Three Ways to Help Fill the Emptiness

Have you ever had a day that you felt empty? Over the last few days or weeks, you gave everything you have and today, you are on “E.” Maybe you have reached out to friends and family but have little success in filling up your social calendar. Or, perhaps, you are on your 100th job application with no call backs. When things don’t go as planned, it creates this feeling of emptiness and you’ve reach a point of having no motivation to continue your efforts. So what do you do? Here are three ways to help fill that feeling of emptiness in your life:


1. ​Take a step back

When things don’t go our way, we think, “Well, I should try this, or that, or that, or that…” And then, no results. And we fall into a trap. Take a step back. It is okay to hit the pause button. Take the afternoon off. Enjoy the summer weather and go outside. Clear your head. Go for a walk or see a movie. Go on youtube and watch a motivational video. Do something that is outside of your daily routine. When you take a break, it allows you to see things from a different perspective. You might get ideas that you weren’t necessarily thinking about earlier. You know when it is time to get back on the horse because you will feel motivated, with a clearer mindset.


2. Change your environment

​Mix it up a bit and do something today or tomorrow that is in a different place. Grab your phone, take a walk on a trail, and make it your mission to take photos during your hike. The idea is to get you out of the house to a peaceful environment with a task that is out of the norm. Don’t have any trails to hike? Take a car or bike trip to a place that you have never been. It doesn’t have to be a trip involving multiple days or hours. You could go to a new part of town. If that doesn’t sound appealing, sign up to do some volunteer work. Maybe you need to volunteer multiple times per week or a few times a month. In any case, change your environment. 


3. Talk to a therapist

Be honest with yourself. How long has this empty feeling be in existence? If you answer is a few days, then try to utilize #1 and #2 above and see if that helps. If the duration has been a few weeks or even a few months, perhaps it’s time to talk to a therapist. Talking to someone does not imply that there is something wrong with you or that there is a mental health concern. Seeing a therapist allows you to understand things from a different perspective. We have conversations with clients all the time that go like this: Have you thought about… Spend that time with a therapist to process through the core issue and develop new solutions to that empty feeling.

Please leave your comments below on any suggestions you have to help fill the emptiness. We would love to keep this discussion going and find other helpful ways to create a more positive, fulfilling life.