Are You Tired?

Happy Fall Y’all!! (In the ‘south’ y’all is known as singular with the plural forms being ‘all y’all’ and ‘all y’alls’! LOL!) I don’t know if you all are excited, but I for one can’t wait for the ‘fall’ temperatures to drop into the mid 80’s! In Florida, we don’t get very much cool fall weather like I am used to in N.C., but I’ll take low to mid 80’s any day!

As much energy as the fall season seems to give me, I find that lately I am tired. And not the tired that can be solved with a quick nap or an 8 hour night of sleep. I am talking about being mentally and emotionally tired. I find that my fatigue is not physical, but rather more spiritual and it got me to wondering if anyone else is feeling this type of tired.

This fatigue comes from the daily barrage from the nightly news, the social media feeds and other daily contacts with the public. I have heard of physical altercations over vaccination cards, wearing or not wearing masks and assaults and murders that are generally evil. The latest news that has me in a mild state of despair is the recent location of Gabby Petito found murdered. She was a vibrant and dream-filled young woman that had taken a chance to enjoy her life with whom she thought was ‘her person’. Although I was initially hopeful that she was found alive and well, my gut told me that she was murdered.

This too disturbed me because the likelihood of her being found dead was greater in my mind than her being found alive. We sat in the living room, trying to put together a ‘timeline’, lists of motives for her being harmed/murdered as well as where she might be found. This made me wonder when I became so cynical and jaded by the past evil acts in the world and how it affected my outlook.

I have always been an optimist, much to the annoyance of my husband, Brett. Disney songs are often my favorite to blast in the house while I clean! I often play ‘devil’s advocate’ and look for the best in people, even when the situation may look bleak. If I get yelled at by someone that appears angry, I chalk it up to that person may be worried about something or having a bad day. I rarely take someone else’s actions personally. But as the assault on my sensibilities continues daily, I find myself more tired of the Human Race.

How do you stop being tired when a nap won’t help? An article from December 2019 on psychcentral.com suggests ‘Six Simple Ways to Rest the Mind’. I’m sure that when this article was published, they had NO IDEA that 2020 would be the year that the Pandemic wound hit and people’s mental health would take a huge hit. The 6 ways include exercise, people-watching, getting out in nature, meditation, animals and play. This sounds like a pretty comprehensive list to get your mind reset and give it a break from the daily grind.

As most of my friends know, exercise in my case is mostly cycling. So the first and third on this list is pretty simple for me. I like to get outside every available opportunity and would eat all my meals outdoors if I was able. This one is not as difficult for me as for others I know, but finding or rather making time is what I find the most difficult portion.

The second suggestion of people-watching is pretty simple as well. One of my favorite movie scenes is in ‘Date Night’ when Steve Carrell and Tina Fey are in the restaurant and begin to tell the story of a couple at another table. Just by watching the couple, how they interact and their body language, a story can unfold. Even if the story is not true, it’s fun to imagine.

The next suggestion is meditation. There are multiple scientific studies on the physical benefits of meditation and it’s use for physical and mental disease. Reduction of blood pressure, help for insomnia and relief from anxiety are just a few of the benefits of meditation. Unfortunately, medication in its best form takes work. You can not just sit in a dark room, away from people and ‘meditate’. You must practice getting in the right mindset and blocking all external stimuli – not easy for someone with ADHD like me. I do however enjoy sitting in church prior to the service starting and just letting my mind wander were it will and allow those thoughts, mostly things that are bothering me, to come to the surface and be acknowledged. This permits me to unload those concerning ideas, situations and emotions that bring my mental state down.

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The final two are animals and play. This too is easy for me. Brett and I have 5 dogs of all sizes, shapes and colors. They each have their own personalities, energy level and benefits in our household. They love to play and (mostly) make us laugh at their silliness. Play is something that comes easy for me, but I do struggle to get those around me to enjoy their playful side. I have begun to play board games with Brett in order to disconnect from external stimuli from cell phones, television and social media. It feels good to connect on a ‘fun’ level and to revert back to those simpler days.

There is a quote that has been making the rounds on the internet and social media that says ‘Your job would replace you before your obituary was printed in the newspaper.’. This may not be completely true, but know that to your employer, you are replaceable; to your family, you are not. So take time today to enjoy one of the 6 ways to give your mind a break….heck, enjoy all 6!

Be well, live well!

Tracy