Here is why you are tired all the time.
Every one of us has felt a sudden slump, especially after a period of great productivity, where we go from completing all the tasks at hand to finding the simplest tasks the most challenging to do. But why is this? Why can we not elongate this productive asset of ours for weeks on end? Here is why.
- You are doing too much
Much of the time, without realising, we put ourselves to do too much at once. Be it work or just everyday chores, you might just be putting too much on your plate at once. Take out 5–10 minutes to evaluate how much work you have done today and for how long for each task. You’ll quickly see what consumed most of your energy and you can re-adjust your schedule. A better way to complete a long list of tasks is by spreading them over the course of a week or just doing each task at different times of the day. That way, you can effectively complete each task without ‘burning out’.
2. You have ‘burned out’
‘Burnout’ commonly occurs after doing too much for too long. You will find that you feel as though you have no motivation or energy to do the things you loved to do — this is burnout. Burnout can last for days and maybe weeks. Of course, being burned out is the last thing any of us want so there’s a few things we can do to suppress this.
First thing, take a break. You need to take a break from everything that is going on in your life and rest. But do not be mistaken, rest does not mean simply lying down on your bed. Whilst doing this, your mind will be clouded with thoughts and you will be mentally stressing yourself. What’s better is to perform guided yoga or meditation. I recommend Yoga Nidra but there are plenty of guided yoga/ meditation practices on Youtube that you can follow.
Second, if your burnout has lasted a little too long, now it’s simply a matter of discipline. If there is some important work that you have delayed for a while because of your burnout and you are coming close to the deadline, in short, just do it. Start it and build up the momentum. Spending too much time and using burnout as an excuse will only force you into a comfort zone. Break out of that comfort zone and you will exceed your abilities. You should quickly find that once you’ve settled down and begun your prolonged task, you will increasingly feel more motivated to finish this task and others too.
3. You are not giving enough time for hobbies
Hobbies are incredibly important when it comes to your mental health. Activities that are art-related, fitness-based or instrument playing can increase your happiness and benefit your mental health incredibly. Do these for fun without any such goal in mind. For instance, if you play the guitar, don’t play to improve, play for your own entertainment. Even so, small goals don’t hurt either. This could be as simple as wanting to finish a chapter of a book. Incorporate hobbies into your lifestyle and you’ll see how much happier and more productive you will become.
A way to view your energy
I envision energy in our body the same as a battery in a phone. With proper rest, our bodies will wake up with 100% charge. With disturbed rest or too much consumption, our battery will drain rapidly. Each little thing requires energy so you must spend it wisely and effectively with each little task.
More importantly, we must not spend all of our energy just because we woke up with ‘100% charge’. This will lead you to combust and you will enter your burnout once again. Instead regularly use a similar amount of energy each day - something that is maintainable so you do not mentally or physically stress yourself out.
I hope this has benefitted you in some way. I, myself, have experienced this burnout many on occasion so I try to aid others who are less accustomed to burnout.
However, sometimes, burnout may be much worse, there is a possibility that your burnout may, in fact, be Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), in which you should consult a doctor as soon as you can.
Much of the information that I have written in this blog has been from the book ‘Fighting Fatigue’. It is a great read and it is written in a style where the book is directed to those diagnosed with CFS.
Now, if you are in your burnout as you are reading this, will you let it overrule you and control your life?
