Always Tired

I know it’s hard when you’re always tired but there is something you can do today, and it doesn’t even cost any money, or much time and energy!!!

It’s a strange thing but when we’re always tired and run down we often end up doing more tasks then if we’re functioning at 100%. I think we may feel a bit insecure and inferior and we can feel the need to show the world that we are doing everything right. What ‘right’ actually is is anyone’s guess, but let me give you some examples:

I have found that women tend to take this aspect a bit harder than men. I have some good female friends that could get a degree in this! The men do it to some extent, but they tend to focus on other things instead.

• You dash everywhere! You are really tired so you dash in from work/wherever and you are appalled at how dirty your house is (except most of your friends would gladly swap dust piles with you).

• You insist on cleaning the whole family’s shoes ready for the next day, even though they’re not dirty!

• It’s not good for the kids to eat junk but because you’re feeling so inferior you decide that a home-made cake is just what the family needs, and you’re going to do it if it kills you.

• No-one else can do any of these jobs for you because they just won’t do them right. No-one can iron like you; no-one can cut the grass and weed like you, not even a qualified gardener.

• The car is filthy inside and you must clean it before you go out again tomorrow. The fact that again your friends would gladly eat their dinner off the floor of your car doesn’t matter to you. They are the one with the problem as they can’t see the dirt!

I know someone who recently scrubbed the patio clean even though it didn’t look dirty, she had a back neck, back, shoulder and goodness knows what but she insisted it needed doing. I did warn her against it, and also told her of someone I knew who could do it for £20 but no – she did it herself. It took her a week to get over it!!!

It is no wonder you’re always tired! So my tip for you today is to stop doing at least one energy-zapping thing. Some examples to get you started are:

• Stop rushing; there are no brownie points for looking like the Taz the Tasmanian Devil or Roadrunner (beep beep)

• Turn your mobile phone off at 7-8pm at the latest tonight. Your friends can wait; you need some space in your head.

• Don’t answer the home phone unless you have caller display and you think it’s urgent. Don’t get involved in your nearest and dearest etc chewing your ear off for an hour about their problems. Tonight you can have some ‘me time’. They’ll still love you tomorrow.

• Treat yourself to a bath, walk, swim, read etc where you cannot be disturbed. Make a point of making yourself unobtainable.

I’ve got you started but see what you can come up with. I know that sometimes it can be really hard. I live with an autistic teenager and don’t get much peace at all BUT I have still found ways of making sure I don’t get disturbed, including putting a notice on the bedroom door to say that I am busy, even if I am just listening to music and want some peace.

It’s just a matter of a good strategy of self-preservation.

Good luck,

Kate x

P.S Don't forget you can watch my video for more inspriation