"Stop being tired" say the Stoics
How to have more energy
About pain: The pain which is intolerable carries us off; but that which lasts a long time is tolerable; and the mind maintains its own tranquility by retiring into itself, and the ruling faculty is not made worse.
Meditations 7.33
The Stoics saw fatigue as a kind of pain.
And like pain, it is a semi-rational phenomenon. In other words, something that our judgment can influence. Just as our interpretation can shape whether we are anxious or excited, angry or assertive, disciplined or disordered, it can render us tired or not.
This is an interesting upshot for those that might hold it’s completely a bodily phenomenon. If it has to do with the body alone then it would not be up to us. Apart from indirect measures – like stimulants and living a healthy life conducive to energy – it would be fully outside of our control.
But our judgments matter.
Whether or not we are motivated determines our energy levels and so also our level of fatigue. And motivation depends on how we think. Whether or not we believe we will succeed shapes how energetic we are. We may have seen, or even experienced, the situations in our life when we’re able to feel alive, energetic, like a force of nature because of what we believe – or the reverse, when the idea that our project is meaningless or when we feel depressed fatigue may accompany our every waking moment and drag us down.
In athletic situations the force of will cannot be underrated. So also in life.
That’s worth remembering. Many complain (or even boast) about how tired they are.
Fatigue is, to some extent, a choice. Not only because we can influence our environment, choose the effervescent and avoid the energy draining, but also because how we think determines the pep in our step.
That said, of course, there are limits. At some point the judgment that I am exhausted and I ought to sleep is truly correct. In fact, at some point, it’s true for us nearly every day. But don’t overlook the fact that how you think shapes your energy levels too.
At some level, fatigue is inevitable. In some cases, it’s a sign that you’re living well. You’ve found something worth spending your energy on. But in another sense, it’s a choice.
As someone who suffers from cancer fatigue, I would like to add a comment. My fatigue is a result of my illness, it is a fact of life, I can not just "stop being tired". Nonetheless, how I think about it is up to me - as you say - and in this respect Stoicism helps me enormously. I accept it as the way things are, the biggest challenge is to exhibit moderation in my expectations of what I can actually achieve physically.