10 Journal Prompts for the State of Depletion
GENTLY RECONNECTING WITH YOURSELF WHEN YOU FEEL NUMB or DISCONNECTED
The state of Depletion — associated with a dorsal vagal nervous system response — often feels like exhaustion, shutdown or emotional flatness. In this state, your body is conserving energy. It’s not a sign of failure or laziness — it’s a survival response.
Depletion can leave you feeling like you're underwater — slow, distant, or invisible. It may be hard to think clearly, feel motivated or believe you matter. Even self-care can feel overwhelming.
Journaling in this state isn’t about insight or productivity. It’s about finding small threads of reconnection — to your body, your self-worth, and your sense of being here.
WHAT THE DEPLETION STATE FEELS LIKE
- Physical and emotional fatigue
- Low energy, low motivation
- Feeling shut down, invisible, or emotionally flat
- Disconnection from your body or your desires
- A sense of “What’s the point?”
The nervous system’s goal here is conservation. These prompts are meant to be gentle, compassionate, and permission-giving — not demanding or goal-oriented.
10 JOURNAL PROMPTS FOR THE DEPLETION STATE
1. What does my body need right now — without needing to earn it?
Start with softness. No fixing. Just noticing.
2. If I could name one thing I feel, what would it be — even if it’s numbness?
Naming your state is a form of re-entry.
3. What would comfort look like if it didn’t have to be “productive”?
Let comfort be enough.
4. Who or what helps me feel like I exist, even in stillness?
Anchor yourself through memory or connection.
5. What is one thing that helped me get through today — even if it felt small?
Celebrate your survival strategies, not just your successes.
6. If my exhaustion had a voice, what would it say to me?
Let that part speak without editing or judgment.
7. What’s one act of gentleness I could offer myself — in thought, word, or touch?
Think: warm blanket, soft words, hand on heart.
8. What do I need permission to feel or not feel right now?
Give yourself that permission in writing.
9. What’s a past version of me that got through something hard — and how can I thank them?
Reconnect with your resilience without needing to be “strong.”
10. What would I say to a friend who felt the way I do now?
Let your compassion for others loop back to yourself.
USING THESE PROMPTS IN DEPLETION
- Choose one. Let it be enough.
- Write slowly — or don’t write at all. You can speak, type, or even just reflect silently.
- Keep your environment soft: dim lights, warm tea, gentle background music.
- Stop the moment it becomes too much. Return later. You’re not behind.
These prompts aren’t about pulling yourself out. They’re about meeting yourself where you are — with care and zero pressure.
YOU ARE STILL HERE — EVEN IF YOU FEEL FAR AWAY
In the state of Depletion, it’s easy to believe you’ve disappeared. That your feelings don’t matter. That nothing will change.
But your worth is not measured by your energy.
Your value doesn’t disappear when your body shuts down.
You are not a problem to solve — you are a nervous system to support.
Where to Start
The statechanged Method Workbook includes prompts like these — along with body-based grounding tools and state specific reflections to help you slowly come back online when you are in a state of Depletion.
Start with the Free Nervous System Assessment Quiz to check in with your current state and receive tools that fit where you are right now — not where you think you should be.
Explore our Digital Downloads for support tools like soft somatic practices, inner child connection practices— specifically designed for the moments when everything feels heavy.