Tiredness That Sounds Like Abandonment

Metaphorical Narrative

Fatigue lands and the mind whispers: if you stop, you’ll be left. The bedroom becomes a stage where a younger self watches chairs empty. Rest turns into a risk assessment.

Core Insight

Physical fatigue asks for restoration — a nap, slowed breath, reduced input. The ego reads the same signal as potential social loss: stop, and someone important disappears. This is a defensive mapping rooted in earlier experiences of unreliable care.
When the mapping repeats, the body remains unrefreshed and the ego feels vindicated — a loop that protects against abandonment by preventing vulnerability.

Saturday Experiment

Set a 5-minute timer. Lie down, let muscles go loose from feet to head. Count five slow breaths. If the mind tells a story, return to breath.

Sunday Reflection

Third person: “They lay still for five minutes and noticed the old script quieter. What is the first small win they can report?”

Content note: If tiredness is prolonged, accompanied by severe depression, or impacting daily functioning, please consult a health professional.