Are You Feeling Tired?

I’ve known what the feeling of fatigue is; lately, I’ve been experiencing it more. I’m healthy for an older adult, so I see this tiredness is caused by other than sickness. To be safe, I checked out my fatigue with my doctor to ensure that no physical causes generated this tiredness.

Since I’m well, I know it has to do with one or all of the following:  What I’m eating, thinking, and doing. I’m generating a lot of effort and using up my natural energy, causing stress in my body. We all know there is a connection between what we eat, think and do and how our body processes it.

I could use the holiday season as an excuse because I’ve added more to my “to-do” list. The tiredness was there before the season came upon me.

Lately, I’ve been mumbling, “I’m so tired.”  Do you do that too?

George D. Zgourides and Christie S. Zgourides wrote::  “…a pervasive feeling of a total shortage of energy. If you can function at all, it is only due to an immense effort of the will.” (“Stop Feeling Tired! 10 Mind-Body Steps to Fight Fatigue and Feel Your Best“)

So how do I naturally refuel my energy?   First, observe what I eat.    My tiredness generates a desire to eat more to fuel my energy.   The opposite occurs, now I have too much food in me, and my body is busy digesting the food — I become more tired.   It is a vicious cycle, and today I decided to stop being a hamster and going around in circles.

Today I listened to my tiredness.   I acknowledged I was tired. Yes, I had things to do, but I did them differently. Instead of this massive push to get things done, I slowed down and enjoyed my work.   In this case, I was doing the wash. We all know we try to get over this chore as quickly as possible. I just kept slowing myself down.   I had to do the wash, and rushing wasn’t going to get it done faster. All the rushing did was accelerate my thoughts about how much I had to do today before going out.

Do your thoughts exhaust you?   I’m always thinking about what I have to do, how to do it, and when I can do it.   I know I’m not alone in generating this pressure cooker of “to-do” lists. Intellectually we know there is no way we can do it all, yet I and others I know feel that they ‘should” do it all.

The first thing to do to eliminate tiredness is to erase all references to the word ‘should.’  That word saps so much energy from our bodies because we carry an extensive laundry list of what we should be doing in our heads. Instead, replace ‘should’ with ‘want.’  As soon as you state to yourself, “I want to do this,” your energy level changes.

Your Thoughts

Listen to yourself today. Just sit with your tiredness and ask, “what do I need to feel better?”   If you have the time, rest. If you don’t, then take the time to be present with what you are doing and stop the daily battle of your ‘to-do’ list within yourself.

Women’s Group Topics

What makes you tired?   Brainstorm how to handle this physical state best and what you need to let go of. Women tend to juggle many different things throughout the day, though they still need to think about what makes them tired. Don’t assume you know; instead, write down or discuss with others all the “things” in your life that make you tired. Sometimes it’s a job you don’t like to do.

Be well,

Pat
“To fully enjoy the ‘richness’ of our lives, we need to stop long enough to visit with ourselves.”
(Pat Brill)

Other Topics You May Be Interested In
Mirror Work
Do You Trust Yourself?
Playing the Victim?