Exhaustion and Me
I must confess
that exhaustion and I go way back. We have a history together. There have been so many times in my life that I’ve been completely exhausted - physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. One job I had was so draining that I was barely able to look for a new one even though I knew the place was “killing me.” Not super fun! Afterwards, I joked that I "crawled away” from there. Another time, during a particularly long and brutal bout of extreme fatigue, I could hardly drag myself to the office every day. I truly dreaded Mondays and couldn’t wait for the weekends - the cliche was real. Life felt empty. I was completely spent, nothing left. I had no energy, no will to do anything. I remember thinking, “This is no way to live. If this is what life is like, I’m not sure I want to keep going.”
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That thought kind of scared me as it tends to lead to other thoughts, the most dramatic of which was, “Am I actually entertaining the idea of ending my life?” and while the answer to that was a resounding “No,” the feeling of hopelessness, frustration, and utter despair remained. I was depressed, overwhelmed and totally depleted - yet ironically unable to sleep soundly and get the rest I so desperately needed.
Sometimes even today, exhaustion shows up - all of the sudden like an unexpected house guest. If exhaustion comes around now though, I recognize the signs more and see them earlier. I’m better able to stop exhaustion at the door and say, ”Nope, no room for you anymore - keep it moving, pal."
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These days, I’m blessed to have qigong in my life - a moving mindfulness practice that grounds and centers me and actually gives me energy. I’m so grateful I learned the principles of cultivating life force and how to tap into fundamental universal energy known as qi. In some ways it feels like a miracle, especially when I consider how often I’ve been exhausted - how many times exhaustion was basically my “significant other.”
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So if you’re feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, sick and tired of being sick and tired, believe me, I know the feeling. And, I can show you some great ways to usher that uninvited guest out of your life! Life is such an incredible gift, but when you’re tired all the time, it just doesn’t feel that way. Why not prioritize feeling better and getting your energy back?
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