When you can't go on like this
I can't anymore. Everything wears me out
My friend, if you have come this far, you have carried a lot, and maybe for too long without help. This tiredness does not pass with one night's sleep. It belongs to someone who has held everything up and kept nothing back for themselves. You do not need strength tonight. You do not have to solve anything. For a few hours, set down everything that can be set down. The rest will still be there tomorrow. And if you feel you no longer want to be here at all, please do not stay with that thought alone. Talk to someone tonight.
If you feel you don't want to live, please don't stay with that thought alone. Find a helpline at findahelpline.com or call 112.
Questions for you
What can I set down, at least until tomorrow, without anything falling apart?
A possible answerMore than it seems: the dishes, a message, a task that can wait. The world doesn't collapse if you rest for one evening. You, however, can give way if you never rest at all.
Who could help me, if I asked?
A possible answerWrite the names down, even if asking feels hard. People who care about you usually prefer helping to finding out later that you carried everything without them.
How long has it been since I truly rested?
A possible answerIf the answer is measured in months, not days, the tiredness is no longer weakness. It's a signal. It's worth talking to a doctor too, because exhaustion runs through the body as well.
What would I say to someone I love who looked the way I look now?
A possible answerYou'd probably tell them to stop, eat, sleep, ask for help. You deserve the same gentleness you give others.
Tonight's practice
Do only three small things: drink a glass of water, eat something warm, go to bed earlier. That's all. Today, that is the whole plan.
A thought to keep
“Rest is not giving up. It is how you keep the fire for tomorrow.”
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