Everyone feels tired and exhausted at some point. There will be days where your work, study, or other responsibilities can get the best of you. That’s why everyone is constantly reminded to take a break every once in a while. Even that one-hour lunch break you get from work is needed so you’ll have time to recollect and refresh yourself before going back to work.
However, if you’re constantly feeling tired more than usual, you may be experiencing fatigue. Fatigue is when you’re constantly exhausted even if you just got out of bed or from a long rest. It’s also fatigue when you don’t feel motivated to do anything or fulfill your daily tasks. Fatigue can be felt physically or mentally. Mental and physical fatigue are different, but they’re often experienced together.
Once your fatigue becomes chronic, it can be hazardous to your health and safety. People with serious chronic fatigue will act similarly to a person who’s intoxicated. Knowing what to do in case you’re experiencing chronic fatigue is important not only to secure your safety but to make sure it never happens again.
Here are some things you can do if you’re experiencing symptoms of chronic fatigue.
Treat The Underlying Physical Illness Causing The Fatigue
Feeling tired is normal, but when you’re experiencing chronic fatigue, it’s something that must be dealt with seriously. Chronic fatigue is often associated with a more severe health problem. It can also be its own health condition, known as chronic fatigue syndrome. Thus, if you’re feeling the symptoms of chronic fatigue, you need to consult an endocrinologist.
An endocrinologist will perform a thorough checkup with your endocrine system and the rest of your body to see if any underlying physical illnesses have caused your chronic fatigue in the first place.
Let Your Body Heal And Get Enough Rest
If you’re not suffering from any severe health conditions, there are other numerous possible reasons why you’re experiencing chronic fatigue. It can be caused by the following:
- Depression
- Stress
- Burnout from work or school
- Frequent graveyard shifts
- Insomnia
- Chronic body pain
- Life Events (divorce, break up, or moving away from home)
In that case, you need to take that as a sign that you’ve overworked your body. You owe it to your body to give it enough time to rest and get enough sleep.
If your fatigue was caused by stress from work or frequent sleepless nights due to your night shifts, then take some days off. File a few days of vacation leave or cut back on your responsibilities from work.
During the night, start a healthy bedtime routine to help you sleep better and make sure you follow good sleep hygiene. Take time to heal and restore your body from stressful elements that triggered your fatigue.
Get Regular Exercise
A person suffering from chronic fatigue may not feel motivated to do any exercise at all. However, choosing not to exercise will only worsen your condition, making it even harder for you to recover from fatigue.
Thus, make sure you set aside a few minutes every day to do some exercises such as a 15 to 30-minute walk around the neighborhood, ride a bike, or take your dog for a run. Regular physical activity will reduce fatigue and help you sleep better at night.
Eat A Balanced Diet
Your diet can have a huge effect on your overall health and energy. If you’re eating unhealthy food all the time, don’t be surprised if you don’t have enough energy to perform your tasks. Plus, it can also cause obesity, digestive issues, depression, and, worst, severe health illnesses.
To alleviate chronic fatigue symptoms, you need to start following a balanced diet and make sure you don’t skip any meals, especially breakfast.
Moreover, be watchful of your drinking habits, too. Avoid consuming large amounts of caffeine during the afternoon and especially at night. Instead, increase your water intake to keep your body and your brain hydrated.
Incorporate Relaxation Techniques In Your Lifestyle
Having a hectic schedule and a busy lifestyle can be one of the factors that contributed to your chronic fatigue. Reduce your risk of having fatigue by incorporating relaxation techniques in your daily life.
Set aside a few minutes to do yoga or meditation. Mindfulness meditation may reduce your symptoms of fatigue and improve your sleep quality every night. You can also practice deep breathing exercises during your lunch breaks or free time at work to keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed with stress and responsibilities.
Wrap Up
Lifestyle factors and a range of health problems can contribute to chronic fatigue. Let these tips guide you towards a healthier lifestyle and reduce the risk of worsening your fatigue symptoms. If none of these tips works, don’t hesitate to consult your doctor’s advice.
