Hands Up If You’re Tired?

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Hands up who’s tired?

I imagine quite a few of you now are staring at your screens feeling a little awkward that you have a hand in the air at the request of some random guy from Northern Ireland. But don’t worry. I’m not going to ask you to simultaneously pat your head and rub your tummy for that would be just plain weird. Plus you might drop your phone or laptop and I’m not sure the insurance would cover the circumstances.

Tiredness is everywhere and everybody is tired. Fionnuala and I are constantly telling each other we are tired. There is always something to do and not enough time to do it. The list of tasks and demands stretches far over the horizon into the days and weeks ahead. Who needs ebola or the zombie apocalypse when we have tiredness. It is highly infectious and has reached epidemic proportions.

It’s Monday morning and I don’t want to get up. I feel more tired now than when I left work on Friday. I don’t want to get out of bed and run. I don’t want to put on my work clothes and get the train to work. I just want to go back to sleep and start the weekend all over again. And I’m certain that many of you experience those exact same emotions every time the alarm goes off and Monday morning comes around again.

We are a community of tired people. It is the strand that connects us all, the common denominator in our eclectic and varied lives. It is the great leveller which brings us all, whatever our backgrounds and beliefs, together. We are Team Tired. We are tired of being tired but there is no pill or potion to cure this condition. So we soldier on and do our best because, well, that’s what we do right?

Oh you can put your arm back down by the way. I’ll be finished in a few paragraphs.

When the battery on a car runs flat it needs a jump start, a spark to reignite it’s engine and bring it back to life. We are the same. It can be an unexpected phone call or message from a friend to say they are thinking of you; an encouraging word from a colleague; or an unsolicited blog from half way across the world that you stumble across on your lunch break. Whatever it is or wherever it comes from, we need it all the same.

We are not defined by our tiredness just like we are not defined by our colour or creed. The spark we so desperately desire is just beyond the veil, tantalisingly out of our reach. All it requires is a few steps and you are there. Energy is life. Without it we may as well wave the white flag of surrender. Give in to the exhaustion and fatigue. Lie down, close our eyes and wait for the inevitable coup de grace.

I choose not to lie down. So I’m going to throw back the covers and crawl out of bed. I’m going to go to work, I’m going to force myself to run at lunchtime, endure a three hour afternoon meeting and then come home to a million and one questions from our irrepressible 11 year old daughter. I’m going to go through the motions but I’m going to do it with emotion. Knowing that victory lies on the other side.

Tiredness doesn’t have to be a life sentence. You just have to find a purpose, your reason to keep going. Put one step in front of the other. I know you can do it no matter how exhausted you might feel as you read these words. Rise above it. The world awaits you and you were born to walk this path. It is a long and hard path at times but the rewards await you. Just around the next corner.

How tired are you today?

How do you combat tiredness?

Published by Fractured Faith Blog

We are Stephen and Fionnuala and this is our story. We live in Northern Ireland, have been married for 17 years and have three kids - Adam, Hannah and Rebecca. We hope that our story will inspire and encourage others. We have walked a rocky road yet here we are today, together and stronger than ever. We are far from perfect and our faith has been battered and bruised. But an untested faith is a pointless faith. Just as a fractured faith is better than none at all. We hope you enjoy the blog.

60 thoughts on “Hands Up If You’re Tired?”

  2. Yes, I am (a little) tired, but at least I don’t have to go to work…I’m still on sick leave until 1st October, although to be frank I’m really looking forward to going back. I’ve missed my students! During treatment though I really learned what fatigue was – and wouldn’t wish that on anyone! The feeling of being dragged down by a lead weight, the sensation of not being able to even be bothered about doing anything, just wanting to close your eyes and sleep and sleep and sleep. Now, well, yes, I’m a bit sleepy, but I know it’ll get better.
    No help for you though. I hope you find your way through it all.

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  3. Music has a ridiculously strong effect on my mood, and my mood tends to determine my energy level – unless I’m just plain worn out and have to sleep, whether I want to or not! Christian songs with a good beat and lyrics that are true (not just clichés) get me energized and refocused on what is important and why I am here in the first place. Sometimes I realize I’ve been trying to do things that just don’t matter, and I should drop them. When I do, suddenly my schedule becomes manageable, the stress is reduced, and I am free to enjoy life again. (I don’t always follow my own advice, but when I do, this is the result. 😉 )

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  4. “We are tired of being tired but there is no pill or potion to cure this condition.” You’re correct that there is no curative pill or potion, but there is a cure: AIR. The cause of chronic tiredness is very often airway obstruction, which deprives brain and body of oxygen and disrupts sleep. Airway support, by means of a machine, an oral appliance, or surgery, is the cure. The obvious symptoms of airway obstruction are snoring, snorting, or gasping for breath while asleep, but the consequences of airway obstruction are much more serious than just the noise, because chronic oxygen deprivation causes bodily harm in many ways, making other diseases and disorders worse (see my post at https://wp.me/p6ktGc-cN). The problem is not that we’re too busy doing things, but that we’re not getting enough rest because we’re too busy trying to breathe while asleep. This answer seems to be deceptively simple, but it’s true: just being able to breathe without struggling for air while sleeping restores energy. Anyone who makes any kind of noise while sleeping should be examined by means of a sleep study.

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      1. Getting plenty of fresh air whilst one is awake is excellent, but it’s not the same as what goes on when one is sleeping. Sleep is not unproductive downtime, it’s when the body gets all its important housekeeping done, attending to the growth and repair needs that are brought about by active thought and exercise throughout the day. If we can get our sleep hygiene under control, ensuring that our sleep oxygen requirements are being met, we can be more alert, productive, comfortable and happy when we’re awake – as well as a whole lot healthier in many other ways.

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  7. Tired (bored/depressed)
    Tired (worked hard-physically or mentally)
    Just plain tired because of illness or chronic conditions.

    I am just plain tired 24/7— but have experienced the other forms of tired.

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  10. Power naps! When I can’t keep my eyes open, I stop whatever I am doing and take a 15-minute nap. On Sunday afternoons, I take a longer one. The work will always be there when I get up, and I’ll feel a bit more able to manage it.

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      1. I wish! Usually about an hour. But regardless of whether or not we sleep, we do try to rest and avoid the busyness of the rest of the week.

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  11. A wise woman once told me, “your brain doesn’t know the difference between the truth and a lie”. I have found that the days I am telling myself ‘I am tired’ are brutal. Conversely squashing that thought before it takes hold helps a lot. Having said that, we do live in a world that can be exhausting with its long lists of demands on our energy and our time. I find walking helps. It releases stress and helps me find my happy thoughts…..now, I think I need a walk! LOL

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  12. I’m not that tired yet. But I know I’ll get there eventually. I would take a break when it gets overwhelming. Either by listening to music, reading books, watching movies, or a drive to the lake. Most importantly remind myself why God put me here on the first place.

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  13. After suffering with depression and anxiety for the majority of my life, I have recognized two different kinds of tired. Tired because I was up late last night, or tired in my soul. When I am up late, I try and nap the next day. That’s an easy way to remedy that tired feeling. If my soul is tired, I realize that I have been neglecting myself. It means that I am not putting enough self-care into my routine and I need to change it to help gain some motivation and energy back. So I take extra gentle care of myself. I allow for a longer hot shower, or a healthier meal, some time during the day reading a book, or just a day where I put away my laptop. It is important that we care for ourselves, otherwise we end up too tired to do anything at all.

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  14. Parents don’t sleep. Pretty sure that’s a hard and fast rule. Everyday I remember I ’m an adult and got adulting to do. I also drink a lot of coffee. Like a lot a lot. Sigh.

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  16. It’s shameful how tired I have been. I’ve been shaking my head wondering what on earth is making me feel this way. Your words are appreciated. Love your blog!!!

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  20. Pingback: Hands Up If You’re Tired? — Fractured Faith Blog | Beyond Boston

  21. I am constantly exhausted. I don’t even have kids. There is never enough time in the day, week, year to get everything done. But I have a little secret. Every day Iake a deal with myself that if I can find one good thing about my day, then I have to keep getting up and trying again and again. The good thing can be literally anything from a pretty flower, a compliment, or seeing my niece and nephew. This is honestly how I battle my depression when it gets bad (along with some wonderful medications).

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  23. I am tired too. But whenever I remember I got something to do and accomplish, I force myself to stand up and get things done. It’s not always easy to wake up but praises to our God, He’s giving us another day to live. Prayer helps. When you feel tired, just pray, pray, pray and be in His presence. That’s what I do. Thank you for sharing this post!

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