RUNNING EMPTY (original) (raw)

Do you ever notice how you can leave a conversation with a friend, a family member or even a coworker feeling completely wiped out—like you’ve just run an emotional marathon?

Or how you sometimes get so wrapped up in someone else’s problems that it feels like you’re carrying their weight on your own back?

I’ve been there, too.

The thing is, these feelings aren’t random—they often point to something deeper that’s easy to miss.

When we’re running on empty, checking in with ourselves feels like one more thing we can’t handle. And when other people’s expectations or emotionally draining interactions throw us off balance, it’s even harder to find our footing again.

But here’s where the real challenge kicks in: we usually don’t realize what’s happening.

This is how codependency seeps into our lives without us even noticing.

Codependency isn’t just about unhealthy or toxic relationships though.

It can quietly show up in our day-to-day interactions with the people we care about the most.

It sneaks in when we’re afraid to set boundaries, worried about upsetting someone, or when we take on other people’s problems—even when we’re struggling to manage our own.

You know those moments when you hold back from saying what you really feel, just to avoid potentially upsetting someone? Or when you find yourself doing things for others that, let’s be honest, they should be handling themselves?

Over time, these behaviours chip away at your energy and leave you disconnected from yourself at a deep level.

And here’s the thing: when we keep ignoring our own wants, needs and feelings, we don’t just end up exhausted—we also damage the very relationships we’re trying to protect.

The other day, my sister asked me for money for a funeral. I said NO. I’d rather send money to my nephew in college who needs it more. I don’t have to look good to people I haven’t seen nor have we some form of relational interaction in years.