‘What’s inside me is above all tiredness —
Not of this or of that,
Not even of all or of nothing:
Tiredness just like that, itself,
Tiredness.’
Álvaro de Campos
Over the last few weeks, my husband has been asking me, ‘Did you work on your post?’
My response is invariably the same: ‘I feel too tired.’
I reflected on this tiredness and decided that this post would be precisely about that: tiredness.
I went to investigate the matter and discovered that 2023, despite still being halfway through, has already been characterized as the year of extreme fatigue (Mintel), a continuous state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion. Wow!
However, I was not surprised by these results. In recent years, we seem to have jumped from crisis to crisis: pandemic, war, price rises, fuel crisis, and so on. But it didn’t surprise me mainly because I observe these signs of fatigue in myself and my clients.
In a recent study, 35% of respondents said they felt too tired to make healthier choices regarding their diet and exercise levels (and I would add changes in sleep patterns as well).
The vicious circle of tiredness leads us to self-sabotage: the more tired we are, the more coffee we drink, the later we go to bed, the more time we spend glued to screens at night, which inevitably results in more tiredness. Basically, we are too exhausted to properly manage our fatigue.
But I would like to introduce you to an important concept from behavioral economics that can make all the difference here: decision points. A decision point is a moment that interrupts our automatic behavior and offers us the opportunity to pause, reflect on our options, and make an informed decision.
And that’s what I would like to offer today: the possibility of, when reading this newsletter, taking a break and establishing a decision point in managing your fatigue.
In the Mintel study I mentioned above, some participants who dealt with stressful situations mentioned the need to adopt supportive strategies:
71% highlighted the importance of nutrition and physical exercise to manage tiredness;
62% emphasized the importance of daily rituals to improve mood;
55% said spending time outdoors helps them manage stress.
We all have different needs, there is no universal magic formula. The important thing is to identify the support strategies that work for us and, most importantly, prioritize them in our routine, so that we can better manage our fatigue and reinforce our resilience.
In my case, I know that the more tired I am, the more I tend to give up the practices that are most useful in helping me manage that tiredness. And I have to make a conscious effort to keep meditation and yoga (my support strategies) in my routine.
I have clients who prefer to walk in the park or by the sea, others who take lunch breaks to relax by reading and still others who need more intense physical exercise first thing in the morning.
I invite you to reflect on the following question:
What activities energize me and help me recharge my batteries?
Identify them and find, every day, a moment in your schedule to dedicate, even if it is 20 minutes, to these activities. Don’t just get caught up in the intention or the thought of “today I’m going to do this”. Put it on the agenda and give it the same importance as you would to a work meeting.
Intentionally protect your rest and relaxation time.
Finally, it’s important to keep these two tips in mind: reduce coffee consumption throughout the day and avoid screens before bed.
Excessive and continuous consumption of caffeine contributes to greater tiredness. The effect of caffeine on the body varies from person to person, and it is important to understand our own sensitivity and the amounts we can ingest without our sleep being negatively affected. Once again, I give my example: I don’t drink coffee after 12pm and I drink very low amounts, but it was a gradual process.
As for screens, ideally we should avoid them at least one hour before bed, otherwise we will be overstimulating our brain and damaging the quality of sleep and rest.
That habit of crawling into bed with your cell phone in your hand? It is time to replace it with a strategic decision point that can reverse the current trend and ensure that, for you, 2023 does not have to be the year of extreme fatigue.
Remember: your rest is not a luxury. It is essential for your well-being and resilience.