Fatigue is when you’re feeling tired all the time, and it’s a condition that plagues many companies in America. In the US alone, two-thirds of the labor force experience fatigue and more than 60 percent of the workforce feel fatigued.
Why do you feel tired and How to Prevent it?
Sometimes the reason for the lack of energy or tiredness can be obvious. It might be because you’re taking care of an infant or you just did two shifts straight. However, if you’re constantly feeling tired and weak, it may be time to look at your health, diet and lifestyle.
1. Poor Diet
Consuming too many refined carbohydrates, junk food or fast food can cause you to feel tired throughout the day. Carbs are important because it’s the main source of our energy. Our bodies break them down into sugar, which is where our energy comes from.
However, the source of carbs is important. Consuming processed food will cause your blood sugar to rise quickly, signaling your pancreas to produce more insulin to get the sugar quickly out of your blood and into your cells.
This spike in blood sugar levels is followed by drastic falls and the instability can make you feel tired very quickly. This will cause you to look for another source of carbohydrates, thus, repeating the cycle.
How to fix: Eat more complex carbs or whole foods that are fiber-rich like oatmeal, vegetables and beans. Consuming refined carbohydrates can lead your blood sugar levels to fluctuate, which can make you tired quicker. Your body tend to break down complex carbs and whole foods slower which will then make you feel full longer.
2. Lack of Sleep
Lack of quality sleep is another cause of fatigue.
Sleep is the time of day where your body regenerates and heals itself. This is also the time where your mind tends to organize all the information it’s gathered throughout the day and stores in your memory.
Getting good sleep is essential to wake up feeling energized, alert, and refreshed.
How to fix: To improve the quality of your sleep, develop a night routine. This includes changing what you can and cannot eat 4 hours before going to bed, this includes avoiding food containing caffeine since they make us more alert, keeping us from sleeping on time. Practice ways on how you can relax your mind and free it from any thoughts that can keep you from sleeping. A great example is listening to soothing music or mediating. This way you can get all the sleep you need to wake up refreshed and invigorated.
3. Lack of Exercise
If you’re working from home, you’ll most likely be sitting all the time and living a sedentary lifestyle. This will leave you feeling exhausted. Physical activity can boost your energy level and lower your level of fatigue.
How to fix: If you’re aware that you’re sitting most of the time and you’re unable to get exercise, get up once in a while. Set an alarm that will activate every hour, and get a glass of water to refresh yourself. It’s also beneficial to get a standing desk or a desktop riser where you can alternate working positions. Standing desks are known to reduce the risk of weight gain and may also lower blood pressure.
4. Depression
Depression can suck all the energy out of you and make you feel tired. Depression and tiredness are often linked with each other. It’s a condition where you’re tired even after getting all the rest you need.
Tiredness can often be mistaken for depression and vice-versa so it’s good to know the signs. Depression is when someone feels extremely sad all the time, it’s also accompanied by hopelessness and anxiety. People also experience a disinterest in hobbies that they once enjoyed or they may have trouble concentrating.
How to treat: The only way to combat depression is to talk to someone you trust or start discussing treatment options with a physician. Therapy can help treat depression. A physician will prescribe medications such as antidepressant, antipsychotics and mood stabilizers.
People who experience depression should also incorporate good sleeping routines in their lifestyle.
5. Underlying Medical Condition
If you have a healthy lifestyle, you sleep well, and you’re quite comfortable with your current situation but you’re still feeling tired, then it’s time to consult with your doctor.
Diseases that cause fatigue include hypothyroidism, anemia, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, or a heart condition.
It’s common to go through periods of fatigue and having low energy at times, however if that you can’t explain why you’re feeling tired all the time, then you might want to consider seeing your doctor.
Many factors can cause tiredness or fatigue. It’s important to check them one by one, and if you see that it’s not related to your diet, or sleeping patterns, talk to a doctor. Otherwise, you’ll find that a lifestyle change, improved diet and a healthy dose of exercise will improve your energy and productivity.
