{"id":25904,"date":"2014-11-12T08:00:29","date_gmt":"2014-11-12T15:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/?p=25904"},"modified":"2024-05-21T16:25:41","modified_gmt":"2024-05-21T20:25:41","slug":"i-feel-empty-how-to-overcome-feelings-of-emptiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/i-feel-empty-how-to-overcome-feelings-of-emptiness-1112145","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;I Feel Empty&#8217;: How to Overcome Feelings of Emptiness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-27321 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/looking-for-a-therapist-photo2-300x216.jpg\" alt=\"Sad man sitting in sunset\" width=\"300\" height=\"216\" data-id=\"27321\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/looking-for-a-therapist-photo2-300x216.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/looking-for-a-therapist-photo2-1024x739.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/looking-for-a-therapist-photo2.jpg 2040w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Feeling empty from time to time may be a normal part of the human condition. But if you experience persistent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/emptiness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">feelings of emptiness<\/a>, there may be something you can do about it.<\/p>\n<p>What does emptiness feel like?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You don\u2019t have a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/life-purpose\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sense of purpose<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>You perceive a lack of meaning in your life.<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019re not happy, but you\u2019re not particularly sad, either.<\/li>\n<li>If someone were to ask you how you feel, you might say, \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>What causes feelings of emptiness? No one knows for sure, and there may be more than one cause. A common reason you might feel empty is self-alienation\u2014feeling like a stranger to yourself. This sensation develops over time, usually as a result of pushing away unwanted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/emotion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">emotions<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Our emotions are an important aspect of our experience of ourselves and our quality of life, yet most of us have some degree of trouble allowing ourselves to have certain feelings. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/anger\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Anger<\/a> is one emotion that many people try not to experience, for example.<\/p>\n<p>What happens to our feelings when we refuse to acknowledge them? They stick around in the shadows of our minds, gumming up the emotional works and, eventually, cutting us off from ourselves altogether.<\/p>\n<div class=\"content-fatwidget align-right\">\n\t<h2><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/find-therapist.html\" target=\"_blank\">Find a Therapist<\/a><\/h2>\n\t<form action=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/search-redirect.html\" method=\"get\">\n\n\t\t\t<input required name=\"search[zipcode]\" placeholder=\"Enter ZIP or City\" class=\"inline-input\" type=\"text\" \/>\n\n\n\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" name=\"TOS agreement\" value=\" \" class=\"inline-btn\" title=\"Search\" onclick=\"ga('send', 'event', 'FAT Widget', 'Submit Search', 'Sidebar', {nonInteraction: true});\" \/>\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/advanced-search.html\" title=\"Advanced Search\" onclick=\"ga('send', 'event', 'FAT Widget', 'Advanced Search', 'Sidebar', {nonInteraction: true});\" >Advanced Search<\/a>\n\t<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<p>The result? We feel empty. We have a pulse, but we\u2019re not really <em>alive<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Life is an emotional experience.<\/p>\n<p>If you come from a family that didn\u2019t \u201cdo\u201d certain (or any) emotions, you\u2019re at increased risk of feeling empty.<\/p>\n<h3>Here are some ideas for getting out from under this uncomfortable state:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stop looking \u201cout there\u201d for a sense of purpose<\/strong>. Your purpose springs forth from your uniqueness. It\u2019s not something that floats around the earth independently like a cloud, waiting for you to find it. If you don\u2019t have a strong sense of who you are, it\u2019s can be hard to feel in touch with your purpose. You are someone in particular. You have a story, of which you\u2019re the star.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Think about this question: \u201cWho is the person experiencing this feeling of emptiness?\u201d <\/strong>Your authentic self is the person who cries when you\u2019re sad, and laughs when you\u2019re tickled. It\u2019s your authentic self who wants to inhabit the void, filling you with meaning, purpose, and connection. Start where you are: <em>Someone<\/em> is feeling empty. Who is it?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ask yourself how you might feel if you weren\u2019t feeling empty<\/strong>. Look at your life\u2014past, present, and\/or future. What comes up as you think about it? Any so-called negative emotions such as anger, disappointment, or despair are showing you what might be hiding under a numbing blanket of emptiness. Are you protecting yourself from something you\u2019d rather not know? Be curious, not judgmental. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/psychpedia\/definition-of-compassion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Compassionate<\/a>, not accusing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Embrace your emotions, whatever they are.<\/strong> This is the same as embracing yourself. Although emotions aren\u2019t literally a part of you, they\u2019re a reliable reflection of you in this moment. How you feel in any given moment is the road that connects you with your authentic self. Try a little constructive wallowing in any emotions you have, and remember: curiosity and compassion, not judgment, is the goal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Be a joiner<\/strong>. There\u2019s meaning in connection with other people. Consider sharing your sense of emptiness with another person. If there\u2019s no one in your life you trust with that information, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/group-therapy.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">support group<\/a> could be valuable. A grief support group might be a good choice. Many of us have endured enough loss in our lives to fit right in. You can\u2019t be closer to another than you are to yourself. Be honest and kind to yourself, rather than looking to other people to fill you up.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Root out shame<\/strong>. There is nothing inherently wrong with you. It\u2019s hard to be close to someone you despise, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/learn-about-therapy\/issues\/shame\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">shame<\/a> encourages you to reject yourself.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Try therapy<\/strong>. A good therapist holds up a metaphorical mirror, helping you see and appreciate who you are. If you need a little help, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/find-therapist.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">find a therapist in your area<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You don&#8217;t have to live your life feeling empty if you don&#8217;t want to. You deserve a good relationship with yourself and a meaningful, purposeful life. Let this article reach that part of you that\u2019s there under the surface, waiting to reconnect and dispel those feelings of emptiness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you feel as if your life lacks meaning or purpose? Do you sense an inner void that you want to fill? Try these tips to help you recapture your inner spirit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":532,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[31,406,417,25,547],"class_list":["post-25904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured-articles","tag-psychotherapy-practice","tag-emptiness","tag-life-purpose","tag-psychotherapy-issues","tag-self-compassion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25904","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/532"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25904"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25904\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goodtherapy.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}