Are You Exhausted?
When I talk with people about organizing, I often hear the phrase, "I'm so tired." Usually this phrase appears in statements such as, "I'm so tired when I get home from work that the last thing I want to do is cook, clean, and handle the business of the house," or "I'm so tired in the mornings when I wake up that it takes all my energy just to get to work on time, I can't imagine adding anything else to my morning routine."
Without a good night's sleep, there is no way you can function at your best. Add to that a poor diet (something that easily happens when you don't have enough energy to plan your meals) and a lack of exercise (something you don't want to do when you're tired), and you're going to be on a downward spiral until you get sick. At that point at least, when you're sniffling under the covers, you won't really care much about the clutter.
To end the exhaustion cycle, the first thing you need to do is learn how much sleep your body requires. Note what time you go to bed at night, approximately how long it took you to fall asleep (seconds? minutes? hours?), if you slept soundly, and what time you woke up in the morning. Also keep track of if you hit the snooze button, how many times, and how you felt when you finally crawled out of bed (alert? groggy? mad at the world? eager to face the day?). Track your sleeping patterns and be willing to vary your sleep schedule quite a bit. Try to sleep for 7 hours a few nights, then go for 10 the next few, then go back down to 6, then back up to 8, throw in a couple half hours. Keep logging your sleep schedule until you notice you're repeatedly getting good results -- about 10 minutes to fall asleep, a sound sleep, no hits on the snooze button, and an alertness and eagerness to face the day.
If no amount of sleep leaves you feeling refreshed, you need to see your doctor. You could have a thyroid problem, anemia, or another medical condition that is zapping your energy.
You also might be thinking that you don't have time to get the amount of sleep you need to accomplish everything in your day. The opposite is actually true -- you can't accomplish everything in your day without a good night's sleep. You will never have the energy to do what you need to do, to maintain focus, to work efficiently, and to stay motivated if you're exhausted. The only way to break the cycle is to get a good night's sleep.
Learn how much sleep your body needs to function at its best, get that amount of sleep each night, and watch your energy levels rise -- you'll finally be able to get the things done around your house you've been too tired to do. "I'm so tired," will disappear completely from your thoughts and phrases and will be replaced with, "Finished!"
