Tiredness is information.
The body may need sleep.
A workload may be unsustainable.
Illness, medication, stress, caregiving, or sleep disorders can all contribute to fatigue.
The right response is sometimes rest.
The distinction is that tiredness and the decision about participation are not identical.
There may be other options.
Participate for less time.
Change the task.
Ask for help.
Reduce intensity.
Rest now and return later.
Continue when the cost is acceptable and the activity matters.
This is not an argument for pushing through medically significant fatigue.
Persistent or severe fatigue can warrant clinical evaluation.
It is an argument for avoiding an automatic rule in either direction.
Tiredness should be heard.
It does not always have to be the only voice deciding what happens next.

A reflection on fatigue and participation: tiredness deserves attention without automatically making every decision about whether or how we engage.

Illness, medication, stress, caregiving, or sleep disorders can all contribute to fatigue.

The distinction is that tiredness and the decision about participation are not identical.

Continue when the cost is acceptable and the activity matters.

This is not an argument for pushing through medically significant fatigue.

Persistent or severe fatigue can warrant clinical evaluation.

It is an argument for avoiding an automatic rule in either direction.

It does not always have to be the only voice deciding what happens next.

Tiredness Does Not Have to Decide Participation