At a recent lecture, author Joshua Freedman shared the concept of an Emotional Recession. Unlike a financial recession, where the economy’s output is reduced, an emotional recession involves a contraction of the inputs of energy. This results in burnout, depletion, anxiety, volatility, and disconnection. In short, it makes it harder to say “yes” to things, more difficult to solve challenges, and people are less motivated to show up.
One way to counteract the emotional drain is to become intentional about what characteristic you want to bring forward every day, such as kindness. Freedman asked people to mentally draw a flower with the center representing someone who had been kind to them, and then on each petal to indicate something they did to earn that distinction. He then asked how the person made you feel, receiving such responses as “I felt seen,” “I felt loved,” and “I felt cherished.” Freedman pointed out that the ‘petals’ all listed ordinary actions, reminding us that simple things can have a profound impact on others — and help us counteract the malaise of the emotional recession.
If the current environment feels heavy, and it’s harder to find intrinsic motivation or joy, you can fill your bucket by intentionally being who you want to be, every day, even when it’s hard.
