Emotional Flatline: When Joy Feels Out of Reach
Burnout isn’t always tears and tantrums—often it’s numbness.
Chronically high cortisol can blunt the brain’s dopamine receptors, muting both stress and pleasure. That “blah” feeling is chemistry, not character.
Re-ignite subtle joys
20-second micro-gratitudes – write one sensory delight (sun on skin, warm tea).
Acupuncture’s “Four Gates” – frees stuck Qi, often restoring emotional colour within minutes.
Gentle novelty – a new walking route tells the brain life is still interesting.
In clinic we track mood shifts session-to-session; tiny upticks in curiosity signal the system is rebooting.
