There is a kind of tired that sleep does not fix.

You go to bed early and sleep a full night. You wake up, and you still feel heavy.

When that happens, the tiredness is usually not in the muscles. It comes from somewhere else.

It comes from staying alert. From holding your face steady in meetings, choosing your words with care, and reading the room all day.

That work never looks like work. No one sees it, so no one counts it, but the body counts it.

Being far from your first language adds another layer. You also carry the effort of translating, and of rules you learned late.

A body cannot rest while it is still on duty. Sleep alone does not take you off duty.

What helps is time where nothing is asked of you. No explaining, no being pleasant, no managing how you look.

That is most of what I offer. A quiet room, a slow pace, and no need to be anyone in particular.

When nothing is being asked, the body lets go on its own. It does not need instructions, only permission and a little time.

Taketo