Colin Warren: the blog

The end of the year is coming up quickly and I’m feeling tired. It’s been a busy year and I hope to spend some time reflecting on what’s transpired and what’s been achieved during 2009 (but that’s for an/other post/s).

The ‘tired’ I feel is a compilation of a number of things. There is some physical tiredness (due to late nights) but mostly it’s other types. I’m not sure if all of these are legitimately different, but let me give it a go…

There’s something about mental tiredness – I need some intellectual stimulation. I’ve had plenty of that recently at conference and in discussion with colleagues, but I feel I need a project that will involve some sustained cognitive load. Some more research next year maybe? But first I need to find a question that I want to find the answer too. Anyway, the idea is that I do some reading, thinking, & writing with purpose…

Then there’s a type of emotional tiredness – where I don’t have much more energy to feel empathetic. So, I need a break from caring (too much) about other people and other things. Life brings all sorts of challenges into our spheres of work and home life. I’ve been very busy with a leadership role and find that others can be needy and require support and encouragement. My bucket may be nearly empty, so I need to stop emptying it and find some resources to fill it with…

And what about psychological tiredness – when you don’t feel capable and have some self-doubt. Being up front and getting knocked down of challenged is tough on the pysche. While I feel I’ve been able to make a contribution as leader, I’d appreciate some respite and a time to allow my confidence to recover. Time for some R & R.

Could I also suggest a spiritual tiredness – where your soul needs some rest, renewal & replenishment. How to lift you spirits, how to feed your soul? Attention from others can help and feeding yourself with appropriate meditation, reading, and listening. A faith can also support your spiritual being, so take time to dwell on that, and seek your strength in that higher power… (King David wrote some good stuff in the Psalms).

All these may be closely related and I’m sure they are all linked in some way to each other and we need to make sure look after ourselves. So, this brings me to the point of my levels of fitness, how am I exercising the appropriate parts of my being to ensure I can cope with the stresses and demands of life? What things do I need to do to ensure that my whole being is fit and ready to deal with each day?

So, over the next couple of months I’ll be paying attention to my tiredness and may just write more about how that’s working out. Are you aware of your needs? Have a think about the renewal and replenishment you might need.