Can EMDR Be Used During a Stressful Life Period?

Can EMDR Be Used During a Stressful Life Period?

Short Answer: Yes. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can generally be used during a stressful period in your life. You do not have to wait until life is completely calm before doing EMDR. However, if you are unusually busy, distracted, tired, or simply do not feel like working on something difficult that day, you may prefer a shorter session, an easier focus, or waiting until you have more time and attention. Stress itself is not automatically a reason to stop or avoid EMDR.

Key Takeaways

• You do not need a completely stress-free life to use EMDR.
• Everyday stress from work, relationships, family responsibilities, moving, financial concerns, or other life events does not automatically mean you need to postpone EMDR.
• Your ability and willingness to focus on a session may matter more than whether your life is currently stressful.
• During particularly busy periods, you may prefer shorter sessions or less difficult subjects.
• With self-guided EMDR, you can decide when to have a session, what to work on, and when to pause or stop.
• Sometimes waiting until another day is simply a matter of timing and preference, not a sign that EMDR is unsuitable for you.

Do You Need to Wait Until Life Is Calm to Do EMDR?

Probably not.

If people had to wait until their lives were completely free of stress before doing EMDR, many would be waiting a very long time.

Work deadlines happen.

Relationships can be difficult.

Families need attention.

People move, change jobs, worry about money, lose sleep, travel, study for exams, care for children, and deal with unexpected problems.

These ordinary periods of stress do not automatically prevent you from doing EMDR.

A more useful question is whether today feels like a reasonable time for you to have a session.

Stress and EMDR Are Not Opposites

It can be easy to assume that you need to feel completely calm before beginning an EMDR session.

You do not.

EMDR is often used specifically because something is bothering you. Feeling some stress, anxiety, sadness, frustration, or other emotion does not mean you are in the wrong state for EMDR.

At the same time, there may be days when everything else happening in your life makes it harder to concentrate.

That is different from saying that EMDR cannot be used during stressful periods.

You may simply decide to adjust the timing or pace.

Ask Yourself Whether You Have the Time and Attention for a Session

One practical consideration during a stressful period is whether you can give the session your attention.

For example, you may not want to start an EMDR session if:

• You have only a few minutes before you need to leave.
• You are expecting an important phone call.
• You are repeatedly being interrupted.
• You are trying to work on something else at the same time.
• You are so distracted by today's responsibilities that you cannot really focus.

These are ordinary scheduling considerations rather than reasons to avoid EMDR.

If today is too busy, another time may work better.

You Can Choose What You Work On

A stressful life period does not mean you have to use EMDR to work on the most difficult experience you can think of.

You can choose a focus that feels appropriate for that day.

For example, you might decide to work on a recent stressful interaction rather than a much older and more emotional memory.

Or you may choose a particular thought, feeling, or situation that has been bothering you.

With self-guided EMDR, you decide what you want to address.

You can save another subject for later.

You Can Adjust the Length of the Session

You may also find that your preferred session length changes when life is especially busy.

Perhaps you normally like longer sessions but only have the attention or time for something shorter today.

That is okay.

A longer session is not automatically a better session.

Likewise, shortening a session because you have a lot going on does not mean you are doing EMDR incorrectly.

The pace can change according to your circumstances.

What If the Stressful Situation Is What You Want to Work On?

Sometimes the stressful period itself may be connected to what you want to address with EMDR.

Perhaps a current situation is bringing up an upsetting memory, negative belief, or emotional reaction.

In that case, you may decide that the issue is exactly what you want to focus on.

EMDR can be used with distressing memories, thoughts, feelings, and situations. You do not necessarily need to wait until the current stress has disappeared before addressing something that is bothering you.

The important point is that you choose a focus you feel comfortable working with at that time.

What If You Have a Lot Going On After the Session?

It can also help to think practically about what your day looks like.

You do not necessarily need to clear the rest of your schedule after EMDR. Many people can continue with their normal day.

But if you personally prefer having a little time after a session before moving on to your next responsibility, you can schedule accordingly.

For example, you might prefer not to squeeze a session into the ten minutes before an important meeting simply because that is the only opening in your calendar.

That is about convenience and personal preference, not a requirement that everyone needs recovery time after EMDR.

Don't Turn EMDR Into Another Source of Pressure

During a stressful period, even helpful activities can start to feel like another item on a long to-do list.

EMDR does not need to become one more obligation.

If you find yourself thinking:

“I have to get my EMDR session done today.”

you may want to reconsider that pressure.

You can do a session today.

You can do a shorter session.

You can wait until tomorrow.

You can wait longer.

You can decide that something else needs your attention first.

Taking control of the timing can help keep EMDR from becoming another task you feel rushed to complete.

What About Major Life Changes?

Some periods of stress last longer than a few days.

You may be:

• Starting a new job
• Moving
• Going through a relationship change
• Caring for a family member
• Studying for important exams
• Dealing with financial pressure
• Adjusting to a major change in your daily routine

You do not necessarily need to put EMDR on hold throughout the entire period.

Instead, you can adjust your sessions around what is happening.

Some weeks you may want to do more.

Other weeks you may want to do less.

There is no need to make the decision all-or-nothing.

Using Virtual EMDR During a Stressful Period

A self-guided program such as Virtual EMDR gives you flexibility over when and how you do your sessions.

You can choose a time when you have enough space to focus, decide what you want to work on, and manage the pace yourself.

If life becomes unusually busy, you can shorten a session or wait until another day.

If you start a session and realize that your attention is somewhere else, you can pause or stop.

And when you have more time again, you can return.

The point is not to fit EMDR into your schedule at any cost. The flexibility allows you to fit it around your life.

When Might You Decide to Wait?

Sometimes you simply know that today is not a good day for an EMDR session.

Maybe you are exhausted after a long day.

Maybe you cannot concentrate.

Maybe you have too many interruptions.

Maybe you have something important to deal with first.

Or maybe you just do not want to work on an emotional subject today.

You do not need a complicated reason to wait.

Choosing another time does not mean there is anything wrong with EMDR or that you cannot use it during stressful periods.

It may simply mean today is not the day you want to do it.

Conclusion

You do not need to wait for a perfectly calm period in your life before using EMDR.

Everyday stress, busy schedules, relationship difficulties, work pressure, and other life changes do not automatically mean EMDR needs to stop.

What may matter more is whether you have enough time and attention for the session you want to do.

During particularly stressful periods, you can adjust. You can choose something more manageable to work on, shorten a session, leave more time between sessions, pause, or simply come back another day.

With Virtual EMDR and other self-guided approaches, you control the timing and pace. EMDR can fit around the realities of your life rather than requiring your life to become stress-free first.