You do what is asked of you. But when the day is over, there is little left for yourself. How do you keep going when you can feel it taking more and more out of you?
As long as you manage, it can seem manageable
You finish your work. You keep your commitments. If someone asks for something, you sort it out. Only when you get home do you notice how tired you are. A conversation can quickly feel like too much. Something you normally enjoy gets postponed until the weekend. Perhaps you will feel rested by then.
Meanwhile, you can tell yourself it is not that bad. After all, you are still doing everything. That is precisely what can make it hard to take what you notice seriously.
I know that from my own life. I could work, exercise and take responsibility while barely getting any rest. I called fatigue being busy. Restlessness was part of my drive. As long as I kept functioning, I found a reason to carry on.
What keeps you working?
Perseverance can bring you a great deal. Doing work you are proud of. Being there for your children. Keeping a commitment when things are difficult. Those are valuable things.
The question is what happens when you actually want to stop. Can you leave something unfinished? Or do you immediately start worrying about what still needs doing, who you might disappoint or what someone will think of you? Sometimes the drive to achieve is behind it. Sometimes it is fear of falling short. And sometimes there is simply too much work or caring responsibility for one person.
That difference matters. Advice to relax more is of little use when your work consistently exceeds the time available. But an empty diary will not necessarily help either if you feel compelled to fill every free moment.
Look at what you have left, too
That is why I look beyond what someone still manages to get done. What does an ordinary day cost you? What is left afterwards? Can you still take part in the life you share with others at home, or are you mainly recovering from everything you have done?
Take that last question seriously for a moment. You do not have to become unable to work before you can explore why you keep going like this. It starts with honestly naming what is happening now, without immediately dismissing the effort you put in.
Persistent fatigue can have different causes. Discuss it with your GP, particularly if you do not know what is causing your symptoms. This article cannot establish the cause.
Would you like to explore with me why you keep going and what you want to change in your daily life? The page on individual guidance explains how we can get to know each other.