It’s Okay to Be Tired

Today, I am tired.

And you know what?

That’s okay.

I wasn’t feeling my best last night, and I had some pretty crazy dreams. I woke up this morning feeling fatigued, and knowing that today and this entire week are going to be extra busy didn’t exactly help.

For a moment, I could feel that familiar pressure:

You have things to do.
You need to push through.
You don't have time to slow down.

But today, I’m choosing something different.

I’m choosing to listen to my body.

We were taught to push through.

Many of us grew up hearing messages like:

“Pain is weakness leaving the body.”

“Don’t be a quitter.”

“You’re too soft.”

“Just push through it.”

We learned to celebrate the person who could keep going no matter what.

But somewhere along the way, we started confusing pushing through with being strong.

What if strength sometimes looks like stopping?

What if resilience isn't always about doing more?

What if sometimes the strongest thing you can do is recognize what you need and give yourself permission to honor it?

Your body is communicating with you.

When you're tired, your body may be telling you that it needs rest.

When you're sick, your body needs time and resources to recover.

When you're overwhelmed, your nervous system may be telling you that you've reached your limit.

Those signals aren't failures.

They're information.

We don't have to wait until we completely crash before we give ourselves permission to slow down.

And we don't have to earn rest by exhausting ourselves first.

Rest isn't quitting.

This is something I have to remind myself of, too.

Today, I might get every post written.

I might finish another chapter.

I might check everything off my to-do list.

Or I might not.

And either way, I am still doing my best.

My best doesn't have to look the same every day.

Some days my best is creating, facilitating, writing, connecting, and getting things done.

Other days, my best might be taking a step back, drinking some water, getting some extra sleep, and giving my body the space it needs.

Neither version of me is more worthy than the other.

When we ignore the signals, there is a cost.

Constantly pushing ourselves beyond what we can reasonably handle can contribute to stress, exhaustion, burnout, and feeling depleted.

And the irony is that pushing harder doesn't always help us accomplish more.

Sometimes it makes it harder to think clearly.

Harder to be patient.

Harder to connect with others.

Harder to make good decisions.

Harder to show up as the person we want to be.

That matters in leadership, too.

We spend so much time talking about how leaders should support their teams, create healthy cultures, and recognize when others are struggling.

But leadership starts with ourselves.

Are we listening to our own signals?

Are we giving ourselves the same grace we encourage our employees, coworkers, friends, and families to give themselves?

So today, I'm giving myself permission.

Permission to be tired.

Permission to slow down.

Permission to rest.

Permission to not accomplish everything on my list.

Permission to listen to what my body is telling me instead of criticizing it for not keeping up.

Because taking care of yourself isn't weakness.

It isn't laziness.

And it isn't quitting.

Sometimes, taking a break is exactly what allows us to keep moving forward.

So if you're tired today, I hope you give yourself permission to rest.

If you're feeling ill, I hope you give yourself the time and space to heal.

If you're overwhelmed, I hope you recognize that feeling as information not a personal failure.

You don't have to prove your worth by how much you can endure.

You don't have to push yourself past your limits to be strong.

Sometimes, you simply need to be you and listen.

That's your Myrtle Moment for today.

Listen to yourself.
Give yourself some grace.

You might be surprised by what becomes possible when you stop fighting what your body is trying to tell you.

Connect

J. Myrtle Training & Development Partners LLC

Lakewood Ranch, FL

Phone: 941-299-5486

Email: Info@JMyrtleTraining.com

Hours: Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm EST