The Lighter Side of: Exhaustion

For whatever reason, my body has decided to take a little sabbatical.
It is not as though I feel particularly awful, just tired. Really tired.
Going from full-fledged insomnia to sleeping half-way through the day is an adjustment and I am not quite sure why.
I have been prescribed another 16 weeks of 50,000IU of Vitamin D - so that may be a factor. It is possible that I caught some sort of bug. It is also possible that Mono is back (it likes to visit about once a year since my immune system can be so deficient).
It could also just be that I am rundown and my body sensed that I had few obligations this week, so it was good timing for a crash of exhaustion.

This is when I usually describe myself as feeling 'like a zombie'. I am never quite fully awake, regardless of how much I have slept. I am almost going through the motions, desperately trying to keep my eyes open.
Zombie.
Not dead, not feeling entirely alive.
Okay, that's a bit dramatic.
It's just that I do not feel awake enough to be completely aware of anything that is going on. (No, I do not drive when I feel this exhausted). A little lightheaded, a little dizzy, essentially awake only for portions of the day to feed the dogs, cuddle, bathe, and eat. That is my day today.

Luckily for me, this is not a new thing. My body does this at various times of the year, sometimes for a year or two straight.
I do not miss those years.
I love having energy, so this level of fatigue and sleepiness can be a real downer. Though, because I have dealt with this particular problem a lot in the past, our home is specifically equipped to handle a lot of time resting and sleeping.

The Lighter Side of exhaustion is that there are many ways to make life comfortable for these zombie stages.
There are ways to even make it feel spa-like/luxurious!
Little things like having special bubble bath or bath bombs, face masks, investing in a good bed that stays cool, looking for extra comfortable and/or silky sheets. Listening to music, podcasts, watching movies. Diffusing essential oils, making the house feel and smell like an oasis.
We have a Leesa mattress, which has been incredibly comfortable and keeps me cooler than traditional beds. I have one or two pillowcases that are silky. I have an oil diffuser in the bedroom, the dogs cuddle with me on our bed, I have earbuds by the bed to listen to meditations or podcasts.

If you have to spend a lot of time in bed, even when you would rather be up and moving, you may as well make it feel as luxurious as possible. There are lots of little tricks that can make it feel like less of a burden... like wearing pajamas that make you feel beautiful or sexy, wearing a face mask infused with lavender, diffusing essential oils while you sleep, indulging in silky feeling lotion, sleep in your favourite sheets, wearing cute slippers around the house, playing music while you sleep...

Anything to make this kind of *blip* more of a positive experience is worth it. Trust me. Otherwise you may just resent every moment of these episodes instead of actually living through them.
That's all we can do, really.
Instead of hating every uncomfortable moment, learn to make choices that complement them or make them easier. Instead of hating every moment spent in bed, barely awake, make it feel like a choice. Give yourself spa days.

If your body is forcing you to rest, forcing you to sleep or spend your time not-exactly-awake, why not make it feel like it was your choice to do that and take advantage of the downtime?