Posts Tagged "exhaustion"

Do You Have EE? How to Tell and 5 Ways to Treat It

Dear Kid,

What is it about the month of September and lack of sleep?

Because there is clearly Something Going On.

I’m pretty sure it’s the annual outbreak of the Exhaustion Epidemic.

The Exhaustion Epidemic (like the flu) tends to hit several times a year. Unlike the flu, there is no vaccine.

Symptoms include lack of actual sleep, feeling that there isn’t enough sleep in the universe to make you ever feel rested again, and a badittude.

Actual Text from My Friend Sue:

Just wanted you to know that there will be 2 of us in the car tomorrow. Me and my bad attitude.

Fortunately, Sue is a rank amateur when it comes to bad attitudes so I’m not really worried about being alone with her. And her car has plenty of room so we can make her badittude sit in the backseat.

Since I, your mother, have spent years researching and perfecting a Bad Attitude (the noise you just heard was your Grandfather choking on his Diet Coke as he read that), I now present Advice for Dealing with a Case of Exhaustion Epidemic and a Bad Attitude.

Warn People. Because Sue warned me there will be an extra passenger in the car, I’m now prepared to be a little more patient with her. This is far nicer than opening the car door and saying, “Oh. You came along too?”

Get Some Actual Sleep. The EE is only peripherally related to physical exhaustion. Most of the tired is being overwhelmed with life. Nonetheless, EE requires heavy doses of actual sleep.

Make a List. Part of the problem with EE is a feeling of being overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. This generally leads to paralysis and TV watching. Turn off the TV, and make a list of the Things That Must Be Done. Do one of them. You’ll feel better. I promise.

Eat Real Food. Nothing exacerbates a case of EE like junk food. Except maybe junk food and too much coffee. Either way, eat something real. Your badittude won’t want you to, but your brain will thank you.

Call Your Mother. It won’t necessarily help, but it can’t really hurt. And it will make me feel better. And I promise not to fuss at you for the first five minutes of the call.

Here’s hoping you avoid a case of EE this term.

Love, Mom

Read More

What Happens When You Absolutely, Positively Have to Sleep

Dear Kid,

Sorry I didn’t answer the phone when you called earlier this morning.

Wait. You didn’t call? Must have been an oversight. According to the Rule Book, it’s a good idea to call your parents every now and then to make sure they remember who you are and how to send you money.

As I was saying, sorry I wasn’t available when you called. I was asleep. You probably knew I was sleeping and were being considerate in not calling.

Uh-huh.

You might remember that I haven’t been doing a lot of that recently. Sleep, I mean.

And I’d finally gotten to the point where not sleeping was no longer an option.

When you're so tired you fall asleep wherever you just happen to be... DearKidLoveMom.comBad things happen when one doesn’t get enough sleep. Like being tired. And cranky. And unable to form coherent sentences.

I haven’t been that tired in a long, long time. Tired to the point where making an ordinary decision is harder than climbing Everest. Where even caring about making an ordinary decision is harder than thinking about climbing Everest.

This is why I have such respect for single parents. I have Dad to make sure when I get that tired there is still a responsible adult around. I truly don’t know how single parents manage, but I’m crazy impressed that they do.

We had not gotten to the point where there was a probability of Really Bad Parenting (you and Pi are Old Enough not to play in the street), but we had gotten to the point where I didn’t care about basic decisions.

“Want to breathe oxygen?” “Too tired to care.”

So I not only went to bed at a Reasonable Hour, I slept far past the Normal Wakeup Time.

And I didn’t make my bed.

All of which put me in a Much Better Mood.

Even though I didn’t get to talk to you when called.

Love, Mom

Read More

Subscribe

Can't remember to check for new posts? No prob. I'll send it to you.

Online Marketing

Blogging Fusion Blog Directory

Blogarama - The Blog Directory

Blog Directory
%d bloggers like this: