A week into my last exams, I remember waking up exhausted every day. I kept repeating the same words—"I'm tired."—over and over again. And it wasn't just physical tiredness. It was the kind of tired that sits deep in your head. I was mentally drained.
It got so bad that I couldn't study properly for a good number of my exams. I had to rely on last-minute studying, and the only reason I survived was that I’d gone through most of the material earlier in the semester.
During that period, nothing helped. Not the motivational videos. Not the productivity tips. Not even the self-help routines I usually liked. I couldn’t bring myself to journal, clean up, or exercise. I didn’t even want to try.
And I know I’m not alone in this.
A lot of students are exhausted. Graduates are exhausted. People working are drained. Even those not working at all. Most of us are just trying to get by.
And when we get tired, we tend to drown ourselves in our self-pity or self-loathing.
Many of us start trying to run away from the feeling of being tired by filling our minds with any and every form of entertainment and distraction- social media, alcohol, drugs, general media, etc. We do so in the hopes that things will just work out in the long run, almost like we're waiting for the storm to pass.
But it's a messed-up cycle. We're always going to get tired at some point. And we can't keep holding our breaths until the flood dries up, every time.
So, instead of waiting for the storm to pass every time, what can we do differently? that doesn't involve drowning?
1. Slow Down
You're already tired. So, why are you still trying to operate at full speed? If you don't rest when you're tired, you risk full-on burnout- and that’s even harder to recover from.
Everyone has clues they’re hitting their limit: nail-biting, oversleeping, isolating, doom-scrolling, over-working.
You know your patterns. Whatever it is, note it, call yourself out on what you're doing.
When you've acknowledged that you're trying to soothe yourself because you're tired, give yourself permission to slow down—even for a minute.
If you were doing something quite difficult, try to pause or at least slow down.
2. Don't run from how you feel
I know the feeling of being tired and overwhelmed isn't the best. But running from it might only make you bury it.
You might be hiding from your thoughts by sleeping excessively, eating a lot of junk food, and escaping through social media content, to mention a few.
But the avoidance doesn’t solve the problem. It just adds another layer.
So, try this- give yourself a minute or two to just sit with the exhaustion. Don't try to do things to get rid of the feeling immediately, just 'see' it for what it is, first.
If you can, write in your notes app or on paper. And focus more on why you think you feel that way.
“I feel ____. I think it’s because ____.”
If you feel very sad, angry, frustrated, or any negative feeling, remind yourself not to run. Remind yourself that you're human and that it's okay to feel that way. Because there's nothing wrong with you. Your body is just trying to let you know that something’s off.
Think of it like this: if you had a persistent headache and if painkillers don’t help, you don’t beat yourself up. You try to understand what's causing it first, before treating it. Do the same with your emotions.
3. Comfort yourself
Most of us never learned how to properly comfort ourselves. We confuse comfort with escape, and it doesn’t work. But it doesn't work, and might make things worse.
If you notice your body's craving an escape, you can start small by saying kind, soft words to yourself.
It can literally be anything kind that applies to how you feel in that moment.
Something like "Hey, it's okay. You're tired, that's why you want an escape. How about we do something lighter instead?"
If you’re reading this at a time when you’re not exhausted, good for you. It may be easier now to list the ways to comfort yourself when overwhelmed.
And even if your head isn’t clear, you can still find simple ways to care for yourself.
A lot of it comes down to simple biology.
When you’re tired, things like dehydration, hunger, lack of sleep, or a foggy head can make everything worse.
So, when you feel tired, first things first, try to check things off a short list.
- Water
- Food
- Air
- Rest
It doesn't matter if you're thirsty or not, have some water. It can be a sip.
Get a snack or some food. Try not to binge, though. Remember, this is a time to pay close attention to everything you're feeling.
Breathe deeply. You need as much oxygen as you can get- your blood pressure is literally rising. So please breathe. Do it from your stomach.
If you find it difficult to sleep or don't have enough time to do so, that's still okay. Try to rest your head, that's all. Give your brain a break from all the work for 5-30 minutes.
Walks are fine, but if you can't take a walk, then try stretching your body lightly instead.
Most importantly, and people don't talk about this enough, do things your body actually likes. Even if they feel childish. It doesn't matter how old you are; learn to take care of yourself like you would a child.
If fidget spinners help, spin them. If you used to enjoy coloring books, go back to them. I like fidget spinners. I use a stress ball too.
You could try writing if that helps. You could make a video or voice recording of yourself ranting about how you feel- it works well, especially if you don't have anyone to talk to, or you don't want to burden anyone.
Drink some tea, ride a bicycle, read a comic or novel, talk to a friend, do something... actively.
The reason you should avoid social media as much as possible is that it's passive comfort. It's not real. You're watching the lives of others instead of doing something with your own. And plus it never ends. So, you can be on it for hours and not feel tired. Even if you want to watch people’s lives, do it in real time.
4. Remind Yourself 'Why'
When you’re exhausted, it’s easy to forget the reason behind everything.
And I don’t mean some divine, pre-written purpose (if you believe that, then hold onto that as well). I mean something you’ve chosen for yourself.
I don’t mean a grand, dramatic purpose. I mean something personal. Maybe you’re studying to support your family someday. You could be in school because you want a different life from the one you grew up in. Or you just don’t want to be stuck in a life you don't want.
Whatever it is, write it down. Stick it on your wall. Save it as your lock screen.
If you’re spending 4+ years in university, please make sure it’s for a reason. Don’t just be there blindly because you think that’s what you’re supposed to do—and then get a job, and that’s that.
If you're not studying at a university, ensure that whatever you're committing to has a purpose behind it.
In essence, have a plan. Have a goal. It doesn't even have to be something fixed because things may not always go as planned all the time.
But for the most part, have a north star. If you do, then whenever you feel tired, you can gently remind yourself of why you're still doing the thing.
Life isn’t something you’re supposed to “power through” endlessly. You’re allowed to pause. You’re allowed to feel off. You’re allowed to not have it all together.
What matters is that you care enough to notice how you’re doing. And that you take small steps—whatever they look like—to care for yourself.
0 Comments