101 Emotions
Like the phoenix, this is about the power of rising — no matter how many times your spirit is crushed.
· Numbness is the feeling of notfeeling or feeling everything fromfar away.
· Its not laziness. Its notcoldness. Its not me being broken.
· For me, numbness is my nervoussystem saying: this is too much to feel right now.
· Numbness is protection.
· It reduces overwhelm whenemotions would be too intense, too unsafe, or too costly.
· It helps me function when Ihave to keep going.
· In my body:
o heavy limbs, flat energy, tiredeyes
o muted sensations (hunger, pain,temperature)
o slow or shallow breathing
o sometimes a frozen feeling
· In my mind:
o blankness, fog, I dont know
o difficulty choosing or caring
o disconnection from meaning:Whats the point?
o memory gaps or time feelingweird (sometimes)
· In my behaviour:
o scrolling, zoning out,sleeping, disappearing
o avoiding people orconversations
o doing the bare minimum onautopilot
o not replying, not posting, notengaging
· Prolonged stress with no relief
· Being trapped in a situation Icant change
· Repeated invalidation: notbeing believed, being minimised
· After intense emotions: grief,fear, humiliation, betrayal
· When I have to be strong fortoo long
· Shame about being numb (Whatswrong with me?)
· Forcing myself to feel ondemand
· Overstimulation: noise,conflict, too many inputs
· Isolation without any safeco-regulation
· Calm: calm is safe and present; numbness is shut down.
· Depression: depression can include numbness, but numbness can also be a traumaresponse without being depression.
· Dissociation: numbness can be a mild form of dissociation; dissociation is morelike leaving my body/moment.
· Avoidance: avoidance is a behaviour; numbness is a state.
· Exhaustion/burnout: burnout can lead to numbness; numbness can also happen withoutphysical exhaustion.
· Not caring: I often care deeply mysystem just wont let me access it.
· Being heartless: numbness is usually a sign Ive felt too much, too often.
· Failure: numbness is a survival strategy, not a character flaw.
· What I need:
o safety (less threat, lesspressure)
o rest and basic care (food,water, sleep)
o reduced input (less conflict,less noise, less content)
o gentle reconnection to my body
o permission to go slowly
· What has to stop / what Iwont do:
o I wont bully myself intofeeling
o I wont keep exposing myself topeople/spaces that shut me down
o I wont call shutdown weakness
· What helps me in the moment(05 minutes):
1. Name it: Im numb. (Nojudgement.)
2. Orient to the room: 5 things Ican see, 4 I can touch.
3. Warmth + weight: blanket, warmdrink, hand on chest.
4. One sentence: My system isprotecting me.
· What helps me the same day(560 minutes):
1. Do basics first: eat, drink,shower, change clothes.
2. Choose one small sensoryanchor: music, scent, sunlight, a slow walk.
3. Reduce stimulation: mutenotifications, step away from heavy content.
4. If safe: brief contact with onesafe person (no big talk required).
· What helps me longer term:
o track patterns: what shuts medown (people, topics, systems)
o build a shutdown plan: what Ido when numbness hits
o practise titration: small dosesof feeling, not flooding
o strengthen boundaries so I dontlive in constant threat
o rebuild pleasure and meaningslowly (numbness often hides grief)
· If numbness lasts a long time,or I cant do basic care, it may be a sign I need extra support.
· If numbness comes with unsafethoughts, I treat that as a safety issue, not a willpower issue.
· Vignette ideas:
o The moment I realised I wasntsad I was numb.
o A time numbness protected me,and what helped me come back.
· Numbness often sits near: Overwhelm, Fear, Shame, Powerlessness, Grief, Burnout
· Numbness can flip into: Anger, Panic, Tears (when safety returns)
· Tools that support me here: grounding, sensory anchors, basics first checklist, low-input dayplan
· Im not a therapist. Im sharingmy lived experience and what Ive learned along the way because the more we talk about theseexperiences and emotions honestly, the more chance we have of protecting futuregenerations.
· Read more about this projecthere: About 101 Emotions (link)