hitting the wall
Depleting your reserves
Hitting the wall is the sudden onset of exhaustion when the body depletes its energy reserves.
The phrase comes from endurance sports, especially marathon running, where athletes around mile 20 may feel as if they've physically collided with an obstacle: I was doing fine until I hit the wall at mile 22.
It extends to any situation where someone runs out of steam: After six hours of negotiation, everyone hit the wall.
- writer's blockInability to produce text
- bonkingStriking with a thunk
- energy crashAbrupt vitality loss
- exhaustionState of utter depletion
- running on emptyOperating without remaining resources
decision fatigue · muscle fatigue · pushing through · dehydration · self-doubt · mental fatigue · chronic fatigue syndrome · marathon · mental block · brain fog · support systems · mindfulness practices · burnout · coping mechanisms · endurance sports · breaking point · overwhelm · giving up
- exhaustedtired, weary, exhausted, drained, fatigued
- fatigueexhaustion, tiredness, weariness, lethargy, chronic fatigue
- Marathon Termsfinish time, split times, pacing, race pace, qualifying time
- fitnessfitness, exercise, gym, workout, running
- burnoutburned out, burnt out, burn out, burning out, burnout
- declinedecline, in decline, decrease, downswing, on the decline
hitting the wallbreaking through
Forcing past an obstruction
peak performance · building momentum · runner's high · peaking · firing on all cylinders
hitting the wallsmooth sailing
Untroubled progress forward
building momentum · gaining steam · coasting · making headway · on a roll