Depletion. It creeps in after a big expenditure of energy.

I’ve felt it after major events and holidays—the build-up of planning, the fullness of the moment, and then…the letdown. I’ve felt it after a crisis—the adrenaline and urgency keeping me going, until suddenly, it’s safe to stop…and the letdown comes. I’ve felt it after pouring myself into a project or effort that mattered deeply, whether or not it brought the results I’d hoped for.

And truthfully, I’ve felt it this week, too. In the moment, I kept moving through what was needed. Only afterward did the depletion catch up with me, settling into body and mind like a wave I hadn’t seen coming.

Our wise bodies know this rhythm. They release hormones during stress or challenge to numb the pain and keep us moving. But when the moment passes, our systems flood back with everything we’d set aside. It’s why so many of us get sick on vacation or collapse after “holding it all together.”

I’ve learned that these letdowns land differently depending on the outcome. When the effort bears fruit, they’re softened by satisfaction. When it doesn’t, they may be tinged with longing. But either way, the lessons are there—sometimes only visible after rest. Tiny gifts emerge: reminders of creativity, care, and persistence; glimpses of what worked, and what needs to shift.

This is where both mindfulness and my military upbringing guide me.

Mindfulness invites presence without judgment, the practice of surfing life’s waves instead of fighting them. The military “after action review” offers structure: What did we intend? What actually happened? What were the strengths and weaknesses? What will we do differently next time?

Together, they remind me that depletion isn’t failure. It’s part of the cycle. The letting down makes space for letting in: rest, clarity, and the seeds of renewal.

Here’s to honoring our human cycles of effort and recovery, and meeting depletion not as a weakness but as a doorway to wisdom.