Inner emptiness torments you - this is how you find more fullness of life again

Reading time 6 minutes
Inner emptiness torments you - this is how you find more fullness of life again

Actually, everything is going quite well: The job is okay, family and friends are always there when you need them. Nevertheless, sometimes you get a feeling of inner emptiness. You have the impression that no one understands you. You don't even understand what's going on. There's nothing wrong with you, is there?

The problem is: the inner emptiness doesn't need a reason. At some point it simply appears and makes your life difficult. Here you'll learn how to overcome it and get back more of yourself. Joie de vivre win.

What does inner emptiness mean?

The feeling of inner emptiness resembles an inexplicable sadness. In the depressed mood you don't like to do anything. Every movement is difficult for you and you realize that you have no Smile more.

Even cheerful people sometimes suffer from this emptiness. Then the positive things no longer carry any weight. Instead, the negative feelings take center stage and paralyze everything. The inner emptiness often triggers the desire to fill it: with excessive eating, alcohol or drugs. But it actually contains the desire for true fulfillment - for love and contentment.

Loneliness and unfulfilled longing are typical accompanying symptoms. The inner emptiness seems to you like a black hole that pulls everything in and leaves a big nothing. In psychology, this feeling of emptiness is not considered an illness in its own right, but rather a Symptom for other mental health problems.

loneliness inner emptiness

How does the inner emptiness arise?

Why do you feel empty inside, even though life is successful seems? Most of the time, it's a lack of emotional connection that's behind it. Typical triggers for this are:

  • a negligent or excessively strict upbringing in childhood,
  • Abusive experiences and other traumas,
  • Feelings of guilt, shame and inferiority,
  • Suppression of one's own desires,
  • lack of human proximity.

A feeling of Security gives children and also adults strength and joie de vivre. Without friends and family, therefore, the danger of feeling lonely and empty increases.

How to recognize your inner emptiness

There are no major problems at work and everything seems to be going well in your private life, too. Then why can't you stop brooding? Are you depressed or is it just boredom? To find out, you need to take a closer look at your feelings and life circumstances.

Satisfaction with yourself plays a big role. It is related to how fulfilling your life is.

If you constantly feel an inner emptiness, you probably try to fill it with activities or consumption. This can lead to the development of an eating disorder or addictive behavior. But such solutions have only short-term success. Moreover, they are unhealthy or even risky, especially if an alcohol or drug addiction is imminent.

The boundaries between boredom, inner emptiness and depressive moods are often difficult to recognize. This makes it all the more important that you listen deeply to yourself. Are your thoughts constantly going round in circles? Are you desperately looking for something to do? Are you perhaps just going through a discovery phase or are these the signs of serious depression?

The following emotions are typical of inner emptiness:

  • You feel completely alone and incomplete,
  • The others (including family and friends) seem far away, as if cut off,
  • No activities can fulfill you,
  • Negative thoughts are your omnipresent companions,
  • You believe, constantly being under duress,
  • You feel nothing,
  • You constantly ask yourself about the meaning of life, but you don't find it,
  • You don't care about your own life.

Exercise: How does inner emptiness feel?

Feelings like loneliness and inner emptiness are difficult to describe. Everyone feels the emotions in its own individual way. Some long for physical closeness, others desire professional fulfillment.

The following self-observations will help you explore your feelings and manage them.

This emptiness inside me feels like:

  • Hunger - which you try to satisfy with food or frustration purchases,
  • Fear - that makes you freeze, because in it is the thought that your wishes will never be fulfilled,
  • Loneliness - which may lead you even further into isolation,
  • senselessness - which paralyzes you because your negative beliefs just spin around in circles.

In many cases, the inner emptiness triggers physical symptoms. Tension and headaches, stomach complaints and similar ailments show the strong dependence between soul and body. Sometimes the physical problems are also a result of excessive consumption, especially when you reach for sweets, alcohol or cigarettes.

How can I overcome my inner emptiness?

You want to fill your inner emptiness, so you eat something - even though you know it's not real hunger. Still, the chocolate gives you some comfort. But it's the feelings that need help, so snacking only helps in the short term and is unhealthy in the long run.

The following Tricks show you how to manage that first feeling of emptiness - in a healthy way:

  • Surprise the senses: cold shower, loud music, light effects, suck/eat something extremely sour or spicy (lemon, chili pepper),
  • Mindfulness for the body: relaxation, breathing exercises, meditations, podcasts or audio books on the topic
  • Focusing the mind: Crossword or Sudoku puzzles, reading,
  • Activities: Sports, walks, creative hobbies.
  • Coaching: Find the cause of your inner emptiness. This feeling has certainly been with you for much longer than you realize. When and why did you first feel empty inside? What belief system did you develop for yourself in that situation? And who (parents, grandparents, educators) may have been involved at that moment?

If the inner emptiness becomes a permanent burden, you should seek therapeutic help. Especially mentally unstable people need professional support.

5 tips to overcome the inner emptiness

You finally want to feel yourself again and get rid of loneliness. What to do against the inner emptiness? The following five Tips help you with this.

  1. Journaling is one of the mindfulness-based practices. When you journal, you get to know yourself better and soon realize what's close to your heart. And that's what fulfills you.
  2. Meditation helps against exhaustion and also against inner emptiness. You train your mental strength and fill up your memory.
  3. Sometimes a change is needed to be happier again. Dare to take on a special challenge. Therein lies a new opportunity for fulfillment.
  4. The Overcoming loneliness is worth it: you feel less alone in the company of other people.
  5. With a Coaching you will learn about self-help and personal development: this will strengthen your self-confidence and give you a fulfilling feeling.

How can I avoid my inner emptiness in the future?

If you interpret the warning signals correctly, you can counteract the inner emptiness in time. With self-reflection and positive beliefs you overcome the depressive thoughts without denying them. Write down your feelings, desires and fears - so you can observe them in peace.

The inner emptiness often leads to addiction: You believe that only the affirmation of other people makes you valuable. Or you turn to addictive substances. But familiarity is much more important, because it gives you comfort and improves your well-being. Which people make your life richer - and which people make you feel better? Relationships are rather toxic? Check your ties and focus on the contacts that make you feel good.

Give up short-term, unhealthy stimulants and focus instead on long-term happiness. Discover new things and expand your horizons. This way, your life will be filled with beautiful experiences - and the inner emptiness will be a thing of the past. See this phase as Development stage because it is part of your life.

7 long-term benefits of overcoming inner emptiness

There are good arguments for filling the inner emptiness. You can see that already in the clear designation: In the emptiness there is a lack that needs compensation.

That a fulfilled life self-confident and strong, seems logical. When you overcome the inner emptiness, you benefit especially from these pleasant side effects:

  1. Your stronger self-esteem leads to a positive charisma.
  2. You dare to take on new challenges.
  3. Your health gets a higher priority, thus you feel full of energy.
  4. You learn to enjoy with all your senses, and that increases your quality of life.
  5. Interpersonal relationships fulfill you and do you good.
  6. The fear of disappointment diminishes significantly.
  7. Positive, new Habits increase your satisfaction.

What helps against inner emptiness?

In summary, inner emptiness has a paralyzing power. It seems to deprive life of any meaning and takes away your strength to do anything. It is all the more difficult to free yourself from it. Self-awareness, positive thoughts, live consciously and sharpen your senses - so you get more energy and quality of life again. Pay attention to the beautiful things: they make the inner emptiness disappear and bring joy into your everyday life. And above all, realize that you are not alone and that you don't have to do everything alone. Maybe today it is a small, courageous step for you out of the Comfort zoneto accept help from others. Open yourself to a whole new experience.

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