As the month of May unfolds—lush, blooming, and undeniably grounded—it offers more than just longer days and rising temperatures. May evokes a quiet invitation to slow down, reflect, and notice what we so often push past in our daily lives: fatigue. This month, deeply rooted in the energy of the earth, traditionally associated with femininity, also coincides with Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, offering an especially rich moment to reflect on identity, legacy, and the profound need for rest.
But what does it really mean to recognize being tired? How do we know when exhaustion is more than just a rough day or a lack of caffeine? And more importantly—how do we respond?
The Subtle Signals of Fatigue
Fatigue is rarely loud. It doesn’t always show up as collapsing onto a couch or sleeping through alarms. Often, it’s quieter, more insidious. For many, it looks like restlessness—endlessly switching between browser tabs without purpose, rereading the same email without action, or scrolling past information we can’t seem to absorb. It’s the nagging question in the back of our minds: “Is this burnout? Or am I just being lazy?” It’s the self-doubt that makes us question whether we deserve a break.
As an Asian woman of color, the author of the original piece reflects on the complexities of identity—how the intersections of culture, race, and gender shape our relationship with productivity and rest. Conditioned to believe in a constant need to overdeliver while staying invisible, many people from marginalized backgrounds struggle to view rest as a right rather than a luxury. Recognizing tiredness, then, becomes an act of defiance. Choosing stillness is choosing self-worth.
Rest as a Radical Act
In a world that prioritizes output over well-being, rest becomes a quiet revolution. For those of us working, teaching, caregiving, or simply surviving—admitting we are tired is often the first step toward healing.
Taking a solo retreat to the woods, as the author did, may not be available to everyone. But the intention behind it—seeking silence, solitude, and grounding—can be practiced in small, meaningful ways. A walk outside without headphones. Five minutes of intentional breathing. Saying “no” without guilt.
Fatigue doesn’t always need to be “fixed.” Sometimes, it simply needs to be acknowledged.
Questions to Guide Awareness
How do you know when you’re tired?
What behaviors signal to you that your reserves are low? For some, it’s irritability or detachment. For others, it’s an overwhelming need to multitask while getting nothing done. Do you feel it in your body—tight shoulders, a foggy mind, shallow breaths?
Once you recognize these signs, what do you turn to? Do you allow yourself rest, or do you double down in self-criticism? Reframing rest as a necessity, not an indulgence, is the beginning of a more compassionate way of being.
Honoring Lineage, Honoring the Self
May is also a time to reflect on cultural heritage. For those observing Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, there’s an added layer of honoring ancestors and reclaiming cultural truths. In this light, rest becomes more than just recuperation—it becomes reverence. Rewriting narratives of constant sacrifice and internalized inadequacy is part of a larger healing. Granting ourselves rest is a way of saying thank you to those who came before, who didn’t have the same opportunity to pause.
Resources for Renewal
If you’re unsure how to begin tending to your tiredness, the author offers a small collection of thoughtful resources:
- Read: A Two-Minute Burnout Checkup by Chris Bailey—a simple tool to assess your level of burnout and point toward areas that need attention.
- Listen: A conversation on the Well and Good Podcast with Leah Thomas and Whitney McGuire exploring environmental justice and the importance of inclusive climate action.
- Reflect: A passage by Larry Yang reminds us that our relationship with land—often viewed through the lens of ownership—could be reframed as connection and stewardship. How we treat the earth mirrors how we treat ourselves.
- Engage: A workshop titled “Building Wealth via Property When You Hate Capitalism” highlights the complex relationships between rest, sustainability, and systemic structures.
- Feel: Try a walking meditation, or sit outside and simply sense your surroundings. Let yourself be in nature, not apart from it.
- Meditate: A guided body-awareness meditation, like Tuning Into the Body’s Wisdom, can help us notice the signs our bodies are always offering—if we only stop to listen.
Living with the Seasons
May is a reminder of cyclical renewal. Just as the earth blossoms after a long winter, so too must we allow ourselves time to regenerate. Recognizing fatigue is not a weakness. It is a wisdom that calls us back to balance. In a culture that often demands more than we have to give, reclaiming our right to rest is revolutionary.
So, as the trees bud and flowers bloom, may you give yourself permission to pause. May you move through this month—through life—with awareness, softness, and respect for your limits. Because you are nature too, and you deserve to thrive.
