There’s a difference between feeling tired and feeling empty.
One probably needs sleep.
The other may need purpose.
At first glance, both can feel so similar. You feel drained. You don’t want to do anything. Even the smallest task feels like moving a mountain. You want to just disconnect from the world, curl up, and disappear for a while.
I’ve had days like that. Had a wonderful time with family and friends over the weekend. Lots of cherished memories and shared laughter. Yet there’s this ‘heavy’ feeling.
I’m sure you’ve experienced them too. But over time, I’ve realised that if you just take a break and really pay attention, you’ll notice the difference between the two.
When You’re Just Tired
Tiredness of the body is easier to fix. A good night’s sleep, a short nap, a slow weekend with no agenda. These have a way of restoring you. You wake up feeling lighter. The fog magically lifts. The rest reconditions you.
Suddenly the to-do list doesn’t seem as frightening. Even you’re less critical to your own self.
Tiredness is your body’s way of asking you to slow down, and recharge. And once you do that, the world feels less overwhelming again.
When It’s Emptiness Instead
But emptiness – that’s trickier. Emptiness lingers even after you’ve rested. Rather the rest does nothing to improve the hollowness.
You could sleep for ten hours (!!!) and still wake up heavy. You could binge-watch a series, scroll endlessly, or even take a short holiday. And yet, something inside still gnaws you from inside.
Because in this case, it isn’t your body that’s worn out. It’s your spirit. Your spirit’s that’s running low on fuel.
It’s not rest that you need. What you need is meaning.
What you desire is a sense of direction. Something that makes your days feel counted. Something that makes you feel like who you are, and what you do, actually matters.
And here’s what you often misunderstand. Meaning doesn’t always come from chasing some grand, life-altering goal.
All it needs is for you to be honest to yourself, without worrying about trying to impress others.
And how do you fulfil this vacuum, this emptiness within? It comes from the smallest of acts, the ones you almost overlooked.
Small Acts of Meaning
For me, meaning sometimes hides in the mundane everyday activities. It’s the simple, obvious realities.
- Sitting with my child as we wrestle with homework (that’s of course when they were younger).
- Calling a friend I’ve been postponing for weeks.
- Losing track of time while cooking a meal, or writing a few paragraphs, or reading something.
- Even just sitting with a cup of coffee, looking out of the balcony, pausing long enough to ask myself, “What do I really want to do today?”
These little things don’t change the world. But they change my world, and how I move through it.
Purpose isn’t a one-time find. It isn’t some treasure you stumble upon and hold forever. It’s built, slowly, intentionally, day by day.
And that’s when emptiness no longer makes regular appearances; instead it appears only when you’re feeling lost or directionless.
Maybe it’s a nudge from within, directing you to look deeper. Telling you that something important is missing. To pay attention and ask the harder questions you’ve been avoiding.
Asking the Right Question
So these days, instead of rushing to label myself as tired, I often pause to ask myself: Am I low on rest, or low on meaning?
Because the solution will depend on the answer. The honest answer.
If I’m just tired, I owe my body rest. No point doing ten and one things to prove my efficiency or capability.
But if I’m empty, I owe my soul a little honesty, and maybe a little courage, to rebuild what I’ve been neglecting. Listen to the voice in the head and do what’s needed.
Some days it’s sleep. Some days its purpose. Both are essential. Both keep you whole. Both are signs that you’re alive.
But knowing which one you’re missing, is where the real healing begins.
