Why Am I So Effing Tired?

Apparently, being tired all the time has an acronym: TATT (tired all the time) because we are literally so exhausted, we don’t even want to create a full sentence to convey our plight.

“Fatigue is linked with mood and the accumulation of lots of little stresses in life” (Dr. Rupal Shah). NO KIDDING. Why don’t they tell us something we don’t know already? Pretty much anything and EVERYTHING stresses me out (more so recently). Stress has actually become my normal emotion and personality type. Like, when someone asks you to describe yourself in three words: loyal, a people-person, and stressed. But, I’m working on it. That topic, however, is for another article.

So, why does stress make us tired? Heck, why does LIFE make us tired?

The short answer: because we would be bored if it didn’t. If we weren’t tired, we wouldn’t be doing anything. We would sit around (which, coincidentally, also makes me feel tired), basically mundane, or not out enjoying our lives and doing things that make us want to crawl into bed at 3:26 in the afternoon.

So, here I am, not a doctor or any kind of professional in anything, making suggestions on how to maybe minimize the dozing off at work or school.

1) Occupy Your Hands

Remember a few months back when everyone went freaking nuts about those fidget cubes and spinners and had to have at least 5? Well, fun fact for you, they were actually created for kids and people with ADD, ADHD, anxiety or focusing issues, autism.... not for Timmy to make noise with in class and get them banned across America. I have a fidget cube, after having to order one from China because everyone and their brother raided every store that potentially sold 10 of these things. I suffer from anxiety, so having something to mess around with in my hands and flick around mindlessly is perfect for my specific needs. I keep mine in my purse, and when I start to lack focus or feel myself drifting off, I pull it out and it usually does the trick. Fooling my brain into thinking I’m doing something productive, it’s the perfect little pick-me-up.

2) Stand up!

Those little inspirational fitness and wellness tidbits really do work! The advice is that if you have a desk job or a job that requires you to sit a lot, taking a 10-15 minute walk or stretch break really does wonders. It can help your concentration, mood, and it is actually healthy for your body. Who knew!

3) Eat

Help support healthy eating to keep your energy up! Almonds, fruit, dark chocolate, hummus and pita. Drink some black coffee or some hot green tea for a caffeine kick. Helps give you nutrients to snack on, but also convinces your brain to keep going.

4) Switch Tasks

Sure, when you are working on a certain project or assignment for work, going off task is not the most productive option. However, it actually can be! Giving your brain a break can help get you out of a slump and get your energy back up. Read something else, or do a puzzle to get your brain active.

5) Bathroom Break!

Thus sounds silly, but it works! Going along with the getting up and walking idea, you now have a task. Even if you don't have the need to "relive yourself," you can still walk to the restroom and splash some water on your face. Even wash your hands to give your body something else to focus on! Even a short, 5-minute visit away from whatever lecture you're getting bored of can make all the difference.

To conclude, we all get tired. And I am not an expert in any way. But, these are the things that have worked for me, so I wanted to share them. They don't work for everyone, but it could give you a good idea on what works for you!

What are your dozing off hacks?