What Should You Do After EMDR?

What Should You Do After EMDR?    

Short Answer: After an EMDR session, you usually don't need to do anything special. You can continue with your day, take a short break if you feel like it, and simply notice how you feel. Some people prefer a little quiet time afterward, while others feel ready to return to their normal activities right away.

Key Takeaways

• You usually don't need a special aftercare routine following EMDR.
• Many people can return to their normal activities after a session.
• If you feel a little tired or want some quiet time, taking a short break may feel helpful.
• You don't need to analyze everything that happened during the session.
• Different sessions can leave you feeling different afterward.
• With self-guided EMDR, you can adjust future sessions based on what works well for you.

What Is It Usually Like After an EMDR Session? 

There is no single way you are supposed to feel after EMDR.

Some people finish a session feeling calm or relaxed. Others feel a little tired and want to take a break. You might feel lighter, thoughtful, energized, or simply the same as you did before the session.

You may also find that one session feels different from another.

None of these reactions automatically tells you whether the session was successful. You don't need to experience a dramatic emotional change afterward for EMDR to be useful.

For most people, the period after a session can simply be treated like the rest of the day.

Do You Need to Rest After EMDR?  

Not necessarily.

If you feel completely fine after your session, there is usually no reason to make yourself rest simply because you completed EMDR.

If you do feel a little tired, you may prefer to sit quietly, take a short break, or give yourself some time before moving on to your next activity.

The important thing is not to assume that EMDR requires a long recovery period. It generally doesn't.

Can You Go Back to Your Normal Day?    

For many people, yes.

You may be able to return to work, spend time with family, watch television, go for a walk, prepare dinner, or continue with whatever else you normally planned to do.

You don't need to clear the entire day every time you use EMDR.

When you're first getting familiar with EMDR, however, you may find it useful to give yourself a little flexibility after a session. That doesn't mean you should expect a difficult reaction. It simply gives you an opportunity to learn what feels best for you.

After you've completed a few sessions, you'll probably have a better idea of how you typically feel afterward and what kind of schedule works well for you.

Do You Need to Think About What Happened During the Session?    

You don't have to. It can be tempting to finish an EMDR session and immediately start analyzing it:

Did I focus on the right thing?

Did enough happen?

Was I supposed to feel different?

Did the session work?

You don't need to answer all of those questions immediately.

EMDR is a process, and not every session needs to produce an obvious or dramatic result. Sometimes you may notice a change right away. Other times, the session may simply feel like another step in the process.

If you naturally want to reflect on the session afterward, that's fine. But there is no requirement to sit down and figure out exactly what every thought, feeling, or reaction meant.

Should You Journal After EMDR? 

You can, but you don't have to.

Some people enjoy writing down a few thoughts after a session. Others would rather close the computer and move on with their day. Neither approach is better simply because it involves more effort.

If journaling helps you keep track of something you noticed or want to remember for a future session, you may find it useful. But it doesn't need to become another task you have to complete every time you use EMDR.

The same applies to other after-session routines. You don't need to create an elaborate ritual around EMDR unless there is something you personally enjoy or find useful.

What If You Feel Tired After EMDR?    

Some people notice mild tiredness after an EMDR session, while many do not.

If it happens, it often passes fairly quickly. You may simply feel like taking a short break or having a quieter period before continuing with your day.

A smaller portion of people may notice mild tiredness later that day or into the following morning.

Feeling tired doesn't mean that anything went wrong. Likewise, not feeling tired doesn't mean the session was ineffective.

If you notice that certain sessions leave you more tired than others, you can use that information when deciding when to schedule your next session.

What If You Feel Emotional After a Session?     

EMDR involves briefly focusing on memories, thoughts, feelings, or sensations, so you may occasionally notice some emotion afterward.

That doesn't mean you need to worry about the reaction or immediately do something about it. You can give yourself a little time and see how you feel.

With self-guided EMDR, you remain in control of the process. If you decide during a future session that you would rather stop, take a break, work on something different, or continue another day, you can.

You don't need to push yourself simply because you've started an exercise.

Should You Keep Thinking About the Memory?    

You don't need to deliberately keep focusing on the memory after the session has ended. Once you've finished, you can return your attention to your normal activities.

You may naturally think about the topic again later. That's different from feeling that you need to continue working on it outside the session.

EMDR does not need to take over the rest of your day. If something occurs to you that you want to remember, you can make a quick note and return to it during another session if you choose.

Can You Exercise After EMDR?     

If you feel like exercising and otherwise feel normal, there is generally no reason to assume you need to avoid your usual activities simply because you completed an EMDR session.

Some people may prefer something quieter afterward, while others are perfectly comfortable continuing with their normal routine. 

Let how you actually feel guide your decision rather than assuming there is a required EMDR aftercare routine.

Can You Work After EMDR? 

Most people can.

If you're new to EMDR and aren't sure how you'll feel afterward, you might prefer to schedule your first few sessions when you have some flexibility.

Once you know how you tend to respond, you can choose session times that fit naturally into your schedule.

One of the advantages of self-guided EMDR is that you can choose when you want to use it rather than having your session time determined by an appointment.

When Should You Do Your Next EMDR Session?  

You don't need to decide immediately.

There is no benefit to treating EMDR like a race or trying to fit in another session as quickly as possible.

Some people prefer to leave a few days between sessions. Others may choose a different schedule depending on what they are working on and how they feel.

If you've just finished a session, you can simply continue with your day and decide about the next one later.

What You Don't Need to Do After EMDR 

There are plenty of recommendations online about what people "should" do after EMDR. In practice, your after-session routine can be much simpler.

You don't necessarily need to:

• Spend the rest of the day resting
• Analyze everything that happened
• Journal about the session
• Avoid normal activities
• Follow a complicated self-care routine
• Feel a particular emotion
• Notice an immediate change
• Schedule another session right away

If one of those things is personally useful to you, that's fine. But EMDR doesn't need to become complicated.

Using Virtual EMDR at Your Own Pace  

Self-guided EMDR gives you considerable flexibility over what happens both during and after a session.
With Virtual EMDR, you can choose when to start, what you want to work on, and when you're finished.
That also means you can learn from your own experience. If you discover that you like having half an hour of quiet time afterward, you can plan for that.
If you find that you normally finish a session and get straight back to your day, there's no need to create downtime that you don't need.
And if one particular day doesn't feel like a good time for EMDR, you can simply choose another time. 

The goal is to find a routine that fits comfortably into your life rather than trying to follow a rigid set of rules.

Conclusion

For most people, there isn't a long list of things you need to do after EMDR.

You can notice how you feel and continue with your day. If you'd like a little quiet time or a short break, take one. If you feel ready to return to your normal activities, that's fine too.

You don't need to analyze the session, follow a complicated aftercare routine, or have a particular reaction for the session to have been worthwhile.