beginning to form some kind of malfunction of the higher nervous system with the manifestation depressive coloring. This is a signal that you need to take care of your mental health and consult a competent psychotherapist in person for a more detailed diagnosis and to find out the true causes of such negative feelings.
Apathy - what to do?
Let's hit apathy with bright emotions!
In most cases, feelings of lack of interest are temporary and are not classified as pathological. It is enough to make a small effort for the mood to change.
If apathy is not a sign of mental illness or physical fatigue, it is not difficult to overcome. “To float to the surface, you need to push off from the very bottom” - this advice is worth taking. It's not forbidden to feel a little sad.
Just don’t think long about problems and troubles. Better focus on your inner experiences. Self-pity and indifference to others will certainly be replaced by vigorous activity. After all, having understood his feelings, a person strives to change something in life and most often makes the right decisions.
Lack of interest in anything, which is provoked by minor troubles? Treat yourself. Attend a theater performance or concert, cheer for your favorite football team at the stadium, just go shopping or stop by your favorite cafe. Do what you love. Forcing yourself to “treat” in this way is the most difficult thing, but the emotions you will receive are guaranteed to bring you back to life.
Apathy can easily be confused with simply being in a bad mood.
Often, his loved ones should also think about how to help a person get out of a state of detachment. Allow the depressed person to be alone for a while, but you should not leave him in this state for a long time. It may become even more complicated. A good remedy against apathy is work - but not everyday work, but work that was planned to be completed for a long time, but, as always, there was not enough time.
For example, watching a sincere, interesting film is another step towards getting out of an apathetic state.
Emotions are the key to life activity
They accompany us every minute, throughout the day, week, month, year. But a person cannot be cheerful all the time. Moreover, if a person is physically exhausted, his level of emotionality also decreases. And vice versa - the lack of positivity sooner or later leads to a breakdown.
By excessively showing our emotionality in certain periods of life, we create a deficiency of vital energy in our body. To eliminate it, you need a break, a pause. At such moments, apathy arises. There is no need to be afraid of temporary physical and emotional decline - this is normal.
Such moments can become the beginning of a reassessment of values, a lot of work on oneself - external and internal. Such shifts in life guidelines at one or another stage of life will help you make an important and correct decision. At times, apathy can help accumulate strength for one or another big event or change in life.
And sometimes lack of interest in something is an intuitive message that it’s better not to do it. In any case, you need to listen to yourself.
How to deal with spiritual emptiness
It is unlikely that anyone might find it pleasant to constantly experience negative emotions. This activity is incredibly exhausting and creates a feeling of one’s own weakness. Often, against the background of existing emotional disorders, a person begins to consider himself incapable of anything. How to get rid of the feeling of hopelessness, how to deal with a bad mood, stop seeing only negative sides in everything? Let's take a closer look.
Define the goal
When you have something to wake up for in the morning, your bad mood will dissipate much faster. A joyful thought helps to overcome even physical ailments. If a person has a beloved dog that he needs to walk with all the time, this is a very good motivator for trying to change his life. You just need to define for yourself a goal that would invariably lead forward and contribute to a significant expansion of personal boundaries. You can’t constantly be plunged into despair and anxiety. Over time, these conditions can become so overwhelming that you will have to seek highly qualified help.
Creative quest
It’s wonderful when an individual strives for something and wants to fill himself with positive experiences. Everyone needs bright, inspiring emotions. You should try to get as many positive impressions as possible. If you don’t know how to fill the void, start investing time and effort in your own development. Very little time will pass, and the first results will become visible: a healthy interest will appear, a desire to act, despite numerous obstacles. Creative work promotes personal growth and releases a large amount of creative energy. It is better to devote hours to your favorite activity than to constantly be sad, anxious and worried.
Helping others
This is a very powerful tool for effective self-help. Sometimes you just need to start helping others and you feel needed. This feeling of significance can change a lot in the mind and make life truly meaningful. What to do with the ringing emptiness inside? It is imperative to go beyond your own mental cage. By learning to notice those who really need your support and participation, you can feel truly happy.
Thus, the problem of spiritual emptiness definitely needs correction. It is impossible to live comfortably with her for a long time. The individual will constantly experience melancholy and hopelessness. If you cannot overcome the state of pronounced apathy yourself, you can contact the Irakli Pozharisky Psychology Center.
Job
If you feel nothing in your heart, then a professional field of activity will help fill the emptiness inside you. Yes, routine and everyday life, but it’s better than moping on the couch all alone. Perhaps the time has come to change your workplace. Have you ever thought about how much effort and time the business you do takes away from you? Perhaps it’s time to start doing something you truly love, which will also bring in a good profit? All areas of activity themselves have great flexibility. You can not only occupy yourself with what you love, but also make new acquaintances, achieve your goals, engage in self-development at work, and so on.
How to Tell if You're Mentally Exhausted
There are several signs of Mental exhaustion symptoms:
- You get tired quickly.
- You get irritated easily.
- Any little thing can upset you.
- You start to be late often and don’t get anything done.
- You can’t take on the next task for a long time, you’re stalling for time.
- You constantly feel depressed.
- Even simple things are difficult and cause fear and panic.
- You suffer from insomnia or, conversely, sleep a lot.
- You are pessimistic about the future.
- You avoid responsibility and find it difficult to make decisions.
- You find it difficult to concentrate.
"All or nothing!"
This attitude also harms a person, since he refuses a bunch of opportunities that are supposedly not worthy of attention. In fact, all this time you have been refusing successful work that could lead you to a bright future. Over time, you may be able to realize your mistake, but this may end with you losing all desire to live.
Remember that in order to rise in life, you need to overcome many obstacles and injustices. No one has ever managed to climb a mountain in one jump. Only the most worthy become the heads of large companies or successful businessmen.
If you continue to consider intermediate steps unworthy of your attention, then you will never be able to achieve your desired goal. Perhaps someday you will receive a tempting offer of your life, but will you then have the proper motivation to cope with all the responsibilities? Most likely no. After all, such thinking will sooner or later lead to an all-consuming spiritual emptiness, which will discourage all desires in order to achieve success in life.
Positive thinking
Have you ever wondered why a person feels nothing? Perhaps it's all about the negative thinking that haunts him every day. It’s worth starting to think positively and look for the positive sides in everything. For example, if there is an emptiness inside your soul, it means that a lot of space has freed up in it in order to fill it with something new and exciting. Your apathy symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life, which will allow you to start over with a clean slate. From now on, you will experience new emotions, meet new people, and find something you like. There is not emptiness in your heart now, but free space that yearns for new knowledge and feelings. Until you find something to fill it with, try to find support from your loved ones. Now, more than ever, you need communication.
“Everything comes easy”
People often spin a similar thought in their heads, but it has absolutely nothing to do with reality. If a person has low expectations from life, then he will never work hard. A person limited by such a belief will wait until money and success come into his hands. This, of course, will not happen, and apathy against the background of spiritual devastation will not be long in coming.
People who believe that everything in life should come on its own sooner or later will find it extremely difficult to tune in to a serious work process and get out among the people. This kind of thinking will first lead to a loss of motivation, and then to the collapse of all hopes and dreams. Ultimately, sooner or later you will feel spiritual devastation.
Signs of Depression
“Loss of joy” in psychological language is called depression . Signs of depression include:
- Depressed mood for more than 7-10 days;
- Decreased vital activity;
- Loss of appetite;
- Sleep disturbance;
- Poor health – lethargy, apathy, drowsiness, disturbances at the level of the gastrointestinal tract;
- Decreased sexual desire;
- Inhibition at the level of feelings and thoughts.
Such a psychological difficulty can be either mild in nature, easily amenable to psychological correction, or be a mental illness (in medical language it is called endogenous depression). Most often, depression is caused by purely psychological reasons, when the help of a clinical psychologist or psychotherapist is required.
Specialist help
If all of the above methods turned out to be useless, do not despair. Perhaps it is time to seek help from a specialist in the field of psychotherapy or psychology. You should not regard such an appeal to a stranger as something shameful. Today, many qualified specialists practice psychological assistance to people who find themselves in difficult situations. Such people guarantee complete anonymity and compliance with medical confidentiality. Do not forget that for many people, a state of emptiness leads to more serious problems than apathy and deterioration in mood. Several sessions of psychoanalysis will help you avoid serious stages.
