Stop crying about how hard your week was! Change your mood this weekend by adding a layer of hardship on top of it. Sure, you won’t feel recharged, but you’ll feel better. A hard week at work often translates to unmet goals, a tense atmosphere and annoying requests. I believe that a weekend so awesome you need to rest on the next Monday is perfect to realize that you shouldn’t have to rest from work but rest at work.
The good fatigue
When you cross the finish line of a marathon, when you win a football match and when you finish an art project are perfect examples of good fatigue. Your exhaustion has meaning as you’ve spend time and energy to push yourself beyond your mental and physical limits. The good fatigue feels like a reward, a price you receive after accomplishing something great, something that you want to experience again in the future.
The bad fatigue
When you are constantly requested but never cared for, when you can’t catch your breath and when you’re tired for pointless stuff are examples of bad fatigue. Your exhaustion has little to no meaning and the time and effort you’ve consumed feel useless. Bad fatigue is like a punishment or a price you pay for no reason and that you don’t want to feel ever again.
Turning bad into good
How can we transform a boring pain into an enjoyable difficulty? Think long term. If something tiring that you’re doing is pointless now but helps you slowly build a better future, it isn’t that pointless. Each iteration may cause bad fatigue but all iterations put together are worth it. Get rid of the things you can’t apply this logic to and try to reduce the total number of iterations required if possible.