Being that I was in some form of the medical field my whole life prior to being a counselor, my medical brain stays engaged when I am counseling or writing blogs. With that said, if you are feeling tired, run-down and spend part of your day counting the hours until you can get home and lay down or sleep-check with your doctor/psychiatrist (to rule out depression) first to make sure you do not have anything medical contributing to your tiredness. Medical issues can make an impact on emotional well-being.
If all checks out OK at the doctor/psychiatrist you may be tired or exhausted from the inside out. Meaning your thoughts are running through your head like they are trying out for the Olympics. Thoughts about work, family, relationships, health, finances, upcoming holidays…just to name a few. Often times as we lay down to sleep at night, when the world is a bit quieter, and the thoughts kick into high gear and now you are not able to shut them off and go to sleep…even though you have been looking forward to going to bed all day. Again, make sure you are not suffering from depression, which can be helped with medication. Also, having an outlet or physical activities get your body’s hormones and endorphins going which may allow you to sleep better at night and feel more rested in the morning, or whatever time your work/sleep schedule allows.
Try not to ignore what your body is telling you, often times our physical symptoms are our bodies telling us it needs something it is not getting, with medical conditions being the exception, so listen and try giving yourself what you need.
Lisa Beilman is an Orlando Counselor who practices No Judgement Counseling and specializes in stress management, conflict resolution, Facebook counseling, couples counseling, elder counseling, family counseling and career counseling.