Dear Aunty: I’m exhausted and it’s only the second week of January. Is it me or the energy?

Written By Charmaine Carraway

Dear Aunty

I started January 1st with so much hype. I had my list, my water bottle, and my plan. But here we are in Week 2, and I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. I’m sleeping, but I’m not rested. My mood is heavy, and I’m already snapping at people. Is there something wrong with me, or is the energy just weird right now?

 â€” Tired in Toledo

Aunty's Response

Listen to me closely, baby: There is nothing wrong with you. But there is likely something on you. 

We live in a culture that tells us January is for sprinting. We push, we grind, and we force our bodies into high gear while nature is still in the dead of winter. But more importantly, you likely walked into 2026 without scrubbing off the energetic residue of 2025. 

You cannot put fresh clothes on a dirty body. 

When you feel "tired but not sleepy," that is usually spiritual exhaustion, not physical fatigue. It means your aura is clogged with the opinions, stress, and chaos of the last twelve months. You are trying to run a marathon while carrying a backpack full of rocks.

Here is your permission to stop running and start soaking. 

 We aren't trying to "fix" your energy; we are trying to clear it. You need to perform an Energy Detox. Just like charcoal pulls poisons from the stomach, a spiritual bath pulls static from the aura. It is magnetic. It grabs the heaviness you can’t articulate and washes it down the drain. 

 Rest is not a reward for working hard, my love. Rest is the requirement for showing up.


Collective Soul Tribe Lesson


"Hydration applies to the Spirit, too." We often think of detoxing as taking things away (sugar, social media). But true energetic detoxing is about adding flow. If your spirit is dehydrated, your intuition cannot flow, and your energy becomes stagnant swamp water. 

You must flush the system—physically with water, and spiritually with stillness.

Mantra

Om

Om Namah Shivaya 

Pronunciation: Aum Nah-mah She-vah-yah 

Meaning:"I bow to Shiva" (The Divine Self). In the Hindu tradition, Shiva is the destroyer of illusions and the master of transformation. This mantra is the ultimate deep-cleaner. It dissolves the ego's heaviness and purifies the elements within your body (earth, water, fire, air, space).

Speak this affirmation 3 times in the morning when you rise and 3 times at night before you rest. Say it with intention, not just words. Let it shift your mindset and anchor your faith in your own journey.

Affirmation

"I release the weight of yesterday. I am not my exhaustion; I am the observer of it. My energy is clear, my spirit is light, and I am restored to my center."