There’s a difference between being tired and being exhausted. If you didn’t get enough sleep last night, you’re just tired and need some time to recuperate. If you’re exhausted, you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. There is no quick fix for exhaustion. A remedy requires you to make some changes in your lifestyle. Although this might seem like a daunting task, it will be incredibly worth it in the long run. Think of how some of these factors have negatively impacted your life, and whether or not it’d be a good idea to make some changes.
1. You lack personal relationships
If you constantly find yourself hanging around people who are fun to be around, but who you don’t consider to be true friends, you should start looking elsewhere for meaningful connections. If your relationships are stagnant, chances are a good portion of your life is, as well. Don’t let yourself get dragged down to other people’s level, under the guise of having a “good time.” A few hours of partying doesn’t make up for a week’s worth of exhaustion. Find people who share your interests and will help you achieve your goals, not hold you back from them.
2. You are unfulfilled
When life becomes monotonous, it becomes more of a grind than a living. Your job is a huge part of your life; if it becomes meaningless, your happiness will suffer. Not only that, but if you’re exhausted when you get home from work, you’ll be less willing to spend time doing things you love, such as working on hobbies or being with your family. Of course, you probably can’t up and quit your job. However, if you’re feeling unfulfilled in your current position, you should definitely start actively looking for a change.
3. You don’t make time for life
Like I said, if your job is dragging you down, you probably won’t want to put effort into other things after 5PM rolls around. It may seem counterintuitive, but instead of coming home and vegging out on the couch all night, use this time to do something you’ve always wanted to do. Take your family for a walk, read a book that’s been on your shelf for months, or register for a weekly class that could further your career. Just because you’re unhappy with a part of your life doesn’t mean the rest of it has to suffer.
4. You work way too hard
If you’re at a job which you don’t necessarily enjoy, chances are you don’t put that much effort into improving your productivity. Of course, you still have to do something, since you don’t really care to learn how to be efficient in your duties. This actually backfires on you in the long run. By working harder, not smarter, you end up burning yourself out, while others around you end up leaps and bounds ahead of you. By figuring out how to maximize your productivity, you won’t work yourself to the bone every day of your life.
5. You don’t set goals
Once you get stuck in the rut of a 9 to 5 that you despise, you resign yourself to a life of dead-ends. If you have no direction, you’re simply living to work, and working to live. Although you may have initially suffered from a lack of self-worth which kept you from creating goals in the first place, lacking goals as you age will only further your lack of self-esteem. Try to set short and long-term goals in order to give yourself a reason to get out of bed every day. You’d be surprised how energizing having a purpose can be.
6. You lack motivation
Maybe you’re in a bad spot right now. Maybe you lack the drive to get up and go every day of your life. This is a sure sign that you need to make a change in your life. Make a list of the parts of your life that make you happy, and focus on them. Check out your list of goals and see which ones aren’t attainable without making a change. Spend some time working on hobbies. You may find that your heart is really into something completely unrelated to your current position. Maybe you can find a way to make a living doing that instead. Finding a reason to get out of bed will set you on a path to success every day of your life.
7. You lack self-care
Earlier, I talked about how neglecting the positives in your life can be downright exhausting. Well, neglecting your own body can be equally as tiring. If you find that you’re not eating right, sleeping right, or visiting the doctor or dentist for check-ups simply because you don’t want to take the time to do so, you need to reevaluate your life as a whole. Yes, going to the dentist is expensive, but you can’t put a price on your health. Even going to the gym a few times during the week can break you out of your rut. As an added bonus, you’ll start to feel better about yourself — physically, emotionally, and mentally.
You could be the most upbeat person in the world, but if you don’t have others around you that share your passion for life it will be impossible to maintain a sense of optimism.
Featured photo credit: Flickr via farm3.staticflickr.com
