How often do you tell yourself that you should start making changes, so you can get healthier and start feeling better? You give yourself a pep talk and tell yourself that you just need to do it, but then you find yourself looking over at your tennis shoes and then sinking down into the couch cushion because you’re just too tired. You’re wanting change, but it also just seems like too much effort to actually make it happen.
I get it! It’s understandable with all you do each and every day. You can’t just keep pushing through all the time with no break or relief. You’re not lazy. You’re not failing. You are just tired and it makes sense.
Why Change Feels So Hard When You’re Exhausted
When we’re exhausted we don’t want to make more decisions. Our brains are tired. They just want to go with what they know, what’s has become a habit. Running on autopilot means using less energy. We crave the comfort of the well known when we’re tired. We’re wanting change, but we also want comfort.
We’ve been told that we have be be consistent to make any real changes. So, we wait for the perfect timing. We tell ourselves that we’ll get started when we have more energy, more time or more motivation. We get stuck in the all or nothing way of thinking, we either have to be all in or not bother with it at all.
When you choose to sit and watch TV instead of going for a walk, it’s not lack of willpower or laziness. It’s your body telling you that you need a break from the stress and exhaustion. Your life is pulling at you and you naturally want to take the easiest path in the moment.
The Guilt Spiral
Even though you feel too tired to make the effort, you tell yourself that you should be doing more. You start feeling guilty for not making the changes that you say you want. Then, the guilt triggers more stress, which leads you to feeling even more drained and less likely to take action.
It can become an endless cycle of wanting change, feeling guilty for not doing it and more mental and physical exhaustion, making you feel even worse. If you want to break free from this cycle, the first thing you’ll need to do is let go of the guilt. Start by giving yourself some compassion, instead of blaming yourself.
Shifting Your Mindset
If you’re truly wanting change, the first thing that will have to change is your mindset. The way we think about things will shift our behavior. If you believe that things will only change if you keep pushing forward and make big changes, you’ll be more likely to not follow through and feel like a failure. Creating more overwhelm and pressure won’t get you where you want to be.
What really makes a difference is consistency. If we make small and simple changes, we’re more likely to adopt them as habits. Once they become habits, they’re no longer a decision we have to make. It’s no longer a mental load we have to carry. It frees our mind and boosts our energy.
Some small actions you can take without complicating your life are:
- Drinking an extra glass of water.
- Adding a 5-minute walk each day.
- Saying no to one extra task if it doesn’t serve you.
- Going to bed earlier (even if it’s just 15-30 minutes earlier).
- Take a few minutes for reflection and gratitude before you go to sleep
The Power of Rest for Progress
I know we tend to think of progress as doing more, but sometimes doing less is what helps us improve. Rest can be healing and shouldn’t be viewed as wasting time. When we take the time to recharge, we allow our energy store to build up. If we have more energy then we can use it to put effort into the things that will actually make a difference in our lives, like building healthier habits. If we make rest a habit, we can create a cycle that leads to sustainability.
When I talk about resting, I don’t mean sitting on the couch and binge watching your favorite show. That’s more like avoidance than recharging. Rest that will heal and restore your energy shouldn’t take too much time or effort and should allow you to tune into your body, not tune it out.
Some simple ways to recharge are:
- Take 5 minutes to take deep breathes and focus on your breathing.
- Find a peaceful place away from noise and distraction to just experience the calm for a few minutes.
- Setting boundaries around technology or commitments. Taking a break from the devices, the notifications and the requests for your attention and help.
Practical Steps to Move Forward (Without Overwhelm)
I talked about making small changes, but I want to make it clear that I actually mean really small. Start with the smallest action you can possibly take. If you can still break it down into smaller steps, break it down. Just do this one thing and don’t feel like you have to make a whole list of small actions, just one.
What this might look like when you’re feeling exhausted already. First, acknowledge how you’re feeling and do it without judgement. No need to beat yourself up about it. Next, pick that one action that feels doable. Finally, celebrate any effort that you make. Recognize that step you take in the right direction is progress, even if it wasn’t perfect or exactly what you had planned on.
You’re Not Alone in This
Wanting to change, but feeling too tired to do anything about it doesn’t mean you have to stay stuck and uncomfortable, it just means you need to change your path and try a new approach. Taking those small, simple steps and resting when it makes sense will get you farther than big plans that never actually happen. Those actions will add up over time and create lasting change. Each step ahead will boost your energy, confidence and motivation to keep moving forward.
I’d love to hear what one small step you plan to take in the next few days. Let me know in the comments, so I can cheer you on!
