Tết Energy Check: Are You Tired, Overstimulated, or Just Human?
As Tết quietly approaches, many people find themselves in a strange in-between state. The year has started, the to-do lists are long, the city feels louder, and somehow energy levels are… confusing. Not exactly exhausted, but not exactly vibrant either. Somewhere between needing a nap, needing a hug, and needing everyone to stop talking for five minutes.
Before labeling it as “burnout” or “laziness,” it may help to pause and ask a gentler question: What kind of feeling is this, really?
Because not all fatigue is the same - and each kind asks for a very different response.
When the Body Is Tired: The Honest, Physical Kind
This is the most straightforward form of fatigue, though it often gets ignored. Physical tiredness shows up as heavy limbs, slower reactions, sore shoulders, or that unmistakable desire to lie flat on the floor “just for a second”. It usually comes from lack of sleep, irregular meals, too much caffeine, or simply doing too much without recovery.
As Tết preparations ramp up - cleaning, organizing, traveling, socializing - the body quietly keeps score. Yoga practitioners may notice poses feeling heavier than usual, balance wobbling more, or recovery taking longer.
The remedy here isn’t motivation. It’s rest and nourishment. Earlier bedtimes, warmer foods, steady hydration, and slower yoga practices like yin or gentle flow can help the nervous system settle. This is not a failure of discipline - it’s biology asking for cooperation.
When the Mind Is Overstimulated: Too Much Input, Not Enough Space
Sometimes energy isn’t low - it’s scattered.
This kind of fatigue feels buzzy, restless, and oddly wired. The body may be tired, but the mind refuses to slow down. Notifications, year-end catch-ups, social obligations, and constant “what’s next?” thinking create mental overload. The result is irritability, difficulty focusing, and that familiar sense of being tired but unable to rest.
Overstimulation often peaks toward the end of January, when expectations collide: new-year goals meet pre-holiday logistics. In yoga and wellness spaces, this can look like hopping between practices, routines, and advice - searching for balance while adding more noise.
What helps here is not doing more, but doing less with intention. Short walks without headphones, breath-focused practices, digital pauses, or even a few minutes of eyes-closed savasana without guidance can gently reduce mental clutter. Calm isn’t created by force; it’s invited through simplicity.
When the Heart Is Weary: Emotional Fatigue in Disguise
There’s another kind of tiredness that doesn’t show up in sleep data or muscle soreness. Emotional fatigue feels like low motivation, numbness, or a subtle heaviness that makes even pleasant things feel like effort. It often comes from prolonged stress, unprocessed emotions, or holding it together for too long.
As Tết approaches, emotional layers can surface unexpectedly - family expectations, reflections on the past year, comparisons, or quiet grief mixed in with celebration. This doesn’t mean something is wrong. It means something is human.
This kind of fatigue responds best to softness. Gentle self-inquiry, journaling without fixing, heart-opening yoga poses, or simply naming feelings without analyzing them can be surprisingly restorative. Connection also matters here - not the performative kind, but honest presence with people who feel safe.
When It’s Burnout (And Why That’s Different)
Burnout isn’t just being tired after a long month. It’s a deeper state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by ongoing stress without enough recovery. Rest alone may not fully resolve it, because the root issue is often how energy is being continuously drained.
Signs include persistent exhaustion, cynicism, detachment, and a sense of “nothing is ever enough.” If these feelings linger despite rest, nourishment, and support, it may be time to look at boundaries, workload, and long-term stress patterns - possibly with professional guidance.
Burnout isn’t a personal failure. It’s a signal that the system needs change, not just a break.
A Tết-Season Reminder: Energy Is Cyclical, Not Linear
In Eastern traditions, the period leading into Tết is not meant for pushing harder - it’s meant for clearing, closing, and conserving. Just as nature prepares quietly before renewal, energy naturally turns inward before it rises again.
Wellbeing isn’t about staying energized all the time. It’s about learning to listen, differentiate, and respond wisely. Sometimes that means resting. Sometimes it means simplifying. Sometimes it means gentle movement, warm meals, laughter, or saying no without explanation.
And sometimes, it simply means recognizing this truth: Feeling tired before the Lunar New Year doesn’t mean falling behind. It often means being exactly on time.