Fatigue. We’ve all experienced it. There are different types of fatigue: mental,
emotional, and physical. Most are
temporary but continual fatigue takes its toll.
It can also be a sign that something is wrong.
Mental exhaustion is fairly common and is often a temporary
state. It appears as fogginess (when you
just need that second cup of coffee to get going), tension headaches, and confusion
or memory issues. It is often caused by
overwhelming responsibility (work, home, school, etc.) and stress, too many
hours without a break, or sleep deprivation.
Emotional fatigue often has similar symptoms as mental exhaustion, but
it also commonly causes bouts of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. Extended periods
of high emotion are the biggest trigger, though hormonal factors also contribute
to it.
Physical fatigue results in muscle weakness, spasms, or
shaking, lethargy or sluggishness, soreness, and the feeling of weighted limbs. Underuse of your muscles can lead to atrophy
so that when you do use those muscles, they become tired more quickly. This is why it’s important for sedentary
workers to get up and stretch regularly.
Overuse of any body part leads to excess stress on that muscle group
which causes pain and could lead to injury.
So if you’ve been on your feet for hours on end, you might want to
consider resting for a bit to take some of the stress off of your legs and
feet. The onset of viruses can also
cause sluggishness so if you start to get that dragging feeling, start pumping
yourself full of Vitamin C and Zinc (or whatever your preference of
cold-fighting remedies might be).
Some things you can do to reduce your overall fatigue:
- The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep for adults under 65. That said, fewer hours may work better for you depending on your lifestyle and biological makeup.
- Well-balanced and well-proportioned meals at regular intervals. Also consider keeping high-protein snacks on hand to tide you over until your main meals. Higher protein foods will give you more energy for extended periods of time than high carb (aka sugar) foods.
- Add taking multi-vitamins to your daily routine.
- Take regular breaks to stretch and walk. Adding any cardio activities to your day will help boost your adrenaline while stretching will ensure your muscles don’t tighten up too much. Just make sure not to overdo it – if your muscles start to feel strained, stop.
- Research the side effects of all medication you are taking and ask your doctor/pharmacist about how it reacts with other medications (prescription or OTC) you are taking. Some meds increase fatigue but taking them at different times of day can reduce the intensity of it.
- Reduce your mental or emotional stress by getting organized (lists, lists, lists!) or sharing your burden with others (either verbally or literally). Keeping it all in tends to increase anxiety and depressive moods.
- Pain takes its toll on you so be sure to see a doctor and treat both the pain and the root cause of it.
- Keep track of your energy levels by keeping a diary and including your sleeping, eating, and activity habits for each day. This can help you (and your doctor) find potential triggers.
If you’ve made changes but still aren’t feeling the results,
definitely check in with your doctor.
Fatigue, when combined with other symptoms, could equate a more serious
issue. Don’t be afraid of sounding
paranoid – you know yourself enough to know when something is off. Your doctor’s first step will most likely be
to order blood-work, something that isn’t a bad idea to get every year or so
anyhow. The solution might be as simple
as adding specific vitamins/minerals to your diet but at least it will help verify that it isn’t anything auto-immune, viral, or cancerous in nature.
- National Sleep Foundation: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/press-release/national-sleep-foundation-recommends-new-sleep-times
- USDA – Food and Nutrition: https://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic
- CDC Physical Activity Guidelines (PDF): https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/
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