Tired of being Tired

Photo by KangHoon Lee

                       
A few days ago one of my friends on Facebook wrote a post saying "Tired of constantly being tired". Don't we all get that feeling sometimes. When we feel like we are drowning in our business. 

The past few weeks I have been drowning in what seems like endless work, and no time at all. I find myself thinking "how could God have made only 24 hours in 1 day." Between homework, midterms, work, and ministry I barely have time for basic needs like eating and sleeping. 

A picture has been floating around the internet lately that basically says: as a college student you have 3 things to try to fulfill. Those are good grades, a social life, and sleep. The catch? Choose 2. As a freshman and a sophomore I thought that picture was so true and related to me perfectly! Now... Not much. Now it's more like: school, work, friends, family, church, extraculicular activities, study, relationship, personal grooming, volunteering, building a good resume. The catch? Try for all of it... and phisically and mentaly break down.

I've accepted that being tired is a part of our lives, but I've learned that being tired is not our natural default and that we need to do everything we can to lessen the burden on ourselves as much as possible.

Photo by Citta Ananda Lestari

A sound mind dwells in a healthy body. I've learnt first hand that having a healthy body (helps) keep me sane! I am able to concentrate more, get more work done and sleep better during the nights when I am living a healthier lifestyle. And it only takes (and yes, I know this may be hard for some) cutting out unnecessary food out of my diet (like soda, chips, and all their friends), and exercising for just about 30 minutes to an hour a day (I usually jog). 

A healthier sleeping habit. One of the things that has helped me the most is keeping a regular sleeping habit. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time everyday, and this does mean not sleeping in on weekends. Your body gets used to the schedule, and you don't get tired as easily because your body knows when to expect sleep. Sleeping 8 hours is just not possible with all the things that I need to get done, but by sleeping on a schedule my body is perfectly fine with 4-5 hours of sleep. (I dunno tho.. it might catch up to me one day)

Learning to give up and let go. I've had to learn that failures do happen. In my work, in myself, and in personal relationships. On top of that, new challenges and opportunities always come around, so I have learnt that some things are not worth fighting for, and there's no point in regretting or suffering over something that has past. It's all about prioritising and putting your energy into what's most important. I've had to learn to stop myself from stressing over relationships that can't be maintained and just let some people go.

Focus more on the accomplishments. I've found that when I purposely look at what I have accomplished (and have a mini celebration in my head) I feel less tired and stressed. I think it's because I feel that all the hard work was worth it. Even something as simple as this blog, every time I get a post up, I give myself a subtle pat on the back and let myself celebrate this little accomplishment. Sure, I still feel tired, but it's worth it. 

Being tired is something we all feel at some point, but I've decided that for me I'm going to try my best to keep myself from getting worn out both physically and mentally.