It Makes Everything Harder
You'd like to feel rested and energetic, but lots of things get in the way. Some are external, but life is also made harder by the habits that don't serve us; habits that we'd like to change. But how can you deal with these problems when the demands of your life leave you feeling tired?
What About the Habits You'd Like to Change?
Becoming more fit? But if you're tired, you'll probably feel that you don't have the energy to go to the gym, or to exercise in any way! Eating more healthfully? We're told to forgo the middle aisles of the grocery store, where all the processed foods live, and stick to the outer perimeter, with the fresh vegetables and meats. That means more cooking, and if we're tired, do we have the energy to do that?
What about procrastinating? Wouldn't it be nice to feel free of the burden of postponed tasks that weigh us down when we procrastinate? But it's even harder to address those tasks when we're tired. And what if we're a bit messy? We know that we'd feel better if things were organized and neat; but when we're tired, tidying up may be more than we can muster up the energy for. And multi-tasking can become an addiction that we're too tired to struggle with ending.
What About the Unhelpful Habits that We Aren't Even Aware Of?
I've described some of these in past posts, for instance:
- Being overly accommodating because you feel that you must do this to be a nice person
- Assuming that feelings of guilt are "normal, just a part of life" when this is not so
- Being a perfectionist, feeling that this is a good trait rather than a burdensome one
These take energy that increases fatigue.
Ironically, the maladaptive habits that we feel too tired to try to change make us even more tired, because they hang over our heads as things we "should" change, or take care of.
Why is it More Likely Now for Us to be Tired?
Changes in our culture have made things harder for us. When I was growing up, one income (usually the man's) was enough to support the family. The partner (usually the woman) stayed home and did the housework. Except when their children were young, they were both able to relax in the evening. Now, it seems that one income isn't enough, and also, both partners may wish to have paying jobs. But with both partners working outside the home, when does the housework get done? And when do the errands get done? More work for both; more fatigue.
Changes in the business culture have resulted in putting more pressure on employees to do more with less (and without an increase in their salary). A business friend of mine, a former C-suite executive, explained to me that company CEOs are now under intense pressure to maximize profit because the internet tracks their productivity, just as their companies track their employees. The CEOs must answer to their boards of directors and their stockholders, who have more data about the companies' performance. I imagine that the CEOs must feel just as tired as the employees.
And any anger that we might feel about these new working conditions also increases our fatigue.
Be All You Can Be! (a past Army motto, now in use again)
Wouldn't it be nice to be all we could be: healthy, strong, competent, creative, freed from maladaptive habits, and enjoying life? Groan! Who has the energy to accomplish all that?
There is a Way
It's possible to create a new mental pathway in your mind that can accomplish all that for you. I call it an Inner Guide. It has special powers that enable it to gradually end discomforts and solve problems. All you need to do is create your own Inner Guide and then do self-hypnosis (identical to certain forms of meditation) regularly. While the Inner Guide's work takes time to achieve the result you want, each time you do self-hypnosis, you experience a feeling of peacefulness and calm, and you emerge feeling refreshed. If you haven't already, download and use the Emotional Comfort® Tool, which will show you how to do self-hypnosis. And you can create your own Inner Guide by going to: https://emotionalcomfort.com/blog/post/you-can-acquire-an-inner-guide-part-4
