I’m thrilled for this week’s topic because it’s a struggle that is all too real for the mamas. Today we’re normalizing feeling freaking tired, identifying the difference between conscious and unconscious exhaustion, and talking about how to start getting meaningful sleep!

I was inspired to cover this topic this week after spending this past weekend with my husband in Crested Butte for our anniversary. We indulged in all of the amazing things – food, drinks, physical activity, you name it – and we followed the indulgence with attending the Broncos vs. Packers game when we got home. To say that I am now on my last brain cell would be a total understatement. 

While I’m feeling more than exhausted now that we are back in the swing of normal life, I wanted to take a moment to normalize this feeling.

if you are feeling tired today and everyday – THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU! 

Sometimes we’re tired because we took a trip over the weekend and overindulged. Sometimes we’re tired because we stayed up all night with the kiddos. Sometimes we’re tired because we have extended all of our energy to everyone around us. Sometimes we’re tired because we spent all weekend at a soccer tournament. Sometimes we’re tired because we’re just freaking tired, and that’s okay. 

Now that we’ve gotten that all cleared up – I wanted to touch on an important piece of information that many of us don’t always think about.

For me, this past weekend was a total overindulgence that wiped me out, but the most important piece of it is that I made the conscious decision to say yes to all of those things. I knew that having a blast with my husband and eating all of the food and drinking all of the drinks would reveal itself later, but it was a decision that I happily made because it’s in alignment with who I want to be and the life I want to live. 

On the flip side – let’s talk about unconscious exhaustion. This is the silent killer because we don’t even realize what’s happening. This exhaustion sneaks up through us people-pleasing, trying to keep everything afloat, living day-to-day life without the understanding of how it’s affecting our tank.

It’s running on E and not understanding why you don’t feel great. It’s total burn-out, loves!

So here’s what I’d like you to do first – let’s practice recognizing what is draining us and asking ourselves if it’s in alignment with who we want to be and the life we want to live. Is it exhaustion from consciously saying yes to an amazing weekend, or is it exhaustion from trying to keep up and feeling like you need to do it all? A rule-of-thumb to live by moving forward to get more mindful around where you’re spending your precious jewels (time, energy, and sanity) is this: 

if it’s not a full-body yes, it’s a no. 

Now that we are starting to identify what kind of exhaustion we are working with today – how can we as tired mamas can start actively getting our energy back?! Here are some tips and tricks that you can start implementing ASAP to help get your rest and sleep back on track: 

• Prioritize moments of relaxation throughout the day, even if for 5 minutes. This could be alone time, taking deep breaths during your bathroom break, sitting in stillness. The fact of the matter is that if your body doesn’t have time to relax, it will only make sleep worse and keep our hormones spiked.
  
  

• Practice healthy sleep hygiene. Set a regular bedtime and wake-up time to train your brain and body for sleep.Wind down through calming activities such as journaling and meditation, and avoid things that can cause you stress before bed. Practice yoga nidra, red light therapy, stretching, drinking hot tea, reading a book – whatever activities feel good to you and help you relax your mind and body. 

• Be mindful about how you start your day, too. Kickstart the day with the things that energize you. Fuel yourself properly and try to get sunlight exposure (research has shown that access to sunlight first thing in the morning helps to improve our circadian rhythm). 

• Discharge your stress! Completing the stress cycle with 20 minutes of movement. Brain-dump your to-do list and feelings before going to bed to calm your mind and avoid interrupted sleep. Sleep limits on when and where you make decisions to avoid decision fatigue.

It’s normal for us to feel tired, loves. But if we don’t start shifting our intentions consciously, practicing mindfulness, and having boundaries for ourselves, the exhaustion will be a sledgehammer to our mental health.

I hope that you start saying yes to what matters, saying no to what doesn't, and allowing yourself the grace and the downtime you deserve.

Take care of yourselves and therefore each other!

xo, brooke jean