Do You Deal with Tiredness or does Tiredness Deal to You?

Due to the kids being sick for the last 7 or so days, it doesn’t just feel like I am a week behind on sleep, I am literally a week behind on sleep. Let’s just say; very tired at the moment.

How do you go when you get tired? Do you deal with tiredness or does tiredness deal to you?

For many people tiredness is an excuse for moodiness, grumpiness, and second rate responses. They allow their work to suffer, their family to suffer, and pretty much anyone that unfortunately comes into contact with them to suffer.

Is that how it is for you? Do you know someone that seems to fall apart after a few late nights or a big week?

We have to learn to deal with our tiredness appropriately or our tiredness will deal with us; and it won’t be pretty.

Here are some things that help me…

1. I consciously acknowledge to myself that I am tired.

This helps and reminds me that I must make an extra effort to be the person that I want to be, to respond the way I want to respond, and to do life the way I want to do life. Encouraging words, positive responses, willing attitudes won’t be bubbling out of me at the moment.

2. I dig deep and put my tiredness aside.

Once upon a time many years ago, when Lisa and I were young lovers, engaged but not yet married, we sat up late on night talking. As I drove home to my house I watched as bread trucks delivered freshly baked bread to petrol stations and dairies. It was way too late to be getting home and it was a work night.

After only a couple of hours of sleep I was at work. Man did I work hard that day. I was so conscious of how poorly I had stewarded my time, (although married now, so perhaps that is debatable), that there was no way that I was going to let my work suffer. I was tired but I was determined not to let my work suffer and be a poor steward twice in 24hours. As soon as I got home though; zzz zzz zzz.

When you are tired you have to dig deep and put your tiredness aside. We are stewards of so much and we can’t let tiredness make us poor stewards.

3. I remind myself that I rule my body, my body doesn’t rule me.

Every single one of us, as long as we are generally healthy and fit, can run further than we might think, can last without food for longer than we realize, can get by with less sleep than we think we can get by with.

Not forever but defiantly for a few days or a week.

Our body is great at sending out warnings, stop running, eat food, get some sleep, we have to remember that those warnings come really early though, we can ignore them for a while, or rather, note them and push on for a while. For longer than what you think.

Rule your tiredness don’t let your tiredness rule you.

4. I use cheats to over come my tiredness.

Cold showers, coffee, paper work in the mornings when I’m fresh, meetings in the afternoon when I’m lagging, I go running, you’ll be amazed exercise brings you alive, it doesn’t cause you to fall asleep. Sow energy, reap energy.

5. I don’t let a season of tiredness go on forever.

What I have suggested can and should be lifestyle in dealing with tiredness but it shouldn’t be your lifestyle. I work with Lisa to ensure, each of us have the chance to rest and to sleep when we need it, not before it is too late and we get sick or overwhelmed by life. Plan holidays, plan not to be out every night of the week (and sometimes not any night of the week), go to bed early (7:30pm), take a week off from the gym, etc etc.

Now if that’s not helpful; see you health professional.

Good night.