5 signs you need a little boundary CPR. 1-Symptoms of nervous system hyperarousal: Feelings of anxiety, increased heart rate, shallow and rapid breathing, and tight muscles and connective tissue. 2-You are often exhausted, even after a good night’s sleep. Your energy reserves are depleted, and self-care seems elusive. 3-Negative stories are on repeat in your head, or you tell them to anyone who will listen. These stories are often about the selfishness of others, and reflect resentment about the people you are helping. You feel like a victim, while others are to blame. 4-You feel intense emotions that seem disconnected from your own experience and more linked to other peoples feelings. This is called “emotional contagion”-you catch others’ emotions the way you would the flu.
5-You feel out-of-body, ungrounded, and almost ethereal and find it hard to connect with your inner truth, detect your needs, or even figure out what you want for dinner.