Are you Tired & Wired? Exhausted by life
When your day is filled with stress the side effects that you feel are feeling disillusioned, helpless, and problems seem insurmountable. It’s difficult to get the energy to care—let alone do something about your life. You keep hearing you had a bad day playing in your head over and over. It’s time to turn that music off.
When this wave of burn out hits you find your day is spent on tasks you find either mind-numbingly dull or overwhelming. And because of that you feel like nothing you do makes a difference or is appreciated. Many times it is noticed and appreciated but you can’t seem to take it in taking a month long vacation wouldn’t even begin to address it! The problem is you still need to keep up with life’s demands, it adds to the pressure you feel at work and at home, and can severely disrupt your personal and social relationships which creates even more pressure.
Scientists use the analogy of being chased by an invisible tiger. Our bodies are reacting as if our survival depended on it. Our adrenal glands are over producing cortisol and adding problem to our health. But fatigue does not have to be your “new normal.”
Many of my clients work hard and play hard but they don’t rest. In fact they usually think I am talking about sleep but I’m not. Rest is something that is not given enough attention. Remember when you were in college how much fun and down time you had. Down time is taking rest time. I know that we can’t do it the same way. In fact some of the things I did back then I know now not to do again!
With less time and a lack of thought we chose activities that will numb and deaden us. As adults we often zone out using alcohol and drugs, going on shopping sprees, playing videos for hours or staring at TV all night. There are other things we can do. We knew something back then in our college days that some of us have forgotten, that life is worth enjoying.
Rest, Reflect & Heal
- Slow down take a break I promise you it will be all right to do this
- Get Support turn to family and friends don’t isolate yourself. Talking about your feelings help.Often people don’t want to tell their loved ones things are going badly. If you don’t want to burden then talk to a therapist.
- Look at your priorities. Do some of your goals need to change? Now that you are clear about what needs to be done reassess if you want to continue doing things in the same way. Be honest here something in your life is not working otherwise you would not feel the way that you do.
- Seriously, take vitamins and exercise you are running your body into the ground
- Try yoga, meditation or gratitude journaling it will help refocus you on a more positive way of thinking. Without noticing it you may be running a list of what is awful. It’splaying in the background like old fashion elevator music and you are not aware of it.
Create a practice for your life working non stop is not a living it’s a dying.
Be good to yourself!