2954: Tired of Being Tired by Leo Babauta on Self-Care and How to Improve Energy Levels

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[00:00:55] So press play on good sleep tonight, because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep.

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[00:01:09] This is Optimal Finance Daily, Tired of Being Tired, by Leo Babauta of zenhabits.net.

[00:01:17] And I'm your host and personal finance enthusiast, Diana Merriam.

[00:01:21] Welcome back to our Sunday bonus episode, where I share an article with you from a different podcast in our network to keep your life nice and optimized.

[00:01:31] Today's episode comes from Optimal Health Daily.

[00:01:34] You can find that show wherever you're listening to this.

[00:01:37] And with that, here's Dr. Neil with the post and commentary as we optimize your life.

[00:01:48] Tired of Being Tired, by Leo Babauta of zenhabits.net.

[00:01:53] Quote,

[00:01:53] A man grows most tired while standing still.

[00:01:57] Chinese proverb

[00:01:59] It's tough being tired all day.

[00:02:01] I've had days like this, when I'm struggling through the day and don't have the energy to tackle anything that matters.

[00:02:07] Heck, I've had years like this.

[00:02:09] When you're tired, not much seems appealing.

[00:02:12] Life is dulled, and you don't get much accomplished.

[00:02:14] Worse, you don't have the energy to change the situation.

[00:02:18] These days, I don't have many days like this.

[00:02:20] But when I do, I rest.

[00:02:22] We have gotten good at ignoring our body's signals.

[00:02:25] Much of our lives, we train our minds to pretend our bodies aren't tired so we can be more productive.

[00:02:31] This is wrong.

[00:02:32] It ends up in burnout and less production because we inevitably run out of energy.

[00:02:37] Listen to your body.

[00:02:38] Your long-term health and sanity depend on it.

[00:02:42] Why we're tired.

[00:02:43] Mostly, we're tired because we don't rest enough.

[00:02:46] Yeah, I know.

[00:02:47] Duh, Leo.

[00:02:48] But if it's so obvious, why do we ignore it?

[00:02:50] The Spanish famously have siestas.

[00:02:53] When I get tired, so do I.

[00:02:55] It's a luxury not everyone can afford.

[00:02:57] But when I had a day job, I would find ways to sneak into a back room and take a power nap of 20 minutes.

[00:03:03] We don't rest enough.

[00:03:05] It's not as important as other things like waking up early, getting stuff done, attending to a thousand meetings,

[00:03:11] being sucked into the world of online connections and reading, and godforsaken television.

[00:03:16] So, we cut rest in favor of these other things that are much more important,

[00:03:20] and then wonder why our energy levels are so low.

[00:03:23] But there's more.

[00:03:24] If you're like me, you drink coffee in the morning.

[00:03:26] You might drink it later in the morning to keep yourself energized.

[00:03:30] By the time afternoon rolls around, you're in a caffeine withdrawal.

[00:03:33] This is why some people are sapped by mid-afternoon.

[00:03:36] We also run ourselves too fast, like a sprint, when life is much longer than a sprint.

[00:03:41] Try it.

[00:03:42] Go outside and sprint, all out, for two minutes.

[00:03:44] Stop, breathe for a second, then sprint again.

[00:03:47] See how long you can keep that up.

[00:03:49] Most can't go very long.

[00:03:51] Our days are like a series of sprints.

[00:03:54] Note, sometimes chronic fatigue can be a sign of deeper problems.

[00:03:57] For athletes, it's often a sign of overtraining.

[00:04:00] For others, it could be a sign of depression or other medical issues.

[00:04:04] If it's a continuing problem, I'd recommend getting checked out, just in case.

[00:04:08] How to get started when you're too tired to start

[00:04:11] My first suggestion is to take a nap.

[00:04:13] If you're too tired to take other steps, taking a nap is easy.

[00:04:17] If you can't take a nap, at the very least, disconnect from digital devices.

[00:04:22] Computers and smartphones are powerful tools, but being on them for too long tires us out.

[00:04:27] Disconnect.

[00:04:28] Get outside.

[00:04:29] Take a walk.

[00:04:30] Cancel an appointment or two if you can.

[00:04:32] Stretch.

[00:04:33] Massage your shoulders.

[00:04:34] Close your eyes for a few minutes.

[00:04:36] And breathe.

[00:04:37] These are small things you can do right away, and they will help you become more rested.

[00:04:42] More solutions.

[00:04:43] Once you've taken the first steps, you'll be a bit more rested and can take a few more steps.

[00:04:48] Like, one, sleep more at night.

[00:04:51] If you're not getting at least seven hours of sleep, you're probably getting too little.

[00:04:56] Lots of people need a full eight hours, and some need more.

[00:04:59] Go to bed earlier.

[00:05:00] The internet will be fine without you.

[00:05:02] I like to read before bed, a book, not websites, as a ritual that helps me sleep.

[00:05:07] It does take a while before your sleeping patterns change.

[00:05:11] Two.

[00:05:12] Take stretch breaks.

[00:05:13] We sit for too long at the computer, which saps our energy.

[00:05:17] Get up.

[00:05:17] Stretch.

[00:05:18] If you can, every 20 to 25 minutes.

[00:05:21] Walk around for a minute or five.

[00:05:23] Move in any way you can.

[00:05:25] Do push-ups.

[00:05:26] Squats.

[00:05:27] Lunges.

[00:05:27] Jump up and down.

[00:05:28] Do a dance.

[00:05:29] Get the blood circulating.

[00:05:31] Three.

[00:05:32] Exercise regularly.

[00:05:34] You didn't need me to tell you to exercise, I'm sure, but it's amazing how even a little exercise can help you feel more energized throughout the day.

[00:05:41] A huge workout session can leave you exhausted, in which case you should rest, but shorter workouts leave you physically just a bit tired, but mentally, you feel amazing.

[00:05:51] Four.

[00:05:52] Cut back the caffeine.

[00:05:54] If you go cold turkey with caffeine, you'll really have no energy.

[00:05:57] But cutting back a little at a time while doing some of the things mentioned here won't be bad, and you'll skip the afternoon withdrawal, which can ruin half your day.

[00:06:05] If you feel tired from drinking less caffeine, take a short nap if you can.

[00:06:09] Five.

[00:06:10] Be less busy.

[00:06:12] Seriously, we're too busy these days.

[00:06:14] Cut back on commitments.

[00:06:15] Put space between things.

[00:06:17] Allow yourself to have a slower pace.

[00:06:19] Your energy levels will thank you.

[00:06:22] Six.

[00:06:23] Focus.

[00:06:24] While most people multitask, in truth, that's mental juggling, and there's only so much you can do in a day.

[00:06:30] As you may or may not know, I advocate for single-tasking.

[00:06:34] It's basically doing one thing at a time and being fully present while doing that task.

[00:06:39] This really transforms anything you do, from work tasks to conversations to chores like washing the dishes.

[00:06:45] It's less tiring mentally, and it can make anything you do more enjoyable.

[00:06:50] Life is less tiring when you single-task.

[00:06:53] Seven.

[00:06:54] Hydrate.

[00:06:55] This is actually a huge deal that most people don't realize may be making them tired.

[00:07:00] Drink water throughout the day.

[00:07:02] You don't really need eight glasses of water.

[00:07:04] We get some water in food and other drinks, but drinking more water doesn't hurt.

[00:07:08] Your urine should be a light yellow color if you're well hydrated.

[00:07:12] Not clear and definitely not dark yellow.

[00:07:15] Eight.

[00:07:15] Freshen up.

[00:07:17] Sometimes a quick cold shower in the afternoon or evening can be refreshing.

[00:07:21] Or change your socks.

[00:07:23] If you're sweaty, a fresh outfit also helps.

[00:07:26] Wash your face.

[00:07:27] You'll feel brand new.

[00:07:29] Nine.

[00:07:29] Work on something you're excited about.

[00:07:32] If you're passionate about something, you'll feel energized.

[00:07:35] If you really don't care about your work, you'll be dragging.

[00:07:38] Ten.

[00:07:39] Work with interesting people.

[00:07:41] If you work with other people who are passionate about something,

[00:07:44] you'll feel more excited about the work you do.

[00:07:46] It's incredible to work with a partner or group of people

[00:07:49] who care about what they're doing, who are fired up.

[00:07:52] If you don't have that, seek it out.

[00:07:55] And lastly, number eleven.

[00:07:57] Learn what makes life effortless.

[00:07:59] We thrash about in the water all day, making the swim exhausting.

[00:08:03] Instead of working against the world, learn to glide.

[00:08:07] Quote,

[00:08:08] A lot of people are tired around here,

[00:08:10] but I'm not sure they're ready to lie down, stretch out, and fall asleep.

[00:08:14] Jim Jones.

[00:08:19] You just listened to the post titled,

[00:08:21] Tired of Being Tired,

[00:08:23] by Leo Babauta, of zenhabits.net.

[00:08:26] Dr. Neil here for my commentary.

[00:08:28] Like I always say,

[00:08:30] when you hear a long list of potential solutions to whatever ails you,

[00:08:36] don't feel intimidated.

[00:08:38] Try not to feel overwhelmed.

[00:08:39] The best thing to do is, as you were listening,

[00:08:42] if one of those solutions jumped out in your mind,

[00:08:45] you're like,

[00:08:45] ooh, I like that one,

[00:08:46] then that's the one to try.

[00:08:48] Leo's tip number nine said,

[00:08:50] work on something you're excited about.

[00:08:51] Why not start right now with something you just heard?

[00:08:55] If you were excited about one of his solutions,

[00:08:57] try that out.

[00:08:58] But don't go trying out all 12 of them.

[00:09:01] If you try out all 12 at once,

[00:09:03] chances are,

[00:09:04] some of those aren't going to work,

[00:09:05] and then you'll feel badly for yourself.

[00:09:07] It's not worth it.

[00:09:08] Try one or two,

[00:09:09] and then move on if those don't work.

[00:09:11] And his first tip about napping?

[00:09:13] Well, the science actually does support that.

[00:09:15] We're learning that if you can take a 20-minute nap

[00:09:18] in the afternoon,

[00:09:19] it actually will improve your health

[00:09:21] and may increase your lifespan,

[00:09:23] so you may end up living longer.

[00:09:25] If you need a nap that lasts longer than 20 minutes,

[00:09:27] it means you're sleep deprived.

[00:09:29] That means you do need to spend a little bit of time

[00:09:31] examining your sleep patterns

[00:09:32] and looking at how many hours of deep sleep

[00:09:35] you're actually getting.

[00:09:36] But like he said,

[00:09:37] taking a nap isn't always practical.

[00:09:39] Most of us won't be able to do that every day,

[00:09:41] but even if you do it on the weekends,

[00:09:43] it can still help.

[00:09:45] And kind of related to that,

[00:09:46] Leo was talking about like that mid-afternoon crash

[00:09:49] that we experience.

[00:09:50] Some of that could be due to a caffeine withdrawal,

[00:09:53] but somehow what we're learning is

[00:09:55] our bodies are built to have the lowest level

[00:09:58] of stress hormones flowing through the body

[00:10:00] between the hours of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

[00:10:04] It's almost as if the body is preparing for sleep.

[00:10:08] And so when you feel that kind of afternoon sluggishness,

[00:10:11] it may be because you just had a meal,

[00:10:13] it may be because you're sleep deprived,

[00:10:16] or you have caffeine withdrawal,

[00:10:17] or it's just our biology.

[00:10:20] Most of us experience the same exact thing

[00:10:22] because our stress hormones are crashing,

[00:10:25] and it's like our bodies are preparing

[00:10:27] for a quick power snooze.

[00:10:29] And so if you're able to indulge your body

[00:10:32] and take a quick 20-minute nap,

[00:10:34] you actually will feel a lot better.

[00:10:36] If you're not able to do so,

[00:10:38] if it's not practical,

[00:10:39] I absolutely love all of Leo's other suggestions.

[00:10:42] Try hydrating,

[00:10:43] try just getting up and moving,

[00:10:45] get some sun.

[00:10:46] All of those things will also improve your energy levels.

[00:10:49] All right, that wraps up today's episode.

[00:10:52] Thank you so much for listening.

[00:10:53] Thank you for being a subscriber of the show.

[00:10:55] I hope you have a great rest of your day,

[00:10:57] and I'll see you back here tomorrow

[00:10:58] for another Q&A episode

[00:11:00] and where your optimal life awaits.