Break Free from the Exhaustion Funnel: How Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Revitalizes Your Life

Depression often traps people in what is called the exhaustion funnel—a narrowing of life activities aimed at conserving energy, which ironically leads to deeper fatigue and despair. Understanding and overcoming this pattern is vital for recovery.

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) offers a lifeline by helping individuals become aware of this pattern without judgment and gently encouraging re-engagement with pleasurable and meaningful activities. Through mindfulness practices, one learns to notice the urge to withdraw and the accompanying negative thoughts, creating space to choose a different response.

For example, a person might mindfully observe the sensation of fatigue and the thought