It’s one of the most common phrases we say:
“I’m so tired. I didn’t get enough sleep last night.”
But if we keep saying it, day after day, it becomes more than a comment — it becomes a cycle and it programs your body to leak energy. Here’s how to break it:
- Words carry energy. Every time you repeat “I’m tired,” you reinforce that identity. Watch what happens when you leave it out of your vocabulary and instead notice when you say it and notice what you can do to not be tired. This is more empowering.
- Shift the Evening, Not Just the Morning
The cycle doesn’t break at sunrise — it breaks at sunset.
- Dim the lights 1–2 hours before bed.
- Trade screens for nurturing rituals: tea, journaling, Abhyanga, prayer.
- Create safety cues for your nervous system: breathwork, soft music, calming scents.
- Reset the Nervous System
Most “tired but wired” nights come from overstimulation.
- Let cortisol come down: unplug earlier.
- Let melatonin rise: dim lights, lower voice, slow your actions
- Decide when your run way to bed officially starts and begin your wind down routine, get your body used to not being in chaos but calm, surrender
- Practice Self-Compassion, Not Perfection
The “I’m so tired” cycle often comes with guilt or self-judgment: “I know I should do better.”
Ayurveda calls this prajñāparādha — the mistake of the intellect. We know, but we don’t do. The antidote? Compassion. Small, consistent changes, not harsh discipline, bring the body back into rhythm.
- Honor Sleep as Sacred
Reframe sleep as a checklist or afterthought because you’re beat tired. Treat it like medicine. Treat it like your nightly meeting with God, with your soul. When sleep is sacred, you naturally protect it. This was my personal reframe when I proclaimed my Sleep Sadhana.
The cycle of exhaustion gets broken by softness, by ritual, by listening to your body, and by protecting your sleep as the foundation of your energy you give to your day.
Every night is a chance to renew. Every morning is a gift.
