Ask Kim Becking | Why Am I So Tired? Advice about How To Fight Change Fatigue

Dear Kim,

Lately, I’ve been exhausted by the constant changes coming at me at work and home. From new schedules and behaviors with the kids to the different process changes, software, and leadership changes at work, it’s never-ending—and I’m so very tired. 

How do I get more energy at work to finish tasks, stay focused, and be in a better place when I come home?

Signed,

Need a Nap in Nantucket

Dear Need a Nap,

I see you! You’ve been moving and grooving like the Energizer Bunny! Your feelings are completely valid—and you aren’t alone. I’m hearing this from so many leaders I work with right now – and I’m feeling it myself! Change fatigue is real! I call it the “so muchness” of the world we’re in right now. 

There are two truths I want you to remember right now (and all of the time):

1. Our world changes non-stop. 
2. Our bodies and brains need rest. 

When you experience fatigue, frustration, and low energy levels, your body and mind tell you to slow down and take a break. Listen to them! 

Most organizations implement changes in leadership, process workflows, and teams simultaneously. And while you can’t change the pace of these changes, you can change how you let them affect you. 

For instance, here are Momentum Busters that are likely adding to your energy loss, frustration, and overwhelm when dealing with so much change: :

• Do you struggle with imposter syndrome or fear of failure with the new change? 
• Are you constantly having to deal with negative or difficult people, those change resistors?
• Do you need to motivate others even when you still have doubts about the change?
• Do you struggle with realistic time management and priorities with so much to do and not enough time?
• Do you feel guilty for taking a break when you are so exhausted from the “so muchness” of it all?

If you answered yes to any (or all!) of these, it would explain some of the fatigue you are feeling. I liken it to rowing upstream—you are working super hard to resist where a current is determined to take you.

My advice to you is to use the current to your advantage.

Here are three Momentum Boosters that will help you recoup your energy and find some power in every possibility that change and challenges can bring.

• Focus on how you truly feel. Listen to your body. Give your mind and spirit some much-needed rest and self-care. Pay particular attention to how you feel. Simply naming your emotions—without judgment—can make you feel better!
  
• Focus on the positive. It’s natural to think of worst-case scenarios (thanks, evolutionary biology)—but it’s not always healthy, effective, or useful. With every change that comes down the pipe, ask yourself, “What will this open up for me?”
  
• Focus on taking forward action. Sometimes, we expend so much energy
  procrastinating or resisting change and things that we can’t control that we have little left to take the actions that would make our lives easier. When you feel overwhelmed or frustrated, focus on ONE small thing that moves you toward the outcome you want—and, yes, sometimes that’s a nap!

I go into more detail on these in my recent blog—check it out here!

Here’s to Your Growth and Unstoppable Momentum,