Tena's Chronicles: Even Homer Nods!!

It all hit me when I found myself yelling at someone over the phone. It wasn’t even about something serious—just a small, trivial thing. But there I was, voice raised, heart pounding, completely losing my cool. And in the middle of that call, I paused for a second and thought, What is happening to me?

That’s when it clicked. I wasn’t mad at the person on the other end of the line. I was exhausted. Not the kind of tired you fix with a cup of coffee or a weekend binge-watch. No, I was tired tired. Tired to the bone, in a way that sleep didn’t seem to fix. I had been waking up more tired than when I went to bed, making excuses to avoid hanging out with family, and friends—anyone who required more energy than I had to give. My temper was short, my appetite had disappeared, and all I wanted to do was dive headfirst into work and hide there.

Work, I have to admit, feels safe and predictable. It was something I can control. But the more I leaned into it, the more I realized—this isn’t okay. I mean, I’m hiding in my job. That’s not healthy, is it?

It’s like I’d forgotten one of the most important lessons: you can only truly enjoy your work if you have a life outside of it. If the only reason I’m at my desk is to escape everything else, then something’s gone wrong. It’s not about how much you do, but about why you’re doing it.

And honestly? It’s okay to admit you’re tired. It’s necessary. As the Roman poet Horace said, even Homer nods—yes, the Homer. If the greatest storyteller of all time can drift off and lose focus, then why can’t we? We’re not robots, after all.

Sometimes, you need to pause, breathe, and recognize that you’re running on empty. It’s not just okay to feel tired—it’s okay to recognize that you’re tired. To stop pretending everything is fine when it’s not.

So, take a moment if you’re snapping at people over the tiniest things, avoiding calls, or disappearing into your work. Maybe even a day off. Remind yourself that life is more than deadlines, emails, and meetings. Balance matters, and you deserve a life where you choose to show up—both at work and with the people who care about you.

P.S. Turning this around is still a work in progress for me , so if I disappear from you, I am asking for a heartfelt apology.