Tired, Tired, Exhausted, & Tired...

"Tired, tired with nothing, tired with everything, tired with the world's weight he had never chosen to bear" - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Beautiful & Damned

Today's topic?

Why am I so tired, and why are we all so tired in general? Fatigue from work is common, yes, but fatigue from work is merely a way of saying that the psyche of mankind has become relatively imbalanced. I am tired today, so therefore, I will obviously write about why we are so darned exhausted. My story first. I have been on quite a manic streak these past few weeks. Being a victim of Bipolar Disorder, mania and depression creep around every possible corner, and it becomes hard to breathe, hard to think, and hard to live.

But that does not mean I will not keep my word...

"An article a day for 90 days," as this newsletter is devoted to.

Personally, I Am Tired...

But not quite exhausted.

I would call myself a relatively energetic person. I enjoy hobbies, drums, guitars, and at one point: even paintball. I was darned good at it, too (see the below image of - you guessed it: me!) I go to the gym every other day, and I ride my bike around the neighborhood every morning for thirty minutes. In fact, this imprisonment bound by obviously-exhausting activities can leave one crazy, especially one born as such.

Me & My Paintball Days...

Yet Today, I Am Not In Stride...

Yet today, I woke up and I just cannot get into my stride.

I know, it is early here, around 1:16am EST, and despite my tale of why I wake up at midnight every night...well, that is for another day. Rather, I am not "sleepy tired," just tired.

I wrote in yesterday's version of this newsletter that things are rapidly changing daily.

Gas prices are leaving us drained at the wallet; food stores are out-of-stock on a number of items; we are all overcoming fatigue from a recessive period that shows no signs of slowing down. When it comes to me, I cannot say in all fairness that I am tired because of these issues. Rather, they are facades of human nature, and it seems almost as if we have invented new ways to stress and tire ourselves out. In fact, we abide by stress...

Does this look familiar?

But What About You?

In an article by Health&SafetyMagazine.com a 2022 study was implemented, and the focus of this article was simple: 3 out of 5 U.S. adults claim a more tiresome mindset now more than ever, mostly relatable with the pandemic.

Change exhausts us, and this is common. When the brain begins to sense alterations in its surroundings, it will haphazardously flow to a place in a galaxy far, far away...

This is normal life!

The survey found that 58% of respondents are feeling "unfocused or disjointed, and taking a brief nap isn't a viable solution." This goes against the standard of human conduct, albeit, nature in general: how can a vitally-refreshing nap not ease one's senses? Well, our minds are all on different things, but the common variable seems to be that we are all busy trying to keep ourselves alive, so much so that we ignore the warning signs littering the roadway before us, like a truck careening down a busy road that says: "Dead End..."

Psychological Fatigue

So, instead of discussing fatigue and drained energy levels, I wanted to dedicate this particular article to a much more indulgent concept: ways to rejuvenate.

Be sleepy! It's okay!

Short story first: I joined a group called Master Networks, where I have met a number of fascinating individuals. Two of them are Reiki healers, which is a Japanese art of psychic rejuvenation. I have always been a rather spiritual person, bound by mindfulness and absorbed rather delicately by Psychology textbooks (side note: I have spent eight years careening from a dead end in my life to a Masters degree, and my Bachelor's was Psychology, so I have tons of these, and no, I do not recommend reading them).

The Psychology Of Healing

The psychology behind healing is fascinating. In an article by P. Sharma, et. al., it is stated that there is a massive increase in energy levels after mediated breathing; that Yoga provides more energy than exercise; that things such as "psychic rejuvenation" or spiritual enlightenment can actually reverse fatigue. So, what am I getting at?

Get off the darned computer and nap!

Today, Tomorrow, & Every Day

When I met with these Reiki healers, I found the concept rather fascinating, albeit, skeptical. How can cleaning of a psyche assist in the manner in which we function? Well, when feeling as if something does not match your cultural or societal notions of what causes what (i.e. if spirituality or religion even exists in your life; if psychology interests you; if you believe in nothing or believe in everything, and so on), do something about it.

Now, back to exhaustion.

This is me today...and probably you!

We all know why we are tired. It is innate in all of us to feel as if things are changing far too rapidly, and that brings me back to my original notion (the point of this article, which I seem to have drowned out in laziness!) that we are all suffering from fatigue. As stated prior, there is literature upon literature stating that the human brain is overloaded more so lately than ever before. We are undergoing a rather haphazardously-tiresome change in life.

What To Do About Exhaustion

What do we do when our lives begin to shift?

What happens when gas prices skyrocket? What do we do when life throws curb balls? What do we do to retaliate against daily exhaustion? You would think rest would help, but as stated previously, that is actually against the standard of human nature.

Not enough coffee in the world...

The Facts Of Exhaustion

If 58 percent of people can take a nap and still wake up exhausted, we are succumbing to something far more frightening: the notion that exhaustion has consumed us in an oddball whirlwind of fear. We are bound by mass media; we are siphoning every inch of energy we have on areas of the brain that we are not even consciously aware of!

Is that not plain ol' fascinating?

You see, we are suffering from a lot more than just exhaustion.

It is called "psychological fatigue," and it is a dangerous mechanism. It simply means that we are not tired physically but rather, mentally and emotionally drained. Life has given us a warm welcome recently: a pandemic that has yet to end, leaving many without jobs; skyrocketing prices on food and gas; worry, terror, and fear...

Fear Can Be Exhausting

In an article by Eleanor Cummings, it was stated that:

"People are especially exhausted because so much energy is spent on 'what-ifs' and worrying...there's enough to worry about the known-knowns that worrying about all [of] the unknowns just takes a big toll on us after a while..."

Again, get off the computer and nap!

That makes sense, right?

We already have enough to worry about, but what about those of us who are exhausted for no reason? Well, it is psychological fatigue. We are going through a rough patch this past decade. Recessions, wars in Ukraine, rising prices...it is only natural for the brain to begin to hardwire itself to focus only on the fear that we are not even aware of.

The subconscious plays wave after wave of fear and terror within all of us, and if you are feeling tired even after two cups of coffee, there is a reason, I promise: we are all just going through a rough patch. And guess what? It will get better; just rest a bit more. If that alarm clock rings, be late for work; if that cup of coffee does not work; try some herbal tea!

See?! It Can Be Fixed

I stated in yesterday's article that exhaustion can be fixed.

I will leave it at this, because I am very tired today (i.e. the point of this archive): read the article and respond to this one, inquiring about why we are so darned tired. If you want help learning how to cope with these many, many changes taking place before us, contact me at my Personal Development website, here I am offering a free Coaching session to anyone who refers this link in the Comments section.

Get some rest, and for a change, do not worry. It will do you some good tonight!

P.S. Take a f**king nap. It will help, even if you still wake up tired. REM sleep is known to rejuvenate us, and even if you still wake up exhausted, try to fall into a routine where you practice something called "diagrammatic breathing," which helps us calm down.

And drink some tea. Get some rest today. Even if you cannot find time to do so...

Share, Like, Comment, Share, Rinse, Repeat, Sleep...

www.ValianceCoaching.org if you need help.