Working with burnout and energy loss issues

Recently I had the opportunity to work with several clients with burnout and (loss of) energy issues. This type of energy loss goes often together with anxiety attacks, states of feeling blue (depressed), and an overall sensation of being de-energized. 

Sometimes this all seems one big sensation. But it isn’t. Anxiety attacks are in fact surges of energy with a strong negative charge (leading to a state of ‘freeze’ and emotional disarray).

For me, it’s both exciting and rewarding to work with these complaints. It’s exciting since things rarely are as they seem by the mind. And it’s rewarding since positive results can happen faster than expected.

In the case of extreme energy loss, the experience of a client is fatigue, sometimes to the extent it’s almost paralyzing. As most masseurs can testify, ‘fatigue’ is something you feel in someone’s body. Clients with really low energy levels can literally drain a massage worker and every massage professional is trained to retain his/her energy by staying centered. 

But when working with several ‘burnout clients’, I did not sense fatigue, instead, I sensed energy in their bodies. This seemed contradictory to the complaint. The first client this happened with was a young woman who had not been able to work or practice sports for over a year. After our session, she reported -with a glow on her face- feeling really good. I wrote about her in my first post here, the one about my logo. The next day she checked via WhatsApp: “I’m almost afraid to say it out loud, but I’m experiencing energy!”. 

Two days later she had a backlash. But two more sessions and four weeks later she was doing early morning HIIT workouts! How was this possible? 

In the meantime, I worked with several clients with similar types of complaints and every time big shifts happened during the first session. That first session obviously ‘does not to the job’. But it’s a hugely powerful moment and in general the kick-off for a deeply rewarding journey.

I use both Wholeness and massage in these cases. Both work differently and are complementary. Massage will bring embodiment and awareness regarding the body and feelings. Wholeness Work brings embodied integration and insights. 

There’s still a lot for me to learn in this field. And ‘past performance is no guarantee of future results’. But it’s clear that semi-instant change IS possible. 

Are you suffering from burnout or energy issues and are you interested to explore? Then feel free to make an appointment for an introductory call with me here.