9 Benefits of Being Tired
Everyone talks about how to NOT be tired, how to better manage our time, and, especially, how to get around and overcome tiredness. We have exercises, strategies, pills, and drinks. But what about the benefits of being tired? Tiredness always gets a bad rap. It stops us from doing things. It pulls us down. But maybe that IS the benefit. Hmmm. Think about that for a moment.
This morning, my plan was to wake up early and go to the barn to work with the horses. Ambitious plan since, this week, I have a TON of work to do in the house. Overall, even in spite of the shut-in, I have been wearing myself into the ground. Suck it up, I say. You are invincible!
But I am not. And tiredness reminds me of this. Tiredness tells me to take a break, sleep a little more, take care of myself better, or I will, inevitably, burn out, wear out, get sick, or just explode.
We don't always have an immediate choice in the matter. We have things that need getting done. We have obligations to fulfill, jobs that require long hours, and families to take care of. But being tired, as hindering as it may seem, also serves as a reminder, as a beacon, as a red flag, and as a concerned advisor that tells us, if we choose to listen, that we need to also take the time to recover and take care of ourselves.
I don't know about you, but I know that I need someone to knock me over the head with that idea time and time again. Take care of myself? Why would I want to do that? There are so many other things that need doing! But think of it this way - if you do not take care of yourself, then who will there be to take care of any of those other things?
Thus I have decided, at least in this moment, to "heed the tiredness," take a step back, rest, and appreciate its benefits. So, here is a list:
The Benefits of Being Tired
Being Tired Forces/Allows Us To:
1) Slow Down
Most of us have trouble slowing down. All the more reason for this being a benefit. Thank you, tired.
2) Sleep More
We could all use a little (or a lot) more sleep. Am I right? Tired makes it inevitable.
3) Take a Break
I constantly need reminders to take breaks. Being tired forces me to do so. A thorn, for sure. But also a benefit if I choose to see it as that.
4) Rest Our Bodies
My body doesn't always cooperate with the goals that I want to achieve in the timeline that I want to achieve them by. But my body knows best. Tiredness forces me to rest it, and I am better off for the reprieve.
5) See the Red Flags
Red flags about overworking or in regard to health are hard to spot...until you are tired. Tired helps us recognize what our mind and body both need, even before we are willing to acknowledge it otherwise.
6) Be Humble and Appreciate Fragility
Tiredness helps us to realize our own fragility and the need to take care of ourselves. We could see this fragility as weakness or as strength. It is our choice to determine in what light we see it.
7) Realize Our Own Smallness (in the bigger picture)
Similarly, being tired makes us realize how small we really are in the bigger picture of the world. We are human, and individual, thus are susceptible to these limitations. But in realizing this smallness, we can appreciate the gift of how much we actually can do from this stature.
8) Regain Ourselves
If we allow it, tiredness can help us regain ourselves. I know that when I am tired, preliminarily, I feel powerless. But when I acknowledge it and then give in to it, listen to it, and take care of myself, I regain my power.
9) Acknowledge Our Accomplishments (if we choose to see them)
What all of this tired stuff comes down to is perception. In being tired, we have the choice to let it become a hindrance to our goals in the fact that it definitely slows us down. There's no denying that. Or, we can choose to see tired as a result of the accomplishments we have already achieved. In acknowledging the accomplishments we have achieved as a result of becoming tired, we give tired an even bigger benefit. It is the byproduct of all that we have done so far in life, thus it has earned our appreciation. The tired can undeniably be seen as the cost...or it can be seen as the reward.