Are you feeling

There are diseases in which fatigue is a symptom.  This article will address the most common causes of low energy that are not the result of an illness.

One of the things we often reach for when we are tired and want a boost in energy is a candy bar or a caffeine drink, but an interesting study at California State University found that taking a walk boosted energy levels better than a candy bar. 

Subjects were given either the candy bar of their choice or told to take a brisk 10 minute walk repeatedly over a 3 week period.  Immediately after finishing off the candy bar, those subjects stated that they felt more energetic.  But as time passed, they began to feel more and more tired.  The walkers, on the other hand, not only felt more energetic 1 and 2 hours after their walk, but also more relaxed.  The candy eaters felt tenser.  The study clearly shows that a short, brisk walk is a much better energy booster than a candy bar.

1. Fatigue is often associated with a  lack of exercise!  Exercise beats fatigue in two basic, but very important ways.  It improves your physical condition, enabling your body to more efficiently deliver oxygen to your muscles, increasing your endurance.[1]Exercise stimulates an overall feeling of well-being. Exercise also helps you to sleep better.                                 

2. Feeling fatigue from lack of sleep is a no-brainer.  At least half of us have trouble sleeping sometime.  Worry is often the cause. During troubled times it is best to follow these simple rules: 

• Don’t drink any caffeinated or alcoholic beverages after dinner.
• Go to bed the same time every night
• Don’t use your bedroom for anything other than sleep and sex.  In other words, don’t work in your bedroom.
• Keep the room cool and dark.
• Think pleasant thoughts.  I also find praying for others a help for me to get to sleep.
• Play relaxing music.  There are many CDs available made just for getting to sleep.  I have found them to be very helpful.  Also listening to books on tape puts me to sleep.
• Get regular, moderate exercise, but not within 2 hours of going to bed.
• Make sure you are breathing properly.  Sleeping on your back is not good for many of us.  That position tends to cause the airway to get blocked by the relaxation of the soft palate.
• If you have allergies, the Breath Right nose strips are one way to help keep your nasal passages open for better breathing.

3. A Poor diet can be a cause of fatigue.  Avoid those “crash”, or fad, diets.  They do not supply a balanced nutrition.  A good diet will leave you feeling bright and energized.  Here’s what you need to do: Eat a variety of fresh foods.  Don’t eat fewer than 1200 calories a day if you are a woman and 1500 calories if you are a man. Don’t eat big meals late at night.  Actually, it’s best if you can eat before 7 pm.  Also don’t skip meals.

4. Drugs & Alcohol usually make us feel sleepy.  We’re not talking about the illegal kind of drugs here, although they can certainly cause fatigue as well.  We are referring to any number of over the counter and prescribed medications such as antihistamines, pain relievers, diuretics, antibiotics, oral contraceptives and more.

Any more than one or two drinks can affect your sleep detrimentally.  If you have ever had too much to drink, then you know the feeling of a “hang-over” and the fatigue that goes along with it.  There is not much you can do to combat fatigue from medications while you’re taking them except to have a caffeinated drink to perk you up during work.

5. The Fatigue of Stress.  Many of the stresses that come our way are unavoidable pressures that we have to deal with.  But if you are in the middle of the kind of stress where it looks like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, then you need to make yourself take a 10-15 minute “vacation” from your worries every day.  Doing this mental exercise will give you a little relief from the stressful tension that can be so draining.

6. Depression can make you feel like your body is made of lead and its an effort to do anything.  Problems sleeping are a common issue with people who are depressed.  The answer to this is to face the problem that is making you feel so blue.  Once you can understand the root cause of the depression, you can make a change to correct the circumstances.  By this we mean that either you have to change the way you react to the situation, or else you have to change the situation.

Fatigue can sometimes mean a physical illness.  If you have to drag yourself out of bed every morning and you feel as tired then as when you went to bed, then is is a good idea to see a doctor about it.

[1] Everyday Health Tips