It’s not just sleep. I’ve tried that. Early nights. More rest. Slowing things down, and I still wake up feeling like I haven’t really switched off. It’s a different kind of tired, the kind that sits underneath everything, even on days where nothing major has happened and I think that’s what makes it confusing. Because it’s not always obvious where it’s coming from, it’s not just one thing.

It’s everything.

The thinking.

The holding things in.

The conversations that didn’t feel right.

The ones you keep replaying after.

The small adjustments you make all day without noticing trying to keep things steady, trying to not make things worse, trying to get it right.

And by the time you stop…you’re already drained. Not physically, just mentally but it still does feel like running a marathon and that kind of tired doesn’t go away with sleep.