Hi my friends ♥ You know those days when you wake up and things as simple as brushing your teeth or rinsing your face feel like they require a ton of energy? That’s how the other day was for me. It could be that I overslept, but I had a moment after breakfast where I felt pulled in separate directions. I have all these ideas but no energy to make them happen.
The common trend is to pour a massive cup of coffee and get to it, but feeling tired is our body’s way of communicating something to us, and I don’t want to ignore the signals by dousing myself in caffeine. Sometimes, there could be an underlying health issue causing you to be excessively tired, so work with a professional if you think that’s the case.
We can’t be “on” all the time. The classic wisdom is to look to nature and we’ll see that everything waxes and wanes, including us. In the past I would be riddled with guilt and shame about not being constantly productive. I used to be so hard on myself when I’d feel tired for sometimes months, especially during the summer. I always thought there was something wrong with me. I would think this is the most energetic time of the year, so why am I so tired? Why am I not bursting with energy? Is my thyroid off balance? My therapist helped clarify things a bit for me. During the summer, everything is blooming and everything is alive, so it feels as though there isn’t enough energy to go around and the air feels very crowded. It seems like my own energy is being diminished and it’s hard for it to expand. Coupled with the heat and bright, direct sunlight, I simply want to go into hibernation mode. So, even we have our own internal seasons that don’t always match what’s happening outside. That’s why I love the dark half of the year, it’s my own internal “summer” if that makes sense.
Instead of relying on coffee I love having a cold glass of Irish breakfast tea in the morning, and I recently started drinking MUD\WTR cacao as a lovely afternoon ritual. Christine Kjaer partnered with them in a recent video and she convinced me to give them a go! I also love having a matcha latte if I want something earthy.
For a while I was drinking Swiss Water Process decaf coffee which seemed to be working well, but just the other day I brewed some after not drinking it for several months and it didn’t feel right. It could have been psychosomatic, but I started getting tense after just one sip. I immediately went on to making a MUD\WTR latte haha.
If you’re into this sort of thing, you could have a look at your astrological birth chart and it’ll help clarify your constitution. Based on my placements, it’s best if I avoid coffee and similar stimulants. This website draws up an incredible birth chart, and I also recommend The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk.
And just so you know, the MUD\WTR links are referrals, but I haven’t partnered with them for this post. I’ve just really been enjoying their :rise cacao! 🤎
I’ve taken the last three days to write this because of how tired I’ve been. I know it can be so easy to default to thoughts like
I should be working on that project
I should be filming a YouTube video
I should be banging out some blog posts
I should be editing this or that
But what usually ends up happening is you tried to push yourself, didn’t get much done in the end anyway, and expended way more energy than was necessary. You’re still tired, and now you not only feel guilty about overdoing it but also not doing enough. For me, the best thing to do is to acknowledge where I’m at and be honest with myself when I run out of steam. You’re not less-than for needing to lower the threshold.
The moon is a reminder that no matter what phase you are in, you're still whole. - unknown
I’ve learned it’s okay to feel tired. It’s okay if your internal seasons don’t align with most others’. It’s okay to step away from the fast-paced world and say no to constant creation. And it’s okay if you’ve been in hibernation mode for a few years. These perspectives are easy to understand, but maintaining them is a practice, so don’t add more guilt to your plate by thinking you should internalize these things straight away!
Thank you so much for reading, and we’ll talk soon,
Julia 💚
