03/02/2026
Depression, Emotional Numbness, And How Reiki Can Support Healing And Awareness:
In both personal and professional spaces, many of us move through life on emotional autopilot, especially when depression is present. We may still show up, perform well, and even express gratitude, yet beneath the surface there is a quiet heaviness, dissatisfaction, or sense of disconnection we can not quite name.
One pattern that I have been reflecting upon is how people experiencing depression often fall into habitual complaining, emotional flatness, or chronic restlessness, not because they lack appreciation or motivation, but because unprocessed emotions have nowhere else to go. When sadness, grief, or exhaustion feel unsafe or unacceptable, they tend to surface indirectly.
From a psychological perspective, this is closely tied to defence mechanisms. When we hold high expectations to be strong, positive, or resilient, depression may not appear as obvious sadness. Instead, it can show up as irritability, numbness, repeated dissatisfaction, or low-level frustration. These are often signals of emotions that have not been fully felt or integrated.
From a scientific and nervous-system perspective:
* Stress Regulation: Depression is associated with chronic activation of the brain’s threat system (amygdala) and reduced regulation from calming pathways. Gentle practices that support relaxation help reduce this overactivation and create emotional breathing room.
* Cognitive Load and Energy Conservation: When the mind is overwhelmed, defense mechanisms filter emotional input so we can keep functioning. While protective, overuse can lead to emotional shutdown, mental fatigue, and a sense of being stuck.
* Protection of Self-Concept: Defence mechanisms help preserve self-esteem and identity during emotional distress, especially when vulnerability feels risky. In depression, this can manifest as emotional withdrawal or self-criticism rather than open expression.
* Developmental and Survival Roots: These coping strategies develop early as survival tools. Depression often reactivates them, not as a failure, but as a sign the system is trying to protect itself under prolonged stress.
* Resilience and Healing Capacity: Adaptive regulation (not suppression) is linked to recovery, emotional resilience, and long-term mental wellbeing.
This is where Reiki can be especially supportive.
Reiki works gently with the nervous system and emotional body, helping create a sense of safety where suppressed emotions can surface without force. Rather than analysing or fixing, Reiki invites awareness and regulation that allows the body and mind to soften their defences naturally. This means that:
* Gratitude and depression can coexist.
* Positivity does not heal what has not been felt.
* Emotional awareness is not weakness, it is regulation.
* Gentle practices can reach places the mind can not.
In professional environments, this awareness matters deeply. Depression does not disappear at work, it just adapts. When we normalise appropriate emotional acknowledgment and nervous-system support, we foster healthier leadership, clearer communication, and more sustainable performance.
Defence mechanisms are natural, but awareness helps us respond, not react.
Here are ways to soften these mechanisms, especially when depression is present:
* Practice Self-Awareness: Notice emotional shifts without judgment.
* Name The Emotion: Ask what is underneath the emotion (sadness, grief, fear, emptiness).
* Allow Discomfort: Healing begins when we stop forcing ourselves to feel better and allow what is authentic.
* Use Somatic Support: Reiki, breathwork and grounding practices help the nervous system to feel safe enough to release and relax.
* Practice Mindfulness Without Pressure: Observe thoughts and sensations without needing to change them.
* Replace Reaction With Regulation: Calm the body first, and clarity follows.
Here is a gentle Reiki practice specifically for depression, emotional suppression, and softening defence mechanisms. It is simple, grounding, and safe to do daily (before you start work), even on low-energy days.
Reiki self-practice for depression and emotional awareness (15–25 minutes):
* Set The Intention: Sit or lie down comfortably. Place one hand on your heart and one on your lower belly. Silently say, “I invite Reiki to support my nervous system, emotional balance, and gentle awareness. I allow whatever needs to arise to do so safely.”
* Ground The Body first: Place both hands on your lower abdomen (sacral area. This helps with depression-related dissociation and emotional numbness. Focus on slow breathing, inhaling through the nose for 4 seconds, then exhaling through the mouth for 6 seconds. Let the body feel supported before touching emotions.
* Heart–Solar Plexus Hold: Place one hand on the heart and the other hand on the solar plexus (upper stomach). This is key for suppressed emotions and chronic self-criticism. You may feel warmth, heaviness, emotions, or nothing at all, and all are correct. If thoughts arise, gently say, “I don’t need to understand. I only need to allow.”
* Head And Nervous System Calming: Place one hand on the forehead and the other hand on the back of the head (occipital area). This helps amygdala calming, mental fatigue, and rumination. Imagine the mind gently exhaling tension like fog lifting.
* Emotional Release Without Overwhelm: Place one hand on the heart and the other hand on the lower belly again. Silently ask yourself, ‘What emotion wants space right now?’ If something arises (sadness, emptiness, anger) let Reiki hold it. If nothing arises, that is also healing.
* Close The Session: With both hands back on the heart, say, “Thank you. I am supported. I can return to this anytime.” Take a few slow breaths before standing.
How this helps depression:
* Regulates the nervous system before processing emotions.
* Softens defence mechanisms without breaking them.
* Allows emotions to surface gradually, not all at once.
* Restores a sense of safety in the body.
* Works even when motivation is low.
Reiki does not demand emotional breakthroughs. Its strength lies in its subtlety. Over time, people often notice small but meaningful shifts; a deeper breath, a moment of relief, emotions moving instead of stagnating, or a clearer sense of what they actually need. These changes may seem quiet, yet they are foundational.
Awareness does not eliminate our defence mechanisms, it softens them, supports healing, and restores emotional intelligence.
When we meet depression with curiosity rather than pressure, the nervous system learns that it no longer has to stay closed off. Emotional numbness is not a failure to feel, it is a sign that feeling once became too much. Gentle awareness, practiced consistently, teaches the body that it is safe to open up at its own pace.
Healing from depression is about allowing more honesty in the body and less self-abandonment in the name of productivity, positivity, and/or resilience. When awareness increases, choice returns. We can rest instead of pushing, express instead of suppressing, and respond instead of reacting.
Ultimately, emotional awareness is not about fixing ourselves, but rather, it is about remembering how to listen to ourselves. Sometimes, the most powerful healing begins not with answers, but with the permission to feel slowly, to feel gently, to feel supported, and to feel authentically.
With grounded power and cosmic grace, blessed be.
About the author: I’m Emily, an holistic, spiritual, intuitive concoction of a human being here to write about and awaken wisdom, wellbeing, and whimsy. Having a background in Biomedical Science, nursing, massage therapist and instructor, reiki master, worship leader, witch, and even a bit of a burlesque dancer, I combine all of my collective knowledge and care into my work and writing.
Check out my Witch+Craft Wellness Journal: A guide to help you craft your personal journey with mindfulness and magic by EJ Bly £10.00 https://blyemilyj.wordpress.com/books-journals/
