Tired but rested
Here’s a scenario: You’ve been sleeping 8 hours most nights, and you don’t eat too much junk food. You don’t have any serious medical conditions.
Maybe you even came from a vacation, so you should be rested.
Despite all these things, you don’t feel rested or energized at all.
You might feel tired all the time. Or you don’t feel as lively as you want to be.
The usual culprits for chronic fatigue are bad quality sleep, poor diet (that includes too much caffeine, junk foods, or too little water), substance abuse, and a lack of exercise.
But if the above conditions aren’t the cause, then you’re might be missing the following 3 things.
1. Periods of stillness
“Sensory overload” technically means having your five senses — sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell — take in more information than your brain is able to process.
Overwhelmed by these stimuli, the brain enters a fight-or-flight mode. And your body follows along, making you feel anxious and unable to relax.
This is why we all need sensory rest. Especially since we rely so much on our electronic gadgets.
Now, the solution seems straightforward: Unplug yourself from your gadgets, then you’re good, right?
But having proper sensory rest means much more than just unplugging. It’s about giving all our senses a break from constant stimulation. Here are a few practises I found to be helpful:
- No-screen times during the day — I started with avoiding my phone during meals, or when I’m in the bathroom, and an hour before bedtime. Then I gradually increased it to include a few hours in the afternoon, when I’m not working. By doing this, I ensure I don’t miss important messages while still taking breaks.
- Mindfulness meditation — mindfulness meditation can help reduce symptoms of stress. Just spending 10 minutes each day focusing on my breath made a noticeable difference in how I felt overall.
- Digital detox — As a writer and entrepreneur, my work and life are deeply tangled. I like it that way too since I really enjoy my work. But having the space to separate work and life, even just for a few days, is important if we want to get fully recharged. So try to commit to a time where you can conveniently avoid screens and non-stop activity altogether.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed, try to find a period of stillness. Start small, with a few ‘no-screen’ and ‘no-activity’ time each day, and see how it goes.
2. A sense of awe
In psychology, there’s a concept called “Overview Effect”: A cognitive shift in perspective that occurs when one sees the Earth from outer space.
Astronauts who have experienced this describe it as a profound feeling of awe and interconnectedness. They see the planet without borders, a single, living organism floating in the vast emptiness of space.
Edgar Mitchell, a NASA astronaut and the sixth person to walk on the moon, once said this about the experience:
“You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it.
From out there on the moon, international politics look so petty. You want to grab a politician by the scruff of the neck and drag him a quarter of a million miles out and say, ‘Look at that, you son of a bitch.”
How does this apply to us, non-space travellers?
Well, it shows us that having a wider perspective, while experiencing something that gives us a feeling of awe, can rewire our brains into thinking differently.
This feeling of awe is important because it’s easy to feel skeptical or disillusioned when we’re overly focused on negative thoughts.
Think of all those folks who always complain about their work, relationships, and lives. All they see are problems since they lost their sense of awe.
Even if we’ve never been in outer space, we have experienced something less extreme that made us feel amazed: We look at a starry night sky, witness sunsets, travel to beautiful places, watch a deeply-moving film, read a great book.
These things give us a shift in perspective. And they help us see the bigger picture.
Remember, it’s not about escaping your work or responsibilities. It’s about giving yourself the space to avoid being overly skeptical or disillusioned.
When that happens, you’ll find yourself renewed with creativity and purpose. Which prevents you from feeling tired with life.
3. A sanctuary away from other people’s expectations
We’re almost always living with the pressure of other peoples’ expectations. Whether that’s your boss, client, family, friends, even strangers.
Even if you’re not a people-pleaser, there are always moments where you have to give way to others so you can also get what you want.
Just think about the last time you let other folks get ahead of you in a traffic jam. Or when you let a customer get their way so you can get on with your job.
To feel truly rested and relaxed, you’ll want a limited period where you don’t feel the need to cater to other people. This emotional and social rest is crucial for our overall well-being. Here are three practical ways to do it:
- Focus inward: Pay attention to what you’re feeling right now, instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future or what other people think.
- Set Boundaries: This means learning to say no when you need to. If you feel overwhelmed by commitments or demands from others, it’s okay to take a step back and prioritize your emotional health.
- Seek Support: Sometimes, the best way to get emotional and social rest is to talk to someone you trust. This could be a friend, family member, or a mental health professional. They can provide a listening ear, offer advice, or just be there for you when you need it.
Remember, it’s okay to take time to rest and recharge. You’ll need it if you want to get things done.
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