The two types of tired (and which one will ruin your career)
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Let’s talk about tired. Not all tired is created equal. And you know this.
There’s the kind of tired that feels terrible.
You’ve been dragging yourself through your to-do list, sitting in meetings where no one listens, feeling like your research is irrelevant and your teaching doesn’t matter. You’re drained, bitter, maybe even questioning if academia was ever worth it.
And then there’s the other tired.
Where your brain is buzzing because you just finished a day of deep, meaningful work. You’ve been challenged, you’ve stretched your thinking, you’ve shown up powerfully—and now you’re spent in the best damn way. The good kind of used-up. Fulfilled. Proud.
What’s the difference between these two kinds of tired?
Your thoughts. The way you think about your work. Your students. Your research. Yourself.
If your thoughts sound like, “What’s the point?”, “No one cares what I have to say”, or “I just have to get through this week,” then of course you feel dead inside at the end of the day. You're moving through drudgery rather than purpose.
But if your thoughts sound like, “I’m so lucky to do this work,” “I’m shaping knowledge,” or “It’s a privilege to be here,” then even when you’re knackered, you feel alive.
This is what I teach. This is the work of changing your mind so you can change your life.
When you do, here’s what happens:
Your papers start getting published again.
Your voice gets louder, and more people start listening.
Your students engage more.
You get your flow back.
You feel powerful.
You show up like someone who knows she belongs.
When you learn to shift your thinking, the entire texture of your workday changes.
You still get tired—but it’s the kind of tired that comes with satisfaction.
The kind where you close your laptop knowing you’ve contributed something meaningful, not just trudged through another day.
And let’s be clear: academia right now is difficult for many of us, especially here in the UK. Cuts, seemingly endless uncertainty, it all takes its toll. You can’t control restructures directly (although we can protest). But one thing you can definitely take back control of is your own energy, your own mindset, and how you experience the work you still care about.
That shift in mindset has consequences you can measure: more papers submitted, more ideas published, more recognition. But the deeper impact is that you feel energised by your work again, curious, purposeful, and proud to do the work you do, even in tough times.
This is the work I teach: how to reframe your thoughts so you can rediscover that energy and flow, no matter what’s happening around you.
