by Work can be tiring. Even if you’re doing something you absolutely love, there are still going to be days that just don’t pan out the way you want them to. In fact, no matter what you do for a job, you’re going to have regular days that leave you feeling tired after work.
The key here is to pinpoint why you feel tiredness after work and then determine if this is something you need to fix, adjust, or tweak slightly to make your after-work life a little more enjoyable.
Pinpoint the reason why you’re tired after work
Even if you love your job or the work you do, you can have tiring days. Tiredness doesn’t just have to mean physical energy. It can be anything from physical tiredness, mental tiredness, burnout and more.
The following are a few questions you can answer to determine the reason why you feel tired after work:
1. Are you tired after work because your job isn’t fulfilling you? Or, because you’re not fulfilling a certain need at work?
These two are perhaps the biggest questions to ask yourself. Is work fulfilling your needs? The need you might be missing could be anything from:
- Creativity
- Mentally challenging
- Problem-solving
- Fun
- And more
Here’s the thing. The work you do doesn’t have to fulfil every one of your needs. It’s okay if work is a little boring, or doesn’t challenge you mentally, because when you get home or have some off-time, you can fulfil this need yourself.
The problem arises when the work you do is missing a whole load of your needs. If this is the case, it might be worth considering if you’re okay with that, and if so, make sure to fill your off-time by meeting those needs in other ways.
As a result of your unfulfilling work, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll be tired after work. To combat this, you’ll need to make sure you have hobbies or projects you can do in your downtime that fulfil your other needs.
2. Are you tired after work because you’re pushing yourself too hard?
Burnout is real and if you’re pushing yourself too hard at work then it’s likely that you’ll experience burnout, especially if you’re an introvert or an empath.
Burnout can manifest itself as either mental or physical tiredness and sometimes a combination of both. If you’re experiencing any of the following, then it’s time to take notice, slow down and look after yourself:
- You feel less capable and motivated to work
- You’re exhausted constantly
- You start to emotionally distance yourself from others
- Your stress levels are starting to affect your physical wellbeing
- You’re starting to make poor work decisions
3. Are you tired after work because you’re overstimulated?
This one is especially for us introverts. If your work is loud, full of people, emotionally taxing, or drains you in any way, it’s no wonder you’re tired after work. Even small things that happen during the day can have a knock-on effect for you as an introvert.
If you’re feeling drained after a working day, it’s worth analysing what happened during it to pinpoint what specific activities or happenings caused your tiredness. Then, once pinpointed, you can make moves to either stop that from happening again or at least be aware of its effects on your mental health.
To combat this kind of introvert-specific tiredness after work, explore techniques that can help you recharge. Here are a few to get you started:
- Find a quiet and undisturbed room that you can sit in and listen to calming music
- Find a similar room but make it dark, lay down and close your eyes to allow your brain to calm down
- Take a walk and keep walking until you feel calmer
- Take a shower or give yourself some TLC
- Garden, make bread, or do some kind of task you know allows your brain to automatically switch off
4. Are you physically tired after work?
Physical tiredness after work is completely different from the above two (that’s not to say they can’t be combined).
If you’re physically tired after a hard day of work, then you’ll need to asses if this is positive for you or a negative. Do you enjoy the physical aspect of your job? Was this a one-off physical day?
Whatever your answer, the way you combat tiredness after work will involve prevention and remedy. During your working hours, if you can reduce the amount of physical work you do with tools or resources, then that’s a bonus. Either that or taking regular breaks, making sure to hydrate and stay out of the sun as much as possible.
When it comes to remedying, taking care of your body after work should be your main priority. This means eating the right foods that fuel you, hydrating, massage and relaxing as much as possible.
How to combat tiredness after work
Many of the examples above talk about prevention, but if you’re here because you’re already tired after work and can’t get around it, then let’s look at combatting tiredness after work when you’re already tired.
Do something that fuels you mentally
If your tiredness after work is caused by a lack of mental challenge or missing creativity, then doing something that fulfils that need is essential.
Of course, because you’re tired, doing something that challenges you mentally might be the last thing on your mind, but trust me, it works.
If you’re missing mental challenge, then finding a challenging book to read, a puzzle game to play, a language to learn or a project to start could be the answer.
If you’re missing a creative outlet, then it might be worth experimenting with different creative hobbies or rekindling one you used to enjoy. Don’t put pressure on this, it doesn’t have to be a side-hustle, it doesn’t have to be perfect, you don’t even have to show anyone, or use it – just do it and have fun.
Do something that allows you to relax
We hardly relax these days. Everything needs to have a purpose or a reason otherwise we feel guilty for doing it. But be honest, if you’re burnt out, drained from work or simply exhausted, then you’re mind and body needs a rest.
Watch Netflix, rent a film, sunbathe in the garden, do yoga, do whatever it is that truly relaxes you and helps you unwind after a long day.
When it comes to combatting tiredness after work, your mental, emotional and physical wellbeing is in your hands. You can either put up with your tiredness and accept the status quo or take steps to rectify the problem and improve your work-life balance.
Advice from introvert experts on combatting tiredness after work
Advice is best given through experience and example, so we decided to ask a few introvert experts about their after-work routine and if they had any advice for combating tiredness after work for us introverts:
“My favourite thing to do to combat tiredness after work is to diffuse uplifting essential oils (lemongrass & eucalyptus works well to calm nerves and revitalise spirits) put on a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and lie on my bed for 15 minutes. The headphones mute any noise so I feel completely alone, which is the sweetest and quickest route to recovery for this introvert. And the gentle aroma of the essential oils helps my mind to relax and let go of the day’s stress. It only takes 15 minutes before I’m recharged and ready to join my life again.”
Cindy Johns, Introvert Entrepreneur
“Whether I work from home, or commute to the office, I have the same routine after a long tiring day. It starts with leaving my phone in my room. I don’t accept any external distractions when I’m home with my family or when I know I want to spend a few hours working on a creative project (notifications tend to suck the life out of me). Then once everything is settled, I quickly cast a yoga video on the tv to reinvigorate my mind and let go of the day’s worries. It works wonders! Lastly, I always think of something to look forward to, to end the night. Whether that’s a nice bath, an episode of my favourite show, or a bowl of ice cream.
My best advice when it comes to overcoming tiredness is to allow yourself the time and space to do something that you know will bring you joy. That’s the foundation of getting energised.”
Roxana, Founder HonestRox
How do you combat being tired after work? Do you have a routine that works for you? Leave it in the comments below.
