If you’ve ever looked like THIS:
You may have felt like caffeine is the only cure for fatigue that hits you during the day or even over long periods of time. Fortunately, it’s not. In this article, I hope to encourage you – to show you that there are multiple ways to improve symptoms of fatigue – and any of them are possible for you to start changing today. Cool? Cool.
Fatigue is defined as “Feeling overtired, with low energy and a strong desire to sleep that interferes with normal daily activities.”
Fatigue can limit your ability to display physical strength and learn new skills. It can also drain your emotions and impact your brain chemistry.
So what can YOU do right NOW to reduce fatigue?
1. Start with Sleep.
It’s obvious that a lack of sleep correlates with being “overtired”. When you sleep, your body has the opportunity to repair itself because it has a break from the stress and input over your daily activities.
If you’re not getting enough sleep consistently, start by trying some of these tips:
- Set a bedtime/wake-up time.
- If you have a smartphone, set a consistent alarm rather than multiple alarms. iPhones now have the option of a “bedtime” status that alerts you to when you need to prepare for bed and creates a personalized wake-up tone too.
- Turn lights out. (Melatonin production is signaled when there is less light. Therefore, you can feel “drowsy” more quickly.)
- Shut down screens prior to your bedtime or switch them into “Night Shift” mode.
- Invest in black-out curtains, they are God’s gift to light sleepers.
- Cut out caffeine.
- Caffeine works as a central nervous system stimulant, and depending on the individual, works in such a manner as to mask fatigue. (Which is cool and all until you forgot that you had a coffee at 4 p.m. and have to be asleep ~10:00 if you’re going to keep on schedule.
2. Walk it Out.
If you’ve ever heard ” just move more” and all that ya-da ya-da, you’ve probably been like:
“F*ck you, Janice. Not all of us have time to go to spin class 2x/day.”
Which is true.
You can, however, walk throughout your day. Walking is like the fountain of youth, an elixir from a fantasy, a special combination of relaxing and fitnessing that is unparalleled.
Walking improves blood flow (your cardiovascular health), lymph movement (your immune system), joint (synovial) fluid movement, alertness, and mood. #stepsgoals
Don’t complicate it. Do your best to simply stay moving throughout a day.
3. Eat for Energy.
Both over-eating and under-eating will impact your levels of fatigue. A personal trainer can help you figure out “maintenance calories” to improve fat loss or muscle gain (both of which can improve your health and overall fatigue levels).
Here are two micro-nutrients for your body that can help with improving your energy levels:
- Vitamin B (all of them, but for the sake of brevity let’s look at B12) – Oftentimes, these come from animal-based sources – meat, fish, poultry. But if you’re into more plant-based lifestyles, eggs, cheese, and nuts will help you out here.
- Iron – Leafy greens lead the way, but other food sources for iron include beef, potatoes, beans, and raisins.
Basically, eat meat and veggies. Boom.
4. Hype your hydration.
Water doesn’t have to be boring. Yes, it is more beneficial to intake good ole’ H2O instead of Gatorade, but if you just absolutely HATE water, you still have options like:
- Mio/Crystal Light – Zero calories. Yes, it’s artificial sugar, but as of now, current research shows no significant negative side-effects. Plus, once you get used to drinking more water with less real sugar, you can taper off the flavoring if you’d like.
- Gatorade Zero – honestly, same as above. I just think it tastes better.
Fruit and vegetable juices, milk, teas, and anything else that has a significant water content adds to your hydration level each day. It’s GETTING ENOUGH that will help improve your energy.
So when in doubt, hype your hydration and drink something you like.
5. Grind then Unwind.
You have daily responsibilities. I get that. And you should 100% prioritize those.
Still, consistently elevated stress levels can drastically impact fatigue.
Here are two tips for separating work from play so that you can get the most out of each part and improve your stress management:
- Schedule “fun” time.
- If you’re a person who makes your own schedule, you probably never actually “stop” working. But, if you keep grinding, you’ll soon find yourself burning out.
- Write down what you’re worried about or “still have to finish” before you leave work, go out with friends, or go to sleep.
- Doing this helps you to think about it less because it is already written down. You don’t have to worry about “remembering to do it”. You’ve taken the ambiguity out of the situation and already applied a “next step” action. You’re crushing it.
Grind then unwind. Work hard, play hard. Do your best then let it rest.
Fatigue is cruel and compounding. I hope this helps you defeat it.
I’m here to help, so please let me know if I can help with anything.
-Madison
