You are often tired and need more rest.
Your productivity does not define your worth.
There are very valid reasons that you may feel tired,
And not everyone will understand them.
How you feel is true,
Regardless of what anyone else may think.
It's okay to offer yourself grace and kindness.
It's perfectly fine to take naps and go to bed early.
You have the right to say no to invitations to save your energy,
And it's also okay to say yes to things that bring you joy and to then need take extra time to rest.
Some of us must find ways to power through work days and family responsibilities.
This doesn't make your exhaustion any less real.
It is not your fault that you feel this way.
It may be a symptom of an illness,
Either mental or physical.
It could be a side effect of a treatment or medication.
Perhaps it's related to the weather.
Sleeping can also be a way to cope with physical and mental pain.
Whether or not you have those answers,
You are feeling it,
And I believe you.
Any medical gaslighting that has occurred did indeed happen,
And it was not okay.
For those of us doing trauma work or any other psychological treatment or exploration,
It is also important to know that this can be exhausting.
Your nervous system may need a lot of time to regulate,
And that's okay.
I believe you that solutions have been presented that were not helpful or even possible.
How can you go for a walk when you're too tired to pull on your socks?
I know that your descriptions of exhaustion have been brushed off or ignored.
A lot of people feel that way.
That doesn't sound so bad.
I've heard the insensitive things people can think and say.
Must be nice to spend the whole day in bed.
Well it isn't nice.
The daily fog of soupy exhaustion isn't vacation.
I get that.
You also aren't those things you say to yourself that were perhaps once said or implied by others or that your mind came up with on its own.
You are not lazy,
Nor are you exaggerating.
There really truly are times when remaining upright requires more strength than you possess.
I believe you.
More importantly,
I encourage you to find ways to believe in yourself.
I want you to know that there will be days that are a little bit lighter.
That in time you will find solutions and routines that work for you.
Please know that there are caring and compassionate professionals who won't dismiss you.
New and old treatments and therapies that might help to shift things just a little bit.
That every now and then you'll have a better morning or that the sun will bring you a small helping of energy.
Being tired is not a moral failure.
You aren't a bad person for needing more rest.
It's not your fault that our systems and societal norms were not built with you and your needs in mind.
It is okay to be tired.
It is okay to rest.
Now say it with me.
It is okay that I'm tired.
It is okay for me to rest.
I will rest.
I will rest.
I will rest.
