Have you been feeling drained and burnt out lately but don’t really know why? Are you usually positive and upbeat, but lately you’ve become more upset, anxious and stressed than you’ve ever been in your life?
Do you think there might be something in your life triggering all these negative feelings in you? Well, the truth is, even if we love them and care about them, there are just certain people in our lives we can’t stand to be around for too long because they drive us crazy. Are the people around you starting to wear down on you and your mental health? To help you with that, let’s talk about seven warning signs that tell you that someone is draining all of your energy and leaving you emotionally exhausted.
Number one, you dread interacting with them.
Is there a particular person you find yourself anxious to talk to? Do you often find yourself wishing you wouldn’t run into them or hoping you can find a way to escape before they see you and try to start a conversation with you. When you find yourself dreading to interact with someone, that’s a definite red flag. It means that every time that you spend time with this person, you’re left to stressed and emotionally spent. You feel like you don’t have the energy to go on with the rest of your day.
And your mood changes drastically after you see them.
Number two, you feel uneasy around them.
Do they seem to have a penchant for stirring up trouble? Are they constantly roping you into their needless drama or make you feel like you have to walk on eggshells around them and their volatile emotions? If so, this person makes you feel anxious and uncomfortable to be around.
You’re constantly waiting for something to go wrong or the other shoe to drop whenever you’re with them. And every phone call or visit makes you immediately think, great, what did you do this time?
Number three, you often ignore their calls and texts.
It is just a simple phone call, text message or notification from this person enough to put you on edge? In fact, seeing their name pop up on the screen makes your stomach feel so nodded and tight that you started to avoid them every chance that you get.
You ignore their calls, leave their messages on read and make excuses about why you haven’t been keeping in touch. Because the truth is you just don’t have the time or energy to deal with their drama anymore. It just becomes too exhausting. Which brings us to our next point, four.
Four, You’ve started avoiding them.
Every time you see them from a distance you immediately start running away in the other direction. You don’t go to any places, events or gatherings where you feel like you might run into them. And if you do, you have an excuse ready for why you suddenly have to leave so soon and cut the conversation short.
You try to keep your interactions with them as brief but polite as you possibly can. And you gradually spends less and less time around them.
Number five, you need to unwind after talking to them.
Another way to tell if someone is exhausting to be around is by taking a good look at how they make you feel after you talk to them. Do you feel happy and energized and upbeat after every chat with them? Or do they make you miserable, worried and upset more often than not. If it’s the latter, then that means this person really takes a toll on your mental and emotional health.
Why else would you feel the need to have to cheer yourself up after each interaction? They dump all of their negativity on you and keep you so busy attending to their every one need that it drains you of all of your energy and motivation.
Number six, you need to vent to someone about them. (sighs)
You will not believe what so-and-so said this morning. I’m so done with so-and-so and all of their drama.
They’re driving me crazy and I can’t take it anymore. Does this sound like you whenever you talk about a certain someone in your life right now? Do you know anyone who always makes you feel compelled to rant a complaint and vent about them to others? Sometimes even when you do feel frustrated with someone, you just don’t have the heart to let them know how you really feel.
And so you end up telling other people instead.
According to a study, if you constantly find yourself at your wits end with someone and desperately running to your closest friends for comfort and support, then it might be time to reevaluate your relationship with this person.
And number seven. You experienced physical symptoms.
Last but certainly not least, is the experience of physical symptoms, whether it’s fatigue frequent headaches, muscle tension, chest palpitations, shaky hands, or an upset stomach.
If you notice that your symptoms tend to start or worsen around a certain someone, then that definitely can’t mean anything good.
Other common manifestations of anxiety and emotional exhaustion stated by a study include mood swings, irritability, apathy, sudden loss of interest, and even emotional numbness. If you have someone in your life who is draining all of your emotional energy and taking a toll on your mental wellbeing, then you owe it to yourself to establish healthy boundaries and protect yourself against toxic relationships.
While it may seem difficult to let go of someone you care about, especially if you think they’re going through a really hard time right now, and you feel obligated to be there for them, try to remember that your mental health comes first. We hope we’re able to give you a little insight into some of the ways someone might be wearing you out. Did you find these relatable?
Did someone in particular come to mind, let us know in the comments below. If you found this video helpful, be sure to hit the like button and share it with someone tackling these energy vacuums.
Loved these 🖤