TIRED ≠ FATIGUED [Behind the Design + Tips for Fatigue]
The tired ≠ fatigued design is from the LIFT by Sam Shop.
Fun fact - When I was deciding what designs to release first, this design received the second highest amount of votes!
Behind the Design
The words ‘tired’ and ‘fatigued’ may sound like synonyms, but I can guarantee anyone who has legitimately experienced fatigue will say those two words aren’t similar. Like, at all.
Fatigue is debilitating.
Fatigue is an exhaustion that’s buried deep in your bones. It makes you feel like you have been dipped in concrete and you are trying to move through molasses. It can’t be helped by caffeine or a nap. Being tired is not any of those things.
Bottom line - fatigue is one of those things you must experience to fully comprehend. But, that doesn’t mean if you don’t have fatigue you will never understand it, you can still be empathetic and compassionate.
Hence the creation of the tired ≠ fatigued design.
It is meant to spread awareness that one person’s fatigued is not the same as another person’s tired. The more people that get the concept that fatigue is different, the more understanding of a world we can create, which hopefully means less misguided responses like ‘I’m tired too’. 🤞
Tips for Managing Fatigue
Let’s get one thing straight about managing fatigue - there is no one size fits all solution. While that may seem like a bummer, it’s actually a good thing. There are LOTS of things you can fiddle with that may reduce the amount of fatigue you experience daily. All you gotta do is try stuff out, observe if it helps or not (remember no judging or comparing) and adjust accordingly.
Here are some things you can finagle and then observe how it affects your energy levels, if at all. Once you know what helps or hurts, you can do more of the things that help and less of the things that hurt.
*Disclaimer: obviously there is a level of uncertainty with fatigue and you may do everything right and still be fatigued one day for an unknown reason. When that happens don’t beat yourself up over it, just do what you need to rest and reset.
Factors that can Affect Fatigue
Nutrition - How are you fueling your body? A healthy, balanced diet w/ less processed foods and more fruits and veggies can be helpful. Also, pay attention to how you feel after eating - not only what you ate but how much you ate. Then, make adjustments accordingly.
For example, how do you feel after eating an apple vs fries? What keeps you more full, is one easier on your stomach? What about portion size - how do you feel after eating a meal vs a snack? Do you have more energy after eating less food more often (snacks) or more food less often (meals)?
Hydration - Are you hydrated? Your body can’t function properly if you aren’t hydrated. Your pee should be clear. If you are thirsty, you are likely dehydrated. Aim to drink half your weight in ounces of water per day. Adjust based off of how you feel.
*Note* You can have too much of a good thing, so don’t overdo the hydration - it’s about finding an amount that works for you.
Movement - It sounds counterintuitive, but getting up and moving can get your blood flowing and actually give you an energy boost - just start slow. Similar to nutrition and hydration, it is all a balance. If you have no idea where to start with working out - check out this blog article aptly named How to Start Working Out for some tips.
For example, if you are dragging, keep it simple and start with 5 mins - you can even do stretches from the couch. After time is up access how you feel and decide to keep going or stop. Speaking from experience, the energy that moving can give you is great, BUT it is a slippery slope and it is important not to overdo it. You will find a balance that works for you in time and through trial and error.
Sleep - It may seem like if you are fatigued you should just sleep more, but that isn’t necessarily true. Take a look at your sleep amount and its quality. Do you feel rested when you get up? How many hours of sleep are ideal for you?
For me, if I get under 7 hours, I would recommend staying tf away from me that day. If I get over 9 hours, I’m even more tired so you won’t see me because I’m likely sleeping. Now that I know my sweet spot is 7-9 hours, I can prioritize getting a quality 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
Stress - Being under stress can affect your entire body and your energy levels are no different. Stress keeps your body in an escalated state, so doing anything while stressed takes more energy AND your energy is zapped faster. It’s a lose - lose. While I know managing stress is not an easy task, reducing stress can make a huge difference on your energy level (not to mention your mood).
*Side note - If you are thinking that managing your nutrition, hydration, activity level, sleep and stress is overwhelming, I hear ya! Check out this blog article called Tracking How You Feel - it comes with a digital download to help make tracking how you feel easy peasy.
Other Things You can do to Manage Fatigue
Strategically manage your energy during the day - We all have periods of the day where we naturally are more awake and energetic. Figure out what yours are and then try to prioritize tasks according to that. Additionally, if you have a high energy task, try to allocate time after to recharge OR be proactive during the task by scheduling breaks to conserve energy.
If you do want to explore prioritizing your day in a way that works for you, I have a blog article on just that! It’s called How to Prioritize Your Day complete with a little digital download to help.
Minimize triggers - The more you can figure out what worsens your fatigue, get creative and work around those triggers, the happier you will be. If heat makes you more fatigued, stay cool (or try to). If physical or mental stress affect your fatigue, adjust accordingly. If standing or walking for long periods increases fatigue, then plan breaks or time to sit. If you have a really busy afternoon, try to have a more chill morning or evening. If alcohol makes you more fatigued, or caffeine gives you ‘fake’ energy which causes you to overdo it, then limit those things or at least consume them mindfully.
This can be challenging, obviously, but I like the idea of being aware of your triggers and then having the power to make a choice in the moment based off of your needs. Maybe the heat makes your fatigue worse, but you want to garden in the summer for your mental health. You can CHOOSE to garden for its benefits, but do so in a way that minimizes the amount of fatigue it causes by taking breaks, having a cold water, and working in the shade.
Medicine - If fatigue is greatly impacting your life despite having done all you can holistically by modifying lifestyle behaviors, talk to your doctor. There are multiple options for medicines to help combat fatigue. While adding another medicine to your roster is a big decision (and an individual decision at that), exploring options with your healthcare provider can provide clarity in what is available. Then, you can decide from there.
Here’s my experience w/ meds - I’ve had fatigue for a long ass time. Early on I was able to manage it by modifying lifestyle behaviors, but ultimately it wasn’t enough. I chose to go on medicine probably a decade ago once my quality of life suffered. It took a little time to figure out which medicine was the best for me, but I can’t imagine where my quality of life would be today without it. That said, as I mentioned above adding medicine is no small decision - risk vs reward needs to be weighed and then you need to figure out what you want to do for yourself aka don’t copy me. :)
Tips for Talking to Others about Fatigue
Communicate - Use descriptive words and language that people that don’t experience fatigue can understand. You can also try to compare it to an experience they have lived. For example, you could say ‘it’s like when you’re sick with flu and just getting up to go to the bathroom is exhausting’. You can also express how you don’t want to live this way either, but you have no choice because there is no overcoming fatigue.
Be Solution Driven - You can suggest finding a compromise together. Then, put your heads together and game plan. Maybe instead of walking in the park with a friend you are sitting on a bench in the park. There are solutions there, it just requires being flexible and strategic.
Bonus! Looking for a compromise together can strengthen your connection AND help them better understand your boundaries when you are fatigued.
One More Thing
To close I wanted to leave you with one more article that may be helpful when fatigue is concerned - it’s called ‘What type of tired are you?’ And it breaks down the different types of tired (imagine that ;) ) and talks about the remedy for each type. There are also questions to ask yourself to help you tune in + become aware of how you are feeling in the moment.
As someone that has had fatigue for what literally feels like forever, I get how *beyond* frustrating it can be. The good news is your goal is to focus on what you can control and let go of everything else.
For the record, yes, it is annoying to have to add another area of your life where you have to adjust, BUT you do have a choice. You can either complain about it and not do it and stay where you are OR you can realize that fighting it is a waste of time + energy and accept that this is how it is and shift your focus to things you can control (like the structure of your day or how you take care of yourself).
The choice is yours!
