And even for those who feel more comfortable partaking in these sorts of activities, they are not stress-free. For many people with children too young to be vaccinated-myself included-these activities are still off-limits.
The pandemic has, by and large, taken these punctuated bouts of excitement away.Īttending concerts, sporting events, movies, even going to restaurants (let alone taking a proper vacation) are not as straightforward as they used to be. We thrive with some degree of oscillation in our lives. There is a reason that “flat-lining” is associated with death. My hope is that describing it will help.Įven the calmest, most equanimous people benefit from at least occasional periods of excitement. But even beyond these obvious drivers, I think there is something else going on: We are replacing excitement with anxiety. There are, of course, many reasons for our collective fatigue: a year-and-a-half-long pandemic, social unrest and democratic backslide-to name just a few. Google searches for the phrase “Why am I tired all the time?” have been at their historical highs between July 2021 and September 2021. They were a common theme over the past three years in my reporting on The Practice of Groundedness, and they were a large part of what drove me to write the book.
Read More: Why Do I Feel Sleepy Until the Moment I Get in Bed? “For the first time in my life, I am struggling not to hit the snooze button multiple times.” “I am so tired always,” said Mark, a close friend. “I am sleeping and eating well and not commuting to work or worrying about getting dressed up in the morning and yet I still always feel so beat,” bemoaned Linda, a 40-year-old woman who lives down the street.