Sylvia Plath had a profound way of capturing the depths of exhaustion, both mental and physical. One famous line from The Bell Jar reads:
“I felt very still and empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo.”
Her words speak to a weariness that goes beyond just being tired–it’s an emotional exhaustion that leaves one feeling hollow.
Another powerful line:
“I am so exhausted from feeling things.”
Plath often expressed how feeling intensely could lead to a kind of emotional burnout. These quotes resonate deeply for anyone who has experienced true fatigue, beyond just the physical.
Reflection Questions
When have you felt like the “eye of a tornado,” calm yet surrounded by chaos? How did you cope with the dissonance between your inner stillness and external turbulence?
What aspects of your life currently feel like the “surrounding hullabaloo?” How do these external forces contribute to your sense of exhaustion or emptiness?
How do you interpret the idea of “moving dully along?” Do you feel this way in certain areas of your life, and if so, how could you regain a sense of purpose or energy?
What emotions or experiences are you currently carrying that are contributing to your sense of exhaustion? How might you release or express these feelings?
In what ways do you think emotional exhaustion differs from physical exhaustion? How can you recognize when you’re emotionally drained, and what steps can you take to replenish yourself?
Reflect on the balance between feeling deeply and protecting your energy. How can you create space to feel without becoming overwhelmed?