Why “I’m So Tired” Has Become the New Normal (and How to Change It)

“I’m so tired” are words that have fallen out of my mouth so many times I couldn’t even count the number. “Me too” is the usual response to those words when I say them aloud to someone else!

Why though are so many of us running around on a proverbial empty tank?

I say an empty tank because in honesty, isn’t that what being tired feels like? No energy to do the things you want? And where does that leave you? In my experience, feeling like you’ve let yourself down, which leads to feelings of inadequacy as you tell yourself, “what is wrong with me?”

The truth is, there’s most likely nothing wrong with you.

We have normalised being tired.

I first noticed this when I went through cancer treatments, which truly made me understand the word fatigue. There was literally nothing I could do to make my body move – I had to rest. I could also hear the lack of understanding from others about being truly fatigued to the bone. Yet this is no competition.

Tiredness isn’t a badge of honour or proof of working hard and living full lives.

Thankfully, I got through those treatments and sleep returned. If I’m honest, sleep became a non-issue in my life. I went to bed, I slept, which is what people who sleep well do. They don’t have to create rituals and steps to follow to sleep. It’s as simple as “oh, I’m tired, hello bed… then sleep.”

Which, if you struggle with sleep, will seem like some sort of miracle!

And this was my life until…

Perimenopause. Menopause. Stress. A maelstrom of dwindling hormones combined with the avalanche of other hormones resulted in POOR SLEEP.

Just when I really could have done with more sleep – or at least quality sleep – to manage what life was throwing at me.

There’s a reason you see signs on UK motorways: TIREDNESS CAN KILL – TAKE A BREAK. Harsh words, but they highlight the importance of sleep in being able to function. We just don’t operate well if we don’t sleep, and yet how many of us are trying to function on a less-than-optimal system?

Running on empty serves no one – not you, not your family, not your work, not your dreams.

The question then became: ‘How can I sleep well?’

So started my quest to understand more about this truly important aspect of our wellness.

The funny thing is, as a health and wellbeing coach, the answer was literally right under my nose – to sleep well requires a holistic lifestyle approach. It involves:

Sleep isn’t separate from the rest of our health – it’s woven into everything we do, think, and feel throughout our days.

Sleep and rest aren’t a luxury or a sign of laziness. It’s the foundation that everything else in your life is built upon.

When you sleep well, you show up differently – more patient with your children, more creative at work, more present in your relationships, more resilient when life throws challenges your way.

If you’re one of those people saying “I’m so tired” and hearing “me too” in response, know that it doesn’t have to stay this way. Sleeping well can be learned, and the ripple effects reach every corner of your life.

Your future well-rested self is waiting. And trust me, it’s worth the effort.

If you want to learn more about sleeping well, for yourself and how to help others, then I recommend you explore our Sleep Well Coach Training program.