Why You’re Always Tired
I’ve got a problem, and I think you might too.
My days leave me way too tired.
Honestly, it’s not even sometimes. It’s like all the time. After work? Exhausted. Saturday morning? Let me sleep in. Random day off? Man, a nap sounds fantastic.
Just this week, I signed my night away by sitting on the couch around 7pm on three different days. Nothing got done afterwards, and I didn’t even feel that refreshed the next morning...
There’s just so much going on in life that I feel the need to apply my mental energy to - and it’s exhausting. It’s frustrating as well, since there really just doesn’t seem to be a realistic answer to solving the problem.
The obvious fix is to do less. Clear the plate a little! But I can’t just stop working my job. You can’t turn off responsibilities like that because they support the lives we live.
Yet unfortunately, that means we never feel fully vitalized either.
Of course, the fatigue enables less-important goals to be put on the backburner far more easily too.
Procrastination wouldn’t have anything on me if I wasn’t so tired.
I’d be consistent at the gym, cooking great meals every night, stretching, building BetterLife faster, reading more books, doing all these awesome things.
But I don’t.
It bums me out a bit too.. I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. My plate isn’t getting any less full, the days aren’t getting longer, and my weekends are only feeling shorter. The time’s flying by and my energy feels like it’s being siphoned.
I’ve tried naps to fix this. The energy drinks. All of the above. But nothing’s been sustainable for me.
The naps leave me groggy and in bed the rest of the night. Down for the count… The energy boosters leave me up too late, disrupting my next day. Not ideal either.
The suggested fixes result in undesired consequences or just aren’t realistically sustainable. The only option truly feels like doing less. And you can’t do that if you have any interest in sustaining -or building- the life you want.
I’m not wishing to be David Goggins here, but I’d love to go through a full week of clocking out of work and maintaining a sense of excitement and focus throughout the rest of my night.
I think there are two ways to figure out the energy problem.
You can rest/sleep.
You can source more energy.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with a good nap or an episode of a fire show (just finished Soprano’s - GAS), but like I said, I hardly ever find myself feeling refreshed for the rest of my day after spending 4:30 - 5:30pm doing either of those.
When I need a second wind for the rest of an evening, getting more rest never seems to work out how it’s advertised. Thus, I source some energy.
Here’s a way to source some that’s cheaper than any energy drink.
System 4.1 - Just Say Hi
Quite simply, text a friend.
Tell them hi. Ask how they’re doing! Even just shoot them a quick “:)”. There’s no need to call here, a simple text will give you that boost.
It might sound comically simple, but it’s actually proven.
See, the act of intentionally reaching out to someone boosts your sense of connection. Your sense of identity. It’s also a genuinely compassionate act that takes literally 30 seconds.
There’s a term called the “Helper’s High” that’s used to explain this correlation between acts of compassion and increased mood/energy.
I stress that a text will suffice here too.
A call takes time. It takes mental energy. There’s a time and place for them, but when we’re looking to get back some fight for a Tuesday night, taking the time to call someone, well, takes too much time.
A text is quick. It’s easy to send, and doesn’t require an immediate response either.
It keeps you moving forward, only a bit more energized now.
Let someone know you’re thinking about them and then go on with your day. Take the little boost of energy and put it to good use the rest of the night.
The next time you’ve plopped down on the couch for the evening, give this a try.
Don’t set the expectation of doing something after you click send, just click send and see how you feel.
I write a newsletter on living more deliberately that comes out every other Sunday.
Subscribe for free at abetterlifeco.com.