12 Amazing Things to Do When You’re Tired

Okay, you’re exhausted. Extremely, extremely exhausted! And people will tell you to just go take a nap or drink some water… right?

And yes, all of that advice is a good thing to do as well, BUT it does nothing for what happens when you have an entire night ahead of you & you do not wish to throw off your sleep cycle.

So, instead of the many candle-lit suggestions you’ve already heard one thousand times, these are twelve other absolutely amazing options that can be used if you are running on empty but desire your night to be peaceful.

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12 Things to Do When You’re Tired

Here’s What You Need to Know About Low-Effort Wins

• Pick ONE thing off this list, not five, your tired brain doesn’t need a to-do list
• Set a 10 minute timer for anything that feels like too much right now
• Lower your bar on purpose, half-effort tonight beats burnout tomorrow

1Do a Body Scan Instead of a Bubble Bath

A body scan is simply a 5-minute form of meditation. In order to do this type of meditation, one lies on their back and mentally checks in with each portion of their body, beginning with the toes and then moving toward the top of the head.

According to a 2021 study published in the journal Behavioral Sciences, body scan meditation resulted in greater improvements in fatigue and better sleep quality for its participants compared to passive relaxation.

As dull as it may sound when explained like this, it will pull you out of your head very quickly.

And, let’s be honest, when we are tired, pulling ourselves away from our thoughts is something that happens extremely rarely.

How to do it: 

• Lie flat on your back so gravity helps you sink in
• Start at your toes and work up slowly, don’t rush it
• Close your eyes if you can, it helps you actually feel each spot

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2Build a Tomorrow Kit Instead of Doom Scrolling

Tomorrow’s outfit is laid out and ready!

The next thing on this list is something that productivity experts use to help with hustling but will also help you get ready for a day of relaxation.

Tonight, before you go to bed (and when you can barely keep your eyes open), put together everything you will need for tomorrow. That includes laying out your clothes, packing your bag, and setting out your coffee cup or other morning necessities.

It’s barely any effort tonight, and it means future you wakes up to one less decision to make.

Grab your most fav book, some makeup, and do your tomorrow kit while drinking your most favorite latte. It’s all good!

• Keep it to 3 items max so it stays low effort
• Set it by the door, not in a closet you’ll forget
• Do it on the couch, you don’t need to stand up for this

3Try Box Breathing Like Navy SEALs Use

The best part about this idea is you can do it while doing your skincare routine. It really does NOT matter where you do it as long as it is intentional.

Box breathing consists of four breaths in total: you breathe in for 4 seconds, then you hold that air inside your lungs for 4 seconds, next you exhale for 4 seconds, and finally you hold that empty space within your lungs for another 4 seconds; then you repeat the process again.

Stanford researchers have investigated the impact of slow, measured breathing techniques to help move your nervous system from “fight or flight” into relaxation and calm. Military and emergency services personnel use this method specifically because they can quickly get their bodies and minds into a relaxed state even when things are getting crazy fast under pressure.

This isn’t something you need an app to do—all you need is one hand so you can keep track with your fingers.

• Do it lying flat on your back, gravity helps you relax into it
• Set it to 4 full rounds, that’s under a minute
• Try it in the dark, less stimulation means it hits faster

4Make a Sensory Tray Instead of Forcing Productivity

Use some texture items like the edge of a blanket that’s soft, a cold spoon, and a scented lotion, and just feel each item separately for one whole minute.

That is basically a legitimate occupational therapy technique for helping individuals regulate their sensory systems, as tired brain function responds better to sensory input than mental input.

It can even be just getting clean!

At first glance, this may seem ridiculous, but if you give it a shot, you will likely see that it has a great way of resetting your body.

How to do it: 

• Pick 3 textures max, more than that gets overwhelming
• Include one cold item, temperature change wakes up your senses
• Go slow, a minute per item feels longer than you’d think
• skin care items work too

5Do the 5 Things I Can See Grounding Exercise

This one’s borrowed from anxiety therapy but it’s honestly perfect for exhaustion too.

Name 5 things you can see, 4 you can hear, 3 you can touch, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste.

It interrupts that foggy, spaced out tired feeling because your brain can’t spiral and catalog the room at the same time.

• Whisper it out loud if you can, saying it works better than just thinking it
• Do it the second you walk in the door, before you even sit down
• Keep it slow, there’s no rush here

6Write a Brain Dump List, Not a To-Do List

There are many ways in which a brain dump differs from a to-do list. In a Brain Dump, none of what you have written down has to be completed, while the act of writing helps eliminate that loop of thinking about all the things that need to be taken care of.

Many sleep researchers will point to racing thoughts as a major barrier to rest when your body is exhausted.

For three minutes, set the timer and simply start writing everything: the laundry, the emails, a random memory from 2019, anything.

• Don’t organize it, just let it spill out messy, this is NEVER about being neat
• Set an actual timer so it doesn’t turn into spiraling
• Write by hand if you can; typing keeps your brain too alert

7Try Forest Bathing on Your Own Balcony

If you don’t have a balcony, open the window and intentionally breathe in the fresh air!

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, started in Japan in the 1980s as a public health practice, and you don’t need an actual forest for it to work.

Studies from Japanese researchers have linked even short periods near greenery to lower cortisol and reduced mental fatigue.

Step outside for 5 minutes, no phone, and just notice the plants, the air, the sounds, even if it’s just your balcony or a patch of grass.

• No headphones, the point is actually hearing what’s around you
• Touch a leaf or plant if you have one nearby, texture matters here
• Do it barefoot if weather allows, it sounds extra but it helps

8Make a Comfort Playlist With Just 3 Songs

Not a whole playlist, just 3 songs that feel like a warm hug, played on repeat while you do absolutely nothing else.

Music therapists have found that familiar, predictable music lowers stress hormones because your brain doesn’t have to work to anticipate what’s coming next, unlike new music.

Familiar beats predictable every single time when you’re this tired.

• Pick songs you’ve heard hundreds of times, not new favorites
• Skip anything with a fast tempo, slower works better here
• Let it repeat instead of switching songs, repetition is the point

9Do a Reverse To-Do List

Instead of writing what you need to do, write down everything you already did today, even tiny stuff like making your bed or replying to even one SINGLE text.

Your tired brain will NEVER remember the wins on its own, it only remembers what’s left undone, which makes exhaustion feel even heavier than it actually should be.

Plus, seeing it on paper, even a genuinely short list, shifts how the day feels in your head. And what you think when you are really tired, matters.

• Include things that don’t feel like accomplishments, they still count
• Keep the list visible on your nightstand, not your phone
• Add one kind sentence to yourself at the bottom

10Try Cocooning With Weighted Pressure

Wrap yourself tightly in a blanket, or utilize a weighted blanket if you have one, and simply lay there for ten minutes.

Deep pressure stimulation has been utilized by occupational therapists for years as a means to calm an over-stimulated nervous system. This is also the reason that weighted blankets were such a big hit with people who experience anxiety and sleep issues.

Deep pressure stimulation will simulate being hugged, which may seem dramatic; however, your nervous system does respond to this.

Here’s what to do: 

• Wrap from your feet up, not just over your shoulders
• Keep your arms in if you can, it adds to the held feeling
• Set a timer so you don’t accidentally fall asleep mid-task

11Make Tired Tea and Actually Sit With It

This is not about how caffeinated a particular tea may be; this is about selecting an herbal tea (with a scent you enjoy) such as sage, chamomile, or vanilla rooibos and sipping it in small amounts while doing nothing else.

Researchers studying aromatherapy have determined that certain scents, including warm scents and floral scents, can reduce your heart rate and tell your body that it is time to slow down.

Moreover, the rituals associated with the consumption of herbal teas are just as important as the actual tea itself.

Here’s what to do: 

• No phone while you drink it, even just 5 minutes
• Use your favorite mug, the nice one you save for special
• Sit somewhere different than your usual spot, a window seat, the floor, anywhere new

12Do a One Minute Tidy of Just Your Bed

You don’t need to clean out all of your bedroom; simply make sure your bed is made up with fresh and tidy sheets. Fluff your pillows so they’re full and even, pull back the bedding to create a smooth surface, and replace your old pillow case with a new one (if you’ve got an extra one).

Researchers show us time after time that environmental influences are perhaps the greatest factor in how well we sleep. A clean, intentional bed space is a sign to your brain that sleep is about to begin. It’s the simplest item on this entire list and may be the most important.

• Fluff the pillows last so they stay fluffed when you get in
• Swap to a clean pillowcase if one’s already washed and ready
• Smooth the top blanket even if the rest of the bed is messy underneath

You may choose to work on only one of the twelve for now; find the one that looks easiest to you in terms of exhaustion.

Tiredness is not an indication of your own personal failure; tiredness is simply information, and small routines often make a huge difference when it comes to being productive, rather than large productive routines.

🤍 Frequently Asked Questions

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