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It’s exhausting being tired all the time. Everything seems harder, gravity’s pull feels heavier, and bed becomes a lethargy-breeding haven. Then along comes the new year and with it the annual push to be reborn as improved humans, as though it were spring. Which it isn’t. It’s dark and cold, and we are still recovering from a festive season of too many “shoulds” – should have fun, should party, should have the friends and family over for a super-feast. It is a time when even more than normal is expected of us, says psychologist Dr Linda Blair. Paying heed to all the shoulds goes some way to explaining why many of us feel low on batteries.
While the thought of detoxes, boot camps, and resolutions might be as appealing as a turkey smoothie, now is the time to focus instead on how to “say no gracefully, without hurting feelings, when you know you’re at your limit of what you can do”, says Blair.
Executive coach and author Viv Chitty prefers to talk about “depleted energy” rather than low energy, because, she says, “low energy may not necessarily be a negative state to be in”. You could simply be calm, contemplative, or deeply listening. Even a feeling of low energy outside those realms is not bad per se. “It means you want to rest and recuperate,” she says. “If you listen to what your body and mind are telling you, you can learn what you really need.”
You’ll know if you have problematic depleted energy, Chitty says, “when you feel unable to focus on work, or to be interested in what’s going on around you. It will affect work performance and relationships, and needs to be addressed.”
Here is some expert know-how on escaping that blanket exhaustion, along with our writers’ top tips for getting fired up and ready to go.
Resist lie-ins
Don’t be tempted to go into “goblin mode” just because it’s cold and dark. “It’s very easy to feel jet-lagged,” says Dr. Renata Riha of the University of Edinburgh’s sleep medicine department, “especially in winter when the days are short, if you sleep in too much.” Instead, get up and be ready to head out once the sun has finally emerged. “Take a brisk walk or even a meander in the fresh air during the hours of light, particularly early on,” adds Riha, who also recommends not keeping your house too stuffy: “Bed socks for cold feet rather than turning the thermostat on.”
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‘Resist lie-ins – get up and be ready to head out.’ Illustration: Luke McConkey/The Observer
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