EF cycles and tiredness

[Boatsetsailrose]

Hi all
I'm really seeing more clearly the cycle that happens for me when I get triggered and go into EF..
I clearly go into flight and perfectionism and don't need as much sleep (average 6 hrs a night). I then come out of EF and am exhausted and sleep ++ and don't attend to my daily things in the same way.. I then come out of that into 'normal land' which feels great. I'm in normal land at the mo..
I have an assessment with psychologist next wk and really want to work on the flight and perfectionism to try and not be so driven and gain better sleep to then minimise the chances of crashing and being out for the count for days...
Can people relate to this cycle? Have u found ways to create more balance.?
Id be grateful to hear....

[Oscen]

Hi Boatsetsailrose,

Yes, absolutely, 100% agree EFs and energy levels go in cycles. My cycles are different to yours, with different responses to triggers, but it's the same principle.
Mine tend to follow arcs of several weeks to several months, and shift from satisfactory productiveness, to *almost* underperforming. Skin of my teeth stuff.
Right now, I'm in a big slump after concluding a couple of things that were important to me recently, and feeling directionless.
For me, part of the struggle is even wanting to break this stage of the cycle - right now, the comfort of the couch feels so much more important than my life trajectory!
As to getting some balance back, I think I need to double-down on self-care including fun, relaxation, and socialising, and not just focus on work stuff.

It might be a good idea to keep a daily record of mood, energy levels, and other things that might be relevant to you - under or over-productivity, sleep, etc.
This could help with identifying triggers, identifying times when you'll be most susceptible to triggers, recognising when you're in a triggered state, and figuring out the best things to do to deal with being in a triggered state.
Understanding your natural cycles so that you're more empowered to experiment and find your own solutions, with or without the guidance of a professional.
Of course, being in a slump, I'm not doing this atm, but if your perfectionism kicks in, you might do it very well!

In any case, speaking about it to your psychologist should hopefully yield good results. Good luck!

[Lillian]

I experience this, too. Right now I'm in the exhaustion phase. I throw myself into work, trying to make everything perfect. I also try to present myself as if I have everything together. Then I come home and just lay in bed. Sleep on the weekends can be 12+ hours at a time, and even when I wake up, I do nothing productive. I have so much to do around the house today and I just can't even get started.
My therapist wants me to work on being okay with leaving things as "good enough" at work, but it's really difficult to do sometimes. She's also been sick for the last month, so I'm struggling a bit.