Tiredness is something with which we are all too familiar.  If you ask the average person if they are tired, they would probably say yes.

Is this how we are meant to live our lives, in a constant state of tiredness? Or is it that we have not been responsible with our time management and have allowed ourselves to be over-worked?

I know there are times when tiredness is a symptom of a physical problem that needs to be checked out. I also am aware that tiredness is good when it represents having worked hard.

But the tiredness I am talking about today is what we experience due to being over-worked and over-committed. It’s that constant state of tiredness in which so many, especially those with leadership responsibilities, operate.

Each year, tiredness leads to thousands of traffic accidents, work accidents and accidents at home. We fail to realize how tiredness affects our ability to function.

I recall when my daughter was toddler and she would be fussing and crying – refusing any comfort I offered was a sign of tiredness. I knew once she was able to get some sleep, she would wake up being the sweet, happy toddler she was. I could tell when my toddler was tired, but I couldn’t always tell when I was tired.

The sad truth is that many of us can’t tell when we are tired because we have become accustomed to living in a constant state of tiredness.

Here are some signs of tiredness you should look for:

• You find yourself being shorted tempered with others, especially those closest to you. This is classic. It is one of those signs that you might not see unless someone points it out to you. They say things to you like, why are you snapping at me, or you don’t have to yell.

• You struggle to concentrate on things you once enjoyed doing. Reading is a good example. You love to read, but now when you sit down to read, you fall asleep. You enjoy catching up with the evening news, but you fall asleep 5 minutes into the news report.

• You start becoming impatient with others and with yourself. You used to enjoy taking the time to help others, now you find yourself being rather frustrated who someone who needs help to understand or learn something that you already understand and know how to do

• You are beginning to lose your sense of humor. Do you recall how funny life used to be? Or someone saying to you, what is the matter with you, you seem to have lost your sense of humor lately?

• You find yourself needing energy drinks and food to help you stay awake or concentrate.  When you know the names of energy drinks and energy bars better than the names of the people around you, this is a sign that you are tired.

These are all signs that you are tired and don’t know it. You are probably chalking it up to the changing busyness of life and getting older, when in fact, you are actually tired.

You do not have to continue living in a constant state of tiredness. You can re-energize your life today by beginning to do the following:

• Take control of your time and cut back on your workload.
• Start delegating – you do not have to do everything. Trust others with some of the workload.
• Get at least seven to eight hours of sleep nightly. You will be surprised how much you get done with less time when you are well rested.
• Cut out the energy drinks and energy bars and start eating a healthy diet consisting of lots of fruits and vegetables.

The mistake many of us make is thinking we have a lot to do so we will keep working to get as much done as possible before we crash for the night. What we fail to realize is when we are tired, it takes us more time to get something done – and it is usually not our best work.

When we are rested, we are focused, we can concentrate, we are relaxed, and as a result, we can be at our best and do our best work in less time.

What are you going to do about your constant state of tiredness? Tell someone close to you what actions you plan to take to deal with your constant state of tiredness and ask to be held accountable.

If you would like help in achieving your goals in any area of your life, call us at 208-880-0307 or email us at errol@errolcarrim.com to schedule a complimentary coaching session. To read Errol’s other posts, visit Christ-Centered Life Coaching.

Photo credit: Bellos Roncantes via photopin (license)