Here is the problem. When a person is overtired, they lack better judgment that keeps them from getting overtired in the first place (you may want to read that a few times...smile).
Here are 5 ways to get rest when you need it.
1. Ask someone to hold you accountable to resting. (To getting to bed by a certain time or to taking an afternoon off or to go golfing, etc.)
2. Decide what won't get done. Rather than beating yourself up and stressing yourself out trying to do everything and then disappointing yourself when you prove that you can't, choose ahead of time some things to leave undone.
3. Remember that when you are overtired, you tend to make worse decisions. Sometimes you can make decisions that exacerbate the problem instead of fixing it. ie: Don't watch TV until 11 pm when you are already overtired.
4. Make a finish line. Do what needs to be done, then when it is finished, have a plan for some time off. One of the mistakes I have made is to run like mad in a busy season, working my weekends and days off and then head straight back to work (normal life). Going into the next week at a normal pace after an extremely busy week leaves a person sapped of energy. Better to plan a day off after a busy time.
5. Listen to your attitudes and physical signals and try to catch it before it gets too bad. A bad attitude is often a sign of tiredness. If you catch yourself having a bad attitude or physical signs of tiredness, get some rest before it gets worse. If you can catch tiredness before it becomes exhaustion, you can save yourself a lot of pain.
