CHAPTER 06

Some of us say that we’re tired the same way we would say hello or that we’re hungry. It’s become a statement we utter very casually, no need to make such a big deal about feeling tired all the time – it’s only expected.

‘I’m tired’

‘It was an eventful week’

‘Didn’t get to sleep well’

We say words like this all the time like it doesn’t mean anything at all but that’s not the only kind of exhaustion there is, is it?

The kind of tired we pick up without even knowing from where or when, the kind of tired we carry around with us every day, the type of tired that settles within ourselves, becoming just another emotion.

We’re tired of trying to keep up, pushing ourselves, trying to outdo ourselves because what we did yesterday will never be enough when tomorrow comes. The constant reminder to keep everything together at times can be too much. And yet, we keep going.

And just like that without even realising, feeling tired has become normal. If you’re not tired, it feels like you haven’t really done anything at all. Maybe we didn’t work hard enough, try hard enough.

What we don’t often realise is that this exhaustion is not just physical, it’s emotional.

The constant pressures to keep up with the rest of the world, the expectations, the comparisons. The fear of falling too far behind, not being good enough. The mental to do lists, the mental reminders that it will, perhaps, get better after this time.

Eventually we have to come to admit that feeling exhausted all the time just means that you’re working hard, it is only expected. We rarely give ourselves the permission to admit that we are tired.

Instead, we joke about it. Make light of the situation even when it gets too exhausting because admitting seems like confessing that you can’t handle things. Because we have gotten used to feeling guilty when taking breaks.

In a world that’s moving so fast, a world where expectations are louder than acknowledgments, maybe exhaustion cannot be overcome immediately. Perhaps it’s all about pauses and acceptance. About realising that it’s okay to take a break when you can’t go much further.

The truth is most people you see all have their own loads to carry, we are all a little more tired than we like to admit. Not everything needs to be done perfectly, doing the best should be enough. Not everything needs to be pushed through. Some things need time.

And sometimes it’s okay to slow down a little, to stop pretending everything is fine, to stop treating rest like it is some hard-earned reward when we truly need it. Accepting that we’re tired when we can no longer go on doesn’t make us weak, it means we’ve decided to take care of ourselves. 

Penned By:

Rtr. Shamla Bishirhafi

Editorial Committee Member 25.26