Tired all the time? Not because you have been doing a lot of physical work/sport/aren’t physically well, but do you feel mentally and emotionally tired all the time?
Causes
i) being out of balance: this could be equally be down to doing too little as too much. Doing too little can very exhausting(!) as can feel oppressed by all that needs doing.
ii) running marathons in our minds: thinking too much is completely exhausting. Maybe this morning something happened… now it is nine in the evening… what has occupied your mind from then until now? What have you missed out on today whilst that running commentary has been rolling? Why? What if? If only I had…Why didn’t I think of that at the time… If I hadn’t said that… If they weren’t so…
iii) a monkey mind: unable to focus and just jumping from one thing to another.
iv) not being self-aware: not recognizing or acknowledging how I am feeling means we become victims of our mood rather than choosing what mood we want to be in.
v) the things that we aren’t addressing: for example, being in a job we know we have out-grown but doing nothing about it.
Quick fix: relax or do something different
There are things we can do physically to help us relax: a walk, yoga, reading a book, painting, taking a risk and sports. All these help temporarily as they shift our energy and focus.
An exercise to relax the body: beginning from your toes up and moving through each muscle group… clench each set of muscles and then let them go.
Long lasting solutions
1) Shift your perception to the present. We can’t change the past but we can have an impact on the present and thus have an influence on our future. Say to yourself: okay, let me just stop for a minute. Where am I? Who am I with? Notice the details of your surroundings and qualities of the people you are with. The more in the present we are the more we are able to see the situation in front of us and choose how to respond for the best, rather than just reacting and ending up feeling exhausted as a result of having been taken on an emotional rollercoaster ride.
2) Give your mind a point of focus. Our minds need and look for a point of focus. If it can’t find one it jumps from one thing to another or gets caught in one thing… it is restless. To create a point of focus ask yourself: What now? Now is all we have and all we need to do is enjoy now.
3) What ‘food’ are you giving your mind? What are you churning all day long? Try this experiment: for one minute think of nothing. Was it possible? No? This isn’t possible as it is the mind’s function to think. However… consider the ‘food’ you are feeding your mind and become aware of its effect on your energy levels.
4) Something happens… take a moment and be aware of how you are feeling rather than just reacting. This takes a bit of practice as we are so used to just reacting. Take a breath and ask yourself: What am I feeling right now? Okay, so maybe I am having an impatient moment. Now ask yourself: Is this how I want to feel? Take the moment you need to recognize and acknowledge how you feel, otherwise you will remain the victim of your reactions.
5) Be honest with yourself, lying to ourselves crucifies our soul. Telling yourself the truth -even if not so positive- empowers you. The process of discovering why you are tired is essential if you want to say goodbye to feeling tired all the time. Say to yourself: I want to discover the secret behind this tiredness.
6) Become your own best friend. You are with you constantly, how much of a friend are you to you? Start to recognize and acknowledge your positive qualities. When we begin to identify with the positive in ourselves we begin to feel alive. When we are on automatic pilot -living unconsciously- our heart shrivels. When we start recognizing our strengths we wake up.
a) Ask yourself: What do my friends see in me? What qualities have drawn them to me? If you are going through a friendless moment look back and pose these same questions in retrospect. Was it your sense of humour? Your kindness? Your tolerance? Your flexibility? When we put our self down we shrink ourselves and this makes us tired.
b) Think of a time that you felt positive about you. What qualities were you expressing then? Name them.
Now express these qualities at every chance you get. This strengthens us and enriches us internally. These qualities are yours and they can’t be lost. In fact the more you express them the more they will grow; the more you give them away the more you have to give. If you feel tired because you feel sad, for example, you probably don’t feel like you want to have to connect with anyone right now, however, do the opposite and share something positive with someone. This maybe as simple as a smile. Expressing this positive quality will make you feel better.
In a moment of fatigue: stop what you are doing and ask yourself: How do I feel about ‘me’ right now? If the answer is a negative one use the power of your thoughts to shift this experience. Think about the positive qualities you have. Let this experience grow and automatically you will find yourself feeling less anxious, more alive and less tired.
7) Stop resisting as this takes a lot of energy.
Our thoughts are intimately connected to our feelings; your thoughts and experiences are uniquely yours. You maybe inspired by others to experiment with an idea, the experience is uniquely yours though. Your thoughts are creating your experience. When we consciously choose our thoughts we can create the experience we want and we free ourselves up to reach our potential. Our thoughts are the key to everything.
