When I think I feel tired, I’ve started paying attention to what I might really be feeling – and often – it’s not tiredness!
My brain has started doing this really annoying thing.
Every time I do live podcasting at a big conference, it decides the night before the conference starts that we’re WAY too excited to sleep. This is less than ideal, seeing as on an average day at these conferences, I’ll interview 4 to 6 of the smartest people in their field, so I REALLY need to be at my sharpest.
It happened again before Science Week a few weeks ago, so my four-day marathon of interviews began on about 90 minutes of sleep. And yet, I felt totally energised the entire time. I was focused and present, with no dull lethargy that normally follows even a moderately bad night’s sleep.
I didn’t think. “I’m so tired” even once, and as bedtime approached the next night, I was happily at my computer preparing for the next day. And I easily kept this up for the full conference.
‘Tired’ may be a familiar feeling for you
Now, if you’re also heading further and further away from that magical age of 20 then ‘tired’ is probably a very familiar feeling.
You don’t even need a sleepless night to bring on this feeling; just looking at your to-do list can do it!
So why is it that in a normal week with normal sleep (sleep is usually my superpower), my biggest stumbling block to getting shit done is ‘I’m so tired’ when I am apparently capable of being productive, happy, and energetic for 4 days in a row in a situation that presents many reasons to be tired? (If you’re a parent you’ll likely be thinking – “it’s because you had 4 days without children and dishes!” And you’re probably partially right, but I think there’s more to it.)
But is it really tiredness?
This experience has led me to question the narrative of ‘tired.’
I’ve started paying closer attention to what’s really going on when I think I feel tired and here are the most common things I’ve realised I often incorrectly label as tired:
- Bored
- Stressed
- Anxious (not quite the same as stressed)
- Distracted
So the solution is simple, right?
Just spend all of your time doing stuff that really excites you and that sits in that sweet spot close enough to the edge of your comfort zone, but well enough within your nature and expertise to put you perfectly into the flow, and you’ll never be tired again!
Clearly, that’s not possible.
The dishes need doing, and AI hasn’t replaced all of the repetitive, monotonous tasks of our working lives (yet). Tax returns need filling, and some jobs are well-deserving of the full attention of your sympathetic nervous system.
I’m also well aware that any situation like that four-day high I had at the conference is not sustainable in the long term, as evidenced by the total collapse I experience every time the day after I get home.
But there are still some lessons here:
If all day every day is filled with ‘tired’ (bored, stressed, anxious, distracted), maybe it’s time for some big life decisions.
What are things that put you into that sweet spot? Find a way to do more of that.
Unless you are actually just tired, in which case you only have one thing to fix. Or you just need to hang in there until the children get older, I promise they do eventually start sleeping!
Start by identifying the other emotions disguised as tiredness
Correctly identifying other emotions disguised as tired is very useful, for example….
A boring task can often be made less boring by a change in location, some music, or even just breaking it into smaller chunks that can be completed before monotony turns into lethargy.
Realising that stress is the driver behind your desire to nap (my favourite form of escapism!) can trigger you to employ your favourite stress-busting tools—and no, it can’t be ice cream or wine every time!
However, anxiety is trickier, right? Correctly identifying it can help you to find solutions, and I find just naming it helps to get me through it.
Or are you just distracted? Distraction is the scourge of the century, and for me, it usually means I need to put my phone somewhere out of sight!
So, next time you catch yourself saying ‘I’m so tired,’ take a minute and ask: am I really?
Or is there something else going on under the surface? Sometimes, just naming boredom, stress, or anxiety can be the first step to shaking it off and finding a burst of energy right when you need it. And understanding what really fuels or drains us can make those everyday moments a little brighter and a lot more manageable. Give it a try – your brain might just surprise you!
