{"id":58067,"date":"2020-03-18T05:52:33","date_gmt":"2020-03-18T05:52:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/signs-of-emotional-exhaustion-in-marriage\/"},"modified":"2024-07-30T10:39:35","modified_gmt":"2024-07-30T10:39:35","slug":"signs-of-emotional-exhaustion-in-marriage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/signs-of-emotional-exhaustion-in-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Signs of Emotional Exhaustion and Burnout in Marriage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16230 size-full\" title=\"10 Signs of Emotional Exhaustion and Burnout in Marriage\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/signs-of-emotional-exhaustion-and-burnout-in-marriage-1605790046.jpg\" alt=\"Sad Man And Women Laying On Bed\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A healthy and strong marriage is what all of us want, but sometimes it can be difficult for our emotional health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest issue is that most of us aren&rsquo;t aware of emotional exhaustion in marriage and fail to tackle it properly. It&rsquo;s time to change that!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/333811482_Marriage_Burnout_When_the_Emotions_Exhausted_Quietly_Quantitative_Research\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Emotional exhaustion can be very harmful<\/b><\/a><b> to your health, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">causing eating disorders, headaches, stomach pain, etc. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read on to learn more about 10 signs and symptoms of emotional exhaustion in marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0B9G5H2P_2k?si=qGmBTVgnQsT5lzh_\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">&#65279;<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1-Unexplained-discomfort\"><\/span>1. Unexplained discomfort<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The biggest problem with emotional burnout in a marriage is the complete lack of awareness of it at the beginning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You feel something is not right but aren&rsquo;t sure what. That happens because, on a deeper level, we don&rsquo;t want to admit something in the marriage isn&rsquo;t working.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We ignore some problems for so long that we become oblivious to them. Regardless of how much we pretend they don&rsquo;t exist,<\/span><b> the problems affecting our emotions don&rsquo;t go away and manifest themselves in other forms.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The restlessness, discomfort, and &ldquo;gut&rdquo; feeling are important signs of emotional exhaustion you shouldn&rsquo;t ignore. Try to uncover the root cause. Once you identify the reason behind the discomfort, you will feel much better.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2-You-are-constantly-burned-out\"><\/span>2. You are constantly burned out<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling emotionally tired is a common occurrence, especially today when most of us have a hectic and busy lifestyle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tons of things to do at work, errands to run, and professional and personal commitments drain our energy levels. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/8-common-problems-in-married-life\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marriage-related problems<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> can do the same.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Stress levels accumulate due to unresolved problems in marriage<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, making you feel overwhelmed and exhausted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What you should never do is ignore stress and exhaustion and find simple ways to reenergize and feel better.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fix yourself the best detox drink you can find and allow your body to eliminate all the toxins so you can feel calm and ready to tackle any problem in your way, including marriage-related issues.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also watch:<\/span><br><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CDvnw8eOjFQ\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3-Lack-of-motivation\"><\/span>3. Lack of motivation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A common sign of high levels of exhaustion in marriage is the absence of motivation to do anything with or for the spouse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don&rsquo;t want to look your best anymore, ideas of activities to do and places to see have vanished, and you really have no desire to spend a lot of time with that person.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&rsquo;t blame yourself. <\/span><b>This doesn&rsquo;t necessarily <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/how-i-knew-my-marriage-was-over\/\"><b>mean marriage is over<\/b><\/a><b>&nbsp;and love is gone<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Lack of motivation points to a deeper problem you two haven&rsquo;t resolved just yet.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4-You-prefer-being-alone\"><\/span>4. You prefer being alone<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16210 size-full\" title=\"You prefer being alone\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/you-prefer-being-alone-1605790046.jpg\" alt=\"Alone Man Wearing White Dress Shirt Near Sea\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The truth is that <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/how-to-find-time-for-yourself-after-marriage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">spending some time alone<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is not such a bad thing. All of us need a little bit of &ldquo;me time&rdquo; to do something relaxing and make the stress caused by everyday life go away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, when a person wants to be alone all the time, it is a sign of emotional exhaustion in marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Preferring to spend time all by yourself rather than being in the same room with the spouse means you are emotionally drained.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">According to marriage &amp; family therapist&nbsp;<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/experts\/lisa-seid\" target=\"_blank\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lisa Seid<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While it might seem easiest at the moment, ignoring the signs of emotional fatigue or exhaustion will only complicate and make things worse because it&rsquo;s hard to resolve new issues that arise in life and marriage when your tank is already empty.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The marriage has become so heavy that you find &ldquo;me time&rdquo; a sort of rescue or salvation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To overcome this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/emotional-intimacy\/signs-of-an-emotionally-disconnected-marriage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">emotional detachment symptom<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, determine whether you&rsquo;re really happier alone or you just don&rsquo;t want to go through marriage-related issues with the significant other.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5-Feeling-like-your-needs-aren%E2%80%99t-met\"><\/span>5. Feeling like your needs aren&rsquo;t met<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/10285620\/Investigation_of_burnout_in_marriage\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><b>Research<\/b><\/a><b> has suggested that spousal support is an essential aspect of managing emotional exhaustion in marriage.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In marriage, two people try to meet each other&rsquo;s needs or just rely on the support of a loved one. Balance is important here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to rely on a spouse&rsquo;s support, you have to offer the same. It&rsquo;s not uncommon for people to notice there is no balance at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A major contributor to emotional exhaustion in a marriage is the uncomfortable feeling that you can&rsquo;t rely on the spouse and their support and do not believe they care about your needs at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you feel like a giver and the spouse is just a taker, it&rsquo;s time to have a conversation where you&rsquo;ll lay out these problems in the open.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Otherwise, emotional exhaustion could aggravate. An honest conversation can do wonders.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6-You-constantly-think-about-divorce\"><\/span>6. You constantly think about divorce<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16211 size-full\" title=\"You constantly think about divorce\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/you-constantly-think-about-divorce-1605790046.jpg\" alt=\"Sad Women Looking At Her Ring\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does it feel like the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/divorce\/10-most-common-reasons-for-divorce\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">idea of divorce seems reasonable<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and you find yourself thinking about it quite often?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a relationship or marriage becomes too heavy on emotions, you may think about the exit. This is the telltale sign of serious emotional exhaustion you need to tackle as soon as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7-Walking-on-eggshells\"><\/span>7. Walking on eggshells<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>A <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/keys-to-a-healthy-marriage\/\"><b>healthy marriage<\/b><\/a><b> is supposed to be peaceful<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> i.e.; you should feel relaxed, free, and able to share everything with the spouse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if a marriage reaches the point where you have to watch what you do or say constantly, it can be difficult for your emotions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nobody likes to feel they need to walk on eggshells in someone&rsquo;s presence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some signs of walking on eggshells include feeling nervous when talking about some subjects because the spouse may get angry, fearing you&rsquo;ll get in trouble, and focusing on &ldquo;how they will react&rdquo; whenever you want to do something for yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8-Feeling-controlled\"><\/span>8. Feeling controlled<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Marriage is not, nor should it be a prison.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Feeling bad or worried about the spouse&rsquo;s reactions when you&rsquo;re hanging out with friends, buying something for yourself, or even talking with friends and family on the phone can lead to emotional exhaustion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The feeling of control induces stress and <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">anxiety<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which can have negative consequences on your health and even decrease productivity at work.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9-You%E2%80%99re-in-a-bad-mood-all-the-time\"><\/span>9. You&rsquo;re in a bad mood all the time<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16212 size-full\" title=\"You&rsquo;re in a bad mood all the time\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/youre-in-a-bad-mood-all-the-time-1605790047.jpg\" alt=\"Beautiful Girl Anger With Look\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mood is not constant; it goes up and down. <\/span><b>Prolonged periods of a bad mood in marriage point to deeper problems and ever-growing negativity.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are a sign of deep emotional problems or drained energy caused by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/counseling\/what-should-you-do-when-marital-problems-are-never-resolved\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unresolved issues between two people<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10-Low-self-esteem\"><\/span>10. Low self-esteem<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A strong<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/relationship\/14-ways-to-keep-your-relationship-strong-healthy-and-happy\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;marriage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> allows two people to be the best versions of themselves and boosts their confidence. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, if your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0191886900000234\" rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">self-esteem<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is low lately, it could be due to emotional exhaustion in marriage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rule out other potential causes of low self-esteem, such as depression, anxiety, and work. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If none of these apply to you, Your relationship with your spouse could be the reason for your emotional exhaustion. It&rsquo;s not uncommon for people to feel insecure about themselves due to their spouse&rsquo;s behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But the truth is your spouse may not realize this, so <\/span><b>it&rsquo;s important to communicate clearly.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><b>Conclusion<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marriage comes with ups and downs, which may take their toll on our emotional health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Emotional exhaustion in marriage manifests itself through an array of subtle signs and symptoms that you may want to remember in order to learn how to recognize them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once identified, you can<\/span><b> move on to tackle these problems through communication<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, seeking marriage counseling, or in other ways.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you suffer from emotional exhaustion in marriage? How many of these symptoms do you experience?<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A healthy and strong marriage is what all of us want, but sometimes it can be difficult for our emotional health. The biggest issue is that most of us aren&rsquo;t aware of emotional exhaustion in marriage and fail to tackle it properly. It&rsquo;s time to change that! Emotional exhaustion can be very harmful to your health, causing eating disorders, headaches, stomach pain, etc. Read on to learn more about 10 signs and symptoms of emotional exhaustion in marriage. &#65279; 1. Unexplained discomfort The biggest problem with emotional burnout in a marriage is the complete lack of awareness of it at <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":807,"featured_media":58068,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2502],"tags":[2609],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58067"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/807"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58067"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":103326,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58067\/revisions\/103326"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58068"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}