What’s the Cost of Weariness?

Rest when you’re weary. Refresh and renew yourself, your body, your mind, your spirit. Then get back to work.   – Ralph Marston

Sam, (not his real name) is burning the candle at both ends as an executive. The company is experiencing a lot of change. Keeping all the plates spinning is difficult.  The high energy and extended work time is beginning to affect his relationships and his work.

Recently, he shared this important observation:

I see that when I am very tired and in need I do the worst thing I could, I assume that (others know) what I need and (when) I do not get a response, I experience that as rejection of me…not as just an unmet need.

Photo Credit: Giovanni Orlando via Compfight

What happens when you are weary?

When you run out of strength, patience, or endurance that is weariness. When your energy runs low and you experience a loss of vitality, vigor, or liveliness that is weariness. When you’re physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual resources are used up that is weariness … and there is a price to be paid.

For Sam, he observed his communication becomes less effective, assumptions rise, and he begins to misinterpret reality: “they are rejecting me”.

When weary we wrestle more and succeed less in life — whether in a given moment, for a season, or over a lifetime. How weary are you?

What do the weary miss?

According to Michael Breus, PhD daytime fatigue is costly.

Sleep affects our ability to think, react, remember, and solve problems. One study showed that people who slept six hours or fewer at night for two weeks did just as poorly on mental tests as people who hadn’t slept at all for two nights. The catch is that we may develop some tolerance to lack of sleep and aren’t aware how much our alertness and performance is really suffering. (Emphasis added)

In terms of you better get some rest, people with insomnia are …

…twice as likely as well-rested people to have a car crash due to fatigue. They’re eight times more likely to have an accident at work. If they have an injury, insomnia can slow their recovery. In addition, people with insomnia are more likely to:

• Miss work
• Make bad decisions
• Take more risks
• Have trouble concentrating
• Be irritable
• Be depressed
• Eat foods high in calories

Symptoms of daytime fatigue include:

• Weariness, weakness, and/or depleted energy
• Lack of motivation
• Poor performance
• Memory problems
• Lack of productivity
• Prone to errors and mistakes
• Depression
• Low interest in being social

The realities of fatigue are wearisome. Which do you identify with?

Get some rest, not more coffee!

Let’s start with the basics; what if you are not sleeping well?

Why are you not sleeping well or enough?

Now, what will you do about it?

We could dig into this more, sleep is the subject of much research but it’s late in the afternoon and I’m tired; that’s all for now.

What do you think?

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