Today I was walking with a friend, we discussed how in certain organizations, being tired is “just life” or even more concerning a badge of honor.

“You can sleep when you’re dead,” was a joke at college.  Well, if you don’t sleep much, you may end up in the hospital because your body will demand rest.

My husband and I both work long hours.  However, we purposefully stayed home for two full days (besides taking walks both days) because he had Thanksgiving off.  We were both blessed to get extra rest and did not feel guilty about opting out of Thanksgiving events to take care of ourselves!

Here are seven signs that you are exhausted:

1. You cry often.

When I am exhausted, I find myself crying for no reason.  Just a small change in plans or the smallest disappointment can make me cry.  If you find yourself unusually emotional, begin to keep track of how many hours you are actually sleeping every night for some insight.

2.  You are more forgetful than usual.

When you are tired, your ability to remember things can become impaired.  A well-rested mind is much sharper.

3.  You are eating more food (and probably gaining weight). 

When you do not get enough energy from sleeping enough at night, your body will need more energy than usual from food.  The times that I have been very tired for long periods of time, I found myself eating more and therefore gaining unwanted weight.

4.  You are often under the weather.

Rest is important for immunity, and if you are not getting enough rest, it just may be that is why you are often ill.  Your body repairs itself while you sleep at night.  Give it time to do its work. :

5.  You are drinking multiple cups of coffee, energy drinks, or soda to “help you stay awake.”

When I worked in an office all by myself, I was allowed to keep the light off to reduce glare from the computer screen.  As more employees were falling asleep on the job in their quiet, dim offices, the rules changed so that we all had to keep our lights on 100% of the time.

The office coffee pot is almost a staple.  While giving you a burst of energy, caffeine actually stresses out your heart and makes you more tired.

Energy drinks can be deadly (source).

6.  You set multiple alarms to wake up, and you hear only the last one.

By my junior year in college, I needed to set three alarms to wake up.  The problem was that I did not hear the first two.  Yes, I was thoroughly tired every week.  That year I also had Fridays off work and would usually sleep all afternoon after classes.

7.  You are resentful of small requests from people.

Again, you are being very emotional and instead of saying “yes” or “no” to the request, you wonder why someone else cannot do it.  It’s a simple task that anyone else should be able to do.

If you find yourself being overly tired here are a few things you could do:

1.  Take time to assess your schedule.

Do you have unnecessary tasks or obligations on your schedule?  Yes, it sounds noble to volunteer at Non-Profit XYZ every week for five hours.  However, if you already work full-time and have a family, your family may need you more than the non-profit does.

A helpful question to ask yourself is, “What would I recommend to someone else in the same position as I am?”  We often give others better advice than we give ourselves!

2. Get some blood work done.

Yes, the quick fix is caffeine, but caffeine will not get to the root of the problem.  It’s just masking a challenge you have. You may be deficient in Vitamin D, iron, or other important minerals/vitamins.

3.  Get more sleep.

Most people underestimate the amount of sleep they need.  Try going to bed half an our or an hour early for a couple of weeks and see what happens.

Psalm 127:2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep

If you need some assistance in resting better at night OR you have discovered that you have a nutritional deficiency, let’s talk.  Before the problem becomes worse and may not be solvable except by drastic measures, it’s important to take action to correct it!  Email me here now, and I will respond within 24 hours to set up a free call with you.  I’d like to learn about your challenges and give you options about resolving them naturally without side effects.