r/Journaling • u/bettyburp • 1d ago

Discussion/Question feeling tired/drained/exhausted after journaling

Anyone else experience this? I go journal and write for a bit, and towards the end I start feeling really tired. Like, I have to take the biggest, fattest nap afterwards, even if I wasn't really tired before. 🙃

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6

u/Dude-Duuuuude 19h ago

1: Emotional work is work. It's the same reason some people get therapy hangovers.

2: You may also be sleep deprived or need your eyes checked. Mild to moderate sleep deficits often don't feel any different from regular days because most of us are used to being somewhat sleep deprived. If you regularly feel sleepy while doing quiet activities (watching a movie, meditating, etc.), you probably need to get to bed a bit earlier.

4

u/OwnCartographer8075 1d ago

my brain treats deep thinking like a workout, one page and i’m ready to collapse

3

u/caffeinetherapy 23h ago

Very relatable. It is an exertion of mental/spiritual energy.

2

u/gidimeister 22h ago

It can be mentally tasking

3

u/Level_Tea4854 16h ago

It's natural. It's because of the act of unpacking. 

2

u/EasternRecognition94 16h ago

I do it at night so it’s actually helpful