What if tiredness isn’t the problem?

I know you're tired. Life has been full ON. Winter is fast enclosing us in its grip (here in the northern hemisphere at least). The world is (seemingly) crazy. The C-word is just around the corner and everywhere you look you're being pulled to buy more stuff, get more done, go to more parties, end the year strong and somehow stay sane, smiling and sociable through it all.

All the while, your cavewoman body is aching to stop, to rest, to lie down. To pull the duvet cover over your head and sleep til spring.

Right?!!

So here's my take on this: What if tiredness isn't the problem?

What if the problem is that we live in a society where tiredness is simultaneously both glorified and vilified? Where we're encouraged to be always "on", where busyness is a badge of honour, where tiredness is seen as a failing or something to fix, and consequently we're then sold countless fixes from pills to devices to diets to "motivational" bootcamps.

Now I'm not saying don't get medically checked out if you're feeling unusually tired (do it!!), but what if tiredness itself was actually a wise friend, gently touching you on the arm saying "hey love, you've been really busy lately and you look like you could use a rest. Here, sit down and let me make you a cup of tea."

Tiredness is a normal human response to having exerted oneself. It is not a sign of weakness. It is not (necessarily) a sign that something is wrong. It's simply a signal to rest.

When you think of it, is it really surprising - given our direct descent from ancestors who would have been huddling down in caves around the fire around about now, settling in for a winter of sleeping, lovemaking, telling stories around the fire and generally resting and conserving energy - that at this time of year you feel drawn to slower days, more sleep, cosy evenings and less franticness?

That's not something wrong with you. No, quite the contrary. That is something inherently right with you! Your inner wisdom, that you've been conditioned to ignore. It's not easy, in this world that has largely forgotten who we are, but please, please don't make tiredness wrong.

So I'll leave you with this. Over the next few weeks, when you hear all the calls to "finish the year strong", I invite you to pause, and to ask yourself instead:

"What would it look like to finish the year well?"

Here's to embracing tiredness as a wise friend rather than an enemy to be fought. I wonder how differently you might feel this month if you try embracing yourself - and your tiredness - with compassion rather than punishment.

I'd love to hear how you go.