How dare I feel tired just two weeks after the Christmas break

Has anyone else been expecting a new wave of energy this January that just didn't come?

I AM EXHAUSTED. Apparently this is not okay because 1) I am 'young' and 2) I only have 'the one' child.

Like all parents, I had a to-do list the length of number 1 bus route to complete over the Christmas holidays. I can now announce that I managed to do a grand total of two tasks out of a gazillion. One was to remove the dust from behind the beds and the other was to sort through my little one's clothes and make a BIG FAT bag for Vincent's. I was looking forward to my charity-shop-excursion.

Picking up a few bits would have been my treat for completing this seemingly impossible feat. The bag is full, sitting on the landing and is about to embark on the long journey to our local charity shop which will take 5-6 months. It will stop off at the scenic towns of 'front-door' and 'boot-of-car' for 6 weeks apiece, picking up a diverse range of passengers along the way.

Besides those two chores, I literally got nothing done. Christmas was cosy but crazy and now I'm paying for the chaos with sheer exhaustion.

Each January night, I find myself cuddling into bed with my 5-year-old at 8.30 pm, ignoring my brand new list of chores for a few blissful moments. I want a holiday already and this makes me feel selfish and spoilt. How dare I feel tired just two weeks after the Christmas break?

Even as I write this, the zombie inside me is taking over. My energy is deflating and I'm ready for bed. Bear in mind, it's 3 pm.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm venting. It feels unfair to complain about exhaustion to those around us. Our parents - if we are lucky enough to have them near- are tired too. Our colleagues' stifle a yawn during the monthly meeting and we even begin to notice strangers with bags under their eyes. It's that time of year when the world wants us to be active and shiny and new. Instead, we are worn out. There is nothing shiny about mums during the month of January.

If this sounds like you, take solace in the fact that we are all in the same boat. You know that one that rocks gently back and forth sending you to sleep, only to capsize, shaking you awake again each time? All we can do is climb aboard again and keep going until Easter break...

 

 

With her daughter Evie as her muse, Anna writes about mumhood and all its intersections from mental health to movies, social issues to pop culture. Anna lives in Dublin with her daughter, partner, three younger sisters and parents. She is a dreadful cook, a fair guitar player and thinks caffeine should be given as a yearly vaccine to parents - courtesy of the HSE.

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