When success leaves you empty
As the Eurostar pulled up at St. Pancras Station my stomach churned and my head hurt. Facing reality was going to be tough. I felt severely hung over although not a drop of alcohol had passed my lips.
My two-day trip to two countries which had been filled with networking, sharing experiences, bonding with one another had clearly gone too fast.
The escape from reality was liberating and I loved helping others to shine in the spotlight, but this time it was over.
Over the next couple of days, I felt a melancholy & tiredness that wouldn’t shift. It wasn’t simply a case of a shock at the return to reality. I discovered I was suffering from an emotional hangover.
Unlike a traditional hangover, an emotional hangover doesn’t come with a banging headache (and the need to eat a kebab at 2 am 😜) it hits you when you expect it the least, after the success of an event you have worked on.
It could be after big life achievements such as getting married, having a child, or starting your own business or even completing a marathon.
In my research, I found that this is also referred as” Post-Adrenaline Blues” It's usually a temporary condition, but while we're in it, we feel dejected, depleted, dissatisfied, and prone to questioning everything about our lives!!
This is exactly what happened to me last week, it washed over me after a long burst of efforts for a major work deadline I had focused for months, and although it was a real success and my client was extremely happy, I still couldn’t shake this feeling of emptiness.
What about you, have you experienced a similar feeling after a major event that went successfully?
What techniques did you use to overcome that feeling?
Here are three techniques that may help:
1. Have a second project ready
Before you come to the completion of the event you have been working on for months, ensure you have another project ready to work on. This will avoid the fear of having nothing to focus on and keep a healthy workload in the pipeline.
2. Take it easy - treat yourself gently
We tend to constantly overdo it, we feel indispensable and if we are not around the fortress will collapse; the truth is, the world will still carry on whether we are present or not, things will still get done (maybe not your way, but they will.!) so Make sure to give yourself time to rest and recover from the long, stressful hours;
- have a nice long bath and listen to some chill out music.
-go for a yoga/ meditation class which will lift your spirits and get your energy to return.
-Mostly reach out to the people in your life who love you and care for you. Those you took for granted during those busy periods.
-Spend some quality time with them and enjoy each moment that passes.
3. Reward yourself!
You have worked hard and you have achieved your objective, no matter how hard it was you did it!! So why not buying those gorgeous red shoes you had your eyes on for a while? What about getting the latest gadget that everyone keeps going on about and you have been wanting to put your hand on for ages? Whatever it is make something that brings a smile on your face.
As long as we understand that those feelings are normal and focus on the positives we will soon get back to our own self.