3 Year Old: Feed me, please.
Grandmother: You just told me you were a big kid. Big kids can feed themselves.
3 Year Old: Big kids sometimes get tired of feeding themselves.
These are profound words from a 3-year-old. The fact is we all get tired sometimes. We get tired of paying bills. We tire of keeping the house clean. We get tired from the tasks we must perform as adults. During these periods of tiredness, we can feel disconnected from ourselves and others. Olson et al. (2008) wrote an article discussing tiredness. We can become tired, then fatigued, and finally exhausted. Each of these stages affects our bodies in different ways. When we are tired, we may become forgetful, impatient, and gradually lose our energy. On the other hand, exhaustion causes confusion, emotional numbness, sudden loss of energy, and withdrawal from social activities. As parents, we do not want to move to the realm of exhaustion.
What steps do we need to take to ensure that we are at our best?
- Change daily routines: Yes, the house needs cleaning, but we don’t need to do everything in one day.
- Sleep: Get at least 6 hours of sleep at night.
- Exercise: Just 20 minutes of exercise can boost your mood.
- Eat Healthy: Small changes at one meal can make a difference.
- Talk to Someone: Sometimes, we just need a listening ear.
- Drink more Water: Get at least 8 glasses of water.
- Pray: Give your burdens to God.
Life can become challenging and we can tire quickly. Remember to prioritize taking care of yourself.
Olson, K., Turner, A. R., Courneya, K. S., Field, C., Man, G., Cree, M., & Hanson, J. (2008). Possible links between behavioral and physiological indices of tiredness, fatigue, and exhaustion in advanced cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 16, 241-249.
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