People Who Feel Everything & Nothing At The Same Time Usually Say 8 Phrases In Casual Conversation
Krakenimages | Shutterstock Emotions are difficult to manage, especially when you become so overwhelmed you start shutting down or if you don't know how to explain your feelings. This concept may not make sense to everyone, but feeling everything and nothing at the same time isn't all that uncommon.
I’ve dealt with conflicting emotions throughout my life and it can make it difficult for me to connect with others. After all, if I can’t explain how I feel to myself, how could I share with someone else? But it's also made me more empathetic and helped me spot others who are feeling this way.
People who feel everything and nothing at the same time say these 8 phrases casually:
1. ‘I don’t want to talk, but I also don't want to be alone’
When someone is dealing with big emotions, talking about them can feel impossible. How can you explain that you feel so much, but also aren’t completely sure you do? It’s confusing for them, and they struggle to explain it to someone else. Instead, they may rely on their company for comfort, but aren’t ready to dive into their complicated thoughts.
Someone like this may be dealing with emotional blindness, where you feel emotions but you don't know how to express them. They often can’t get to the root of their feelings and feel uncomfortable sharing them with other people. It's almost like there's a giant canyon between what they're feeling and the ability to express it.
They also may be temporarly struggling to connect with their feelings or verbalize them, but they know that being alone would be worse. For people who can discuss their feelings easily, this may seem contradictory, but when someone is feeling everything and nothing at the same time, it's just another state of being.
2. ‘I’m not sleepy, but I'm very tired lately’
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Making excuses for my emotions is my go-to. Sometimes it's easier to say I'm tired when what I'm feeling is something more complicated.
Listen, I know it’s bad to keep things bottled up, but when I can’t explain how I feel, what other option do I have? Explaining that you feel things intensely but are also numb to them is too complicated for many of us to dive into, especially when engaging in casual conversation. Often, we don’t want to burden people with our true emotions.
Having complicated emotions can make people feel like a burden. Instead of trying to explain that everything hurts but also nothing does at all, they’ll say something like, ‘I’m just tired’ and end the conversation there.
Of course, there's always the possibility that someone is experiencing depression, as that can also feature a feeling of exhaustion despite getting plenty of sleep. Either way, it's nothing to be ashamed of, it's just a strange combination of feelings all at once.
3. ‘I wish you understood, but you just wouldn’t’
When you hear the phrase "you wouldn’t understand" you likely picture it in the bratty way some choose to say it. Some people think they’re much more advanced than the average thinker, and come across as arrogant. However, if someone feels everything but nothing at all, they believe no one would understand them, and it's not because they're better. They don’t want to try to explain emotions they don’t fully understand.
This is back to the inability to name their emotions. Instead of bothering to put them into words, they just tell the people in their lives that they wouldn’t understand. Often, it’s the truth, but that doesn't mean they don't want connection or compassion.
4. ‘It’s upsetting me, but it's not a big deal’
I’ve been guilty of saying this, and when I do, I likely do view the situation as a big deal. However, I don’t want to tell anyone else what I'm feeling or I haven't figured out how to explain it. Instead, I’ll play this tangled mess of feelings off like everything is fine. It feels easier than getting into the messy stuff.
People with conflicting feelings may say this phrase to avoid processing their emotions.
"It’s not a big deal" can be a way to avoid conflict or dodge a topic altogether, which isn't always a bad thing. Struggling with emotions isn’t easy. In fact, it can be embarrassing for some. This can lead to constant excuses being made, and true feelings hidden behind a mask.
5. ‘I can’t explain it, but there's something I need'
When someone says they can’t explain how they are feeling, it seems like a cop-out or like they don’t want to share where they’re at mentally with you. However, it isn’t always that simple. Some people are genuinely detached from their needs. It feels like too much, but also nothing at all. It’s easier to keep their emotions to themselves because they worry no one else will understand.
This type of person struggles to let other people in, and they don’t want to involve others in their complicated emotions. The constant whiplash of feeling everything and nothing at all isn’t easy to explain to someone else.
6. ‘I care a lot, but I don’t know how to show it’
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Our nervous systems can quickly become overloaded. Even if someone is genuine and caring, they may shut down. Often, this isn’t intentional. Feeling everything but nothing at all is confusing. It may lead to anxiety, which can cause someone to freeze in these situations instead of opening up about their true feelings.
These mixed emotions can signal emotional dysregulation. They may feel one way, but can’t react the way they wish they could. Instead of working through these emotions, it’s easier to shut down and not bother to show them to the people around them.
7. ‘I have so much going on in my head that I'm almost numb’
I spend more time in my head than I probably should. I get caught up in my feelings, especially when they are hard for me to understand. Feeling a lot but also nothing at the same time can make me question myself.
Why am I like this? What can I do to change it? Suddenly, I’m spiraling, and I’m not sure how I got there. The only way to deal with it is to zone out.
It’s important to try to break out of your own head, I say hypocritically. Constant overthinking might make conflicting emotions feel more intense. Often, people in our lives have good intentions, but still, explaining everything going on inside can feel impossible.
8. ‘I hate that I make my life so complicated’
Feeling so many emotions at once is not easy. It makes it feel like we are stuck in a constant loop of the unknown. How will these things in my head materialize today? It leaves us wondering why we are complicating our lives with such intense thoughts, but often, we have no control over them. Still, it’s hard not to blame ourselves.
We may want to feel one way or another, but our minds struggle to slow down. Feeling intensely can hurt us, but choosing to talk through these emotions can help the wounds that form heal.
If you hear someone say that they hate how complicated they make their own lives, you might think it's silly. If they don't like something they're doing to themselves, why don't they stop? Well, a lot of the things that contribute to this conflict are unconscious, happening below the surface.
Haley Van Horn is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in Humanities living in Los Angeles. Her focus includes entertainment and lifestyle stories.
