Have you ever just been too tired? Too tired to keep up the pace? Too tired to put on a smiling face and pretend that you’re ok? Too tired to pretend everything is good when it’s not? Too tired of trying? Too tired to even care?

Sometimes it’s our bodies that get tired and worn out. We keep going and going like we are the Energizer Bunny, which we are not, until we physically can’t go any longer. Yes, everyone can run low on physical energy and usually rest can restore the physical body. But what if someone suffers from disease or depression and their tiredness never seems to let up? What if they sleep for hours but wake up more exhausted? Or what if they cannot sleep because their brain won’t shut off and let them rest? What if depression keeps them tired of trying?

That kind of tiredness becomes more than just physical. It becomes a mental tiredness which is harder to shake. This mental fatigue makes your brain feel like it’s in a fog. It literally depleted your brain’s energy levels. Often this is from prolonged stress or a life-changing event. Women especially go through this when they don’t get enough sleep, work long hours, or multitask too many things.

So how do you cope with physical and mental tiredness?

First you learn to say “NO” to activities that don’t bring value to your life. This may be watching television or surfing social media. Who cares where this person or that person ate last week and where they vacationed if you are too worn out to even go to the grocery store? Find another way to unwind your mind doing something you enjoy – reading, listening to music and enjoying family time again.

However, maybe you need to also take some time for yourself. Take off a day or two from work, or just take a break from your usual routine. Take a walk. Take some extra vitamins. Get a massage and then take a much-needed nap. Yes, do whatever it takes to physically and mentally get out of this negative fatigue space.

It’s okay to take time off to reset your mind and reduce the stress on your body. It’s not okay to stay too tired all the time and to neglect your own mental health which in turn will upset your physical help. So refocus your energy on you for a while and use some new strategies to help you fight the tiredness and fuel forward because you are worth it.