Why Are We So Tired All the Time?

Why are we tired?

No, seriously.

WHY.

We sleep.

We wake up tired.

We drink coffee.

We become slightly more functional.

Then we’re tired again.

By 3 p.m., we’re staring into the distance wondering whether lying under our desk would be socially acceptable.

And it’s not necessarily because we’re lazy.

Modern life is just… a lot.

There’s work.

Messages.

Emails.

Bills.

Appointments.

Family.

Housework.

Trying to eat vegetables.

Remembering to buy vegetables.

Wondering why the vegetables went bad in the fridge.

Social media.

News.

Notifications.

And the never-ending mental list of things you should probably be doing.

Women often carry an invisible to-do list that doesn’t have an actual piece of paper.

It’s just permanently open in our brains.

Did I reply to that message?

Do we have toothpaste?

I need to book that appointment.

I forgot to send that email.

Did I lock the door?

Why is there a strange smell in the kitchen?

It’s exhausting.

And then, because we’re exhausted, we sometimes feel guilty for being exhausted.

Which is adorable.

Your body is basically waving a tiny white flag and you’re saying, “Sorry, but we really should be more productive.”

No.

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is stop.

Take the nap.

Go outside.

Put your phone down.

Eat something decent.

Have a shower.

Say no to the extra thing.

Go to bed instead of watching “just one more episode.”

And please stop treating rest like something you have to earn by suffering sufficiently first.

You don’t need to complete every task before you’re allowed to sit down.

There will always be another load of washing.

Another email.

Another cupboard.

Another thing.

You, however, are not an infinite resource.

So if you’re feeling tired lately, maybe don’t immediately assume something is wrong with you.

Maybe you’re simply carrying too much.

And perhaps today doesn’t need to be your most productive day ever.

Maybe it can just be a good enough day.

Honestly?

Good enough sounds pretty fantastic.