If you’ve ever struggled to figure out the source of your being tired all the time, then this post is for you. A major obstacle for many people figuring out their source of fatigue is the fact that the body is so complex. A variety of things could be acting at once, or just one change could be the thing to boost your energy exponentially.
First, there are the better-known problems. You should start with these
to rule them out. They have some of the easiest fixes and can powerfully affect energy levels.
Sleep hygiene
You probably already know that for optimum brain function and level mood, adults should get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. But the quality of your sleep can be influenced. For example, you shouldn’t sleep with any lights or the tv on. The light disrupts your body’s natural rhythms by sending signals to your brain that it’s daytime and time to wake up, even though your eyes are closed.
Also, you shouldn’t work in the same place that you sleep. Your mind will eventually associate the stress of work with that location. Taking a hot shower about 90 minutes prior to bedtime can also help because the drop in temperature that your body will experience at about that time aids in sleep.
Eating breakfast
Did you know that if you only have the choice between having nothing for breakfast and eating a fatty doughnut that you should eat the doughnut? You’ve just fasted for a number of hours, and your body needs fuel. No matter how you slice it, your brain and muscles need food, not just water, to function, and if you don’t give it to them, then you’re going to feel more tired.
Now I’m not suggesting you eat a doughnut every morning for breakfast because that has other health consequences, including a penalty to your waistline. My point is, don’t skip breakfast. And having something healthier like fruit and oatmeal will not only feed your body but will have a longer-lasting energy boost without the crash that comes with sugar.
If you have the above items under control, then the source of your being tired could be mental.
Depression
Feelings of intense sadness, worthlessness, or hopelessness for more than about a week could mean that you’re clinically depressed. This definitely impacts your energy levels. Thoughts of suicide may or may not be present. You might have difficulty concentrating, aggressive thoughts/actions, a loss of interest in the things you used to like to do, overeating, and/or intense feelings of guilt just to name a few.
If any of the above items have persisted in your life, it’s time to reach out to a talk line (1-800-273-TALK [8255]), a clergy member, an Employee Assistance Program if you have one through your job, or seek out a therapist. You might also want to check out WealthyAppetite.com’s free e-book “Reset Your Life in 3 Days: An Awareness Approach to Happiness”. Just sign up at the right of this post and receive it immediately. All of these resources can help you work through your challenges no matter what size they are, and your feelings of fatigue may taper off naturally.
Mental drain
You might be tired all the time simply because you’re stressed. It might be time to ask yourself if there’s too much on your plate and what can be cut out. If you don’t feel like anything can be cut, there’s usually a way to work more efficiently so that you feel more accomplished and motivated.
Try Lifehack.org’s “50 Tricks to Get Things Done Faster, Better, and More Easily”. Additionally, each morning try asking yourself the following question: How can I inject some fun into today? It need not be a 3-hour activity, if you don’t have the time for it. It can be as little as a few minutes. Just commit to something fun just for you, and DO IT NO MATTER WHAT!
Medical conditions are another possible culprit. The very fact that you’re feeling slowed down means that your body is trying to tell you it’s out of balance. It could be any one of the above causes. But there are also many medical conditions that, if left undiagnosed, could leave you sleepy. If your fatigue has lasted for longer than a week, you should see a doctor to rule out things like the following conditions.
Anemia
Your organs might not be getting enough oxygen because your blood cells aren’t their healthiest. Commonly, this is caused by an iron-deficiency and is treatable.
Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
Your thyroid gland may not be making enough thyroid hormone. A simple blood test can diagnose it, and it is also treatable.
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
When germs get into the tubes that connect your bladder and kidneys, you may experience pain or burning when you urinate, cloudy or smelling urine, or in more serious cases fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting. If a urine test leads to diagnosis of a UTI, it can be treated, usually with antibiotics.
Fibromyalgia
Some symptoms of this illness that can co-occur with being tired all the time are chronic muscle pain, sleep problems, constipation, and difficulty performing simple mental tasks. While more research is being done to understand this condition, you can work with your doctor on diagnosis and treatment.
Sleep apnea
This sleep disorder occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep either due to a blockage of the airway or problems with the brain’s signal to the muscles to breathe. Your doctor will ask a number of questions and may have you do a sleep study during which your sleep will be monitored and the best treatments can be matched to your condition, if you’re found to have sleep apnea.
Heart disease
Warning signs of heart disease can vary from person to person. So unfortunately, they’re tricky to pin down. However, people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, obesity, and/or a family history of heart disease should talk with their doctors. You might also want to check out the WebMD articles “When to Call the Doctor About Heart Disease” and “12 Possible Heart Symptoms Never to Ignore”.
Then, there are the nutritional sources of being tired.
Vitamin deficiency
Like in the case of anemia, vitamin deficiencies can be creating the imbalance in your body and supporting your fatigue. The farther away you are from eating a healthful, balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and non-fatty sources of protein, the more likely it is that your body isn’t getting what it needs. Multi-vitamins can help, but seeing a doctor to see where you stand first, is ideal.
Caffeine crash
The very items you’re using to make it through your being tired could be causing it! If you drink more than two cups of coffee a day or consume caffeine-rich energy drinks every day or so, then you’re most likely experiencing frequent crashes. (Keep in mind these amounts could be more or less depending on your caffeine tolerance.) Any time you use a stimulant to create energy, you’re setting yourself up to feel withdrawal and fatigue later. Not to mention irritability, depressed mood, and trouble concentrating. First, take a look at some surprising sources of caffeine on WebMD. Then, check out eHow.com’s “How to Wean Yourself Off Caffeine”.
Food intolerances
There is evidence to suggest that you could have some food sensitivities that are making you tired. Many believe that either a person has a food allergy or not. But there is actually an in-between, and if you continue consuming the offending food(s), you could move from just being tired to developing full-blown allergies. If you suspect that there may be some foods that fall into this category for you, consult with a physician. In fact, find a doctor that will run an analysis to help identify some food intolerances. Or work with her/him to start an elimination diet to pinpoint possible sources.
First step
I know I’ve given you a lot to digest! I would highly recommend that you find a naturopathic physician. Many of these doctors can do a detailed analysis of your entire lifestyle, not just diagnose you for disease, asking questions and running tests that can point to imbalance in your physical, emotional, and/or mental life. Work with the doctor to start making targeted changes in your lifestyle. The bottom line is that you don’t have to settle for being tired all the time. Just take the first step.
Now, I want to hear from you! If you have a story to share on any surprising sources of your fatigue or things that motivated you to take action and figure out why you’re tired all the time, enter them below in the comments section.
Continue reading about Proven, little-known ways to escape being tired
How to Be More Aware of Your Health
from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit
You have a mind of your own. Doctors can’t know everything. Perhaps some people trust doctors a little too much. They expect miracles and then blame the doctors when things turn out to be less than what they imagined. That’s not fair to you or the doctor.
So here are a few simple things to keep in mind when you are dealing with medical issues
Steps
- Listen to your body. It’s always sending you signals. If it doesn’t “feel right” then it’s time to re-evaluate your options.
- Get a third and fourth opinion on major a major diagnosis. For example, your doctor tells you that you have cancer. Confirm with another physician.
- Research your medical situation. The internet is packed with information. Go to discussion groups about your medical issue. Go to websites. Print out journals. Dig Deep. Why be in the dark about what’s happening with your body? This is your life!
- Ask your doctor questions. This is why you pay the doctor. If he or she is worth anything, he or she will be happy to answer your questions and give you ways to find out more information. Some doctors use a sliding-scale fee system. They will charge more if you ask more questions. Find out the cost before your consultation.
- If your doctor gets offended or displays a overly-negative reaction towards your questions, find another doctor. You need a doctor in whom you can place your confidence.
Tips
- Do regular relaxation exercises. This is simply closing your eyes in a comfortable position and breathing deeply while clearing your mind of any thoughts. This does not have to take long, five minutes can be sufficient.
Warnings
- While researching your symptoms and conditions on the Internet, be careful that you are recieving accurate information. Many doctors and hospitals have patient information sites to help you get accurate information; use them!
- When looking at your own medical imaging test results, be aware of the specific language that radiologists use. For example, “metastatic cancer cannot be excluded” does NOT mean you have cancer – it means they can’t prove you DON’T have cancer without other tests, which your primary physician already may have already done and is just waiting for tests results to confirm his/her thoughts.
- If you want the drug you saw on in an advertisement, or have diagnosed yourself and just want it confirmed, be honest about it when you see your physician. They may not agree with you, but you won’t be wasting thier time or yours.
Related wikiHows
- How to Stay Healthy
- How to Eat Healthy for Life
- How to Lose Weight the Healthy Way
- How to Get Old Without Feeling Old
- How to Remain Young Despite Becoming a Senior
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Be More Aware of Your Health. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
Continue reading about WA Guest Post: Listening to Your Body
Do you take the time to relax? Do you allow yourself the time to truly rejuvenate? Do you know how to really recharge your batteries? What works for you? We live in a society that appreciates and values the 80 hour work week. We applaud those who are workaholics, talking about the amazing work ethic and dedication. But if you are working that 40+ hour work week, are you truly being your most effective?
When I work with clients as their holistic life coach or as their Reiki master my main goal is to help them find the best balance for their lives. It seems to be well and easily understood that ‘other people’ are more effective when they’ve had rest, some time to rejuvenate. Often these same people need to really think about it to realize that the same rules do govern their own lives. We think better, listen better and make calmer more rational decisions when we are not stressed.
What works for you? Do you know? I have several outlets. Walking with my dog Indy puts me in a good mood. I find working in the perennial gardens absolutely refreshes me, it allows me to feel creative, to see beauty and to appreciate the process of growth and change. Going to our home at the lake is amazing for me. Simply the act of approaching the house and unlocking the door begins the process of melting any stress that I feel.
Of course there are other ways for me to de-stress and rejuvenate. Meditation even for a few minutes helps me to remember that there is time enough for everything that is truly important. Giving or receiving Reiki is very powerful for me. I find that my body feels more at easy, my mind lets go of nagging worries and my spirit feels lighter.
It’s not all about getting for me. Giving Reiki, especially to animals offers me a wonderful lift. I feel a strong connection to my dog Indy and love to offer him Reiki. Likewise, time spent offering Reiki to my gardens helps me tremendously and I know that offering the Reiki to pets or the earth offers them amazing benefits.
My point is that when we take time to rejuvenate ourselves, either by relaxing or by simply allowing our mind, body and spirit to play a bit we find ourselves feeling more balanced. Work is more productive, time with family is more manageable and enjoyable. Balance, balance, balance.
While it’s true that I remind my life coaching clients as well as my Reiki clients of this simple fact regularly, I sometimes have to remind myself as well. It turns out that I’m pretty human, I get busy and need to be reminded that it’s not only okay to take care of myself, it’s to the benefit of myself, my family and my clients.
For today, I encourage you to find even ten minutes to do something that just makes you smile. I promise that it’s worth it.
Wishing you a fabulous few minutes just for you. As for me, it’s time to go and walk in my gardens and offer them some Reiki. They’ll benefit and so will I. Who could ask for more?
Warmly,
Sandy
About The Author: Sandy is a Holistic Life Coach and Reiki Master dividing her time between Milwaukee and Oxford, Wisconsin. Sandy works with clients to achieve focus and balance in their lives.
Serenity
http://www.SandyWalden.com
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What if I told you that there were foods lurking in your fridge and cupboard right now that are preventing you from feeling happy? And I don’t mean because you feel guilty that the two-for-one special on chewy chocolate chip cookies sucked you in…AGAIN!
Feelings about food are one thing. But feelings caused by food are another. The food we eat every day affects our body chemistry. Scientific study after study has demonstrated the link between food and mood.
For example, research led by Associate Professor of Psychiatry William A. Carlezon Jr. validated the antidepressant-like effects of omega-3 fatty acids, found in cold-water fish like sardines, tuna, and Atlantic salmon, and some plant sources such as walnuts.
The journal Biological Psychiatry also reported how Carlezon and colleagues found that uridine, a compound found in sugar beets and molasses, has similar effects. When both compounds were used together, they were found to be effective in lower doses.
Millions of people dealing with some form of depression have no idea that food is so powerful. Our bodies need certain nutrients. If we don’t consume those nutrients, then functioning suffers. You can’t put any liquid in a car and expect it to run. Its needs and maintenance are specific. The same is true for the body. The research above and countless other studies are proof positive that we are what we eat. So start eating your way to happiness!
Before we get to some foods that can keep you happy, let’s talk about foods that can make you crabby!
Coffee-drinkers, I have some bad news. If you’re drinking four or five cups a day, that alone can cause feelings of depression. And yes, that’s 8 oz. cups. So just two Big-Gulp-sized portions of coffee from a popular coffee shop still counts! Caffeine is a no-no. Which is also bad news for soda-drinkers. The sugar in soda, candy, and other snack foods also contributes to a depressed mood. You may feel simply fabulous when that sugar-high kicks in, but the crash is simply tragic. Keeping your blood sugar stable by avoiding foods high in sugar and fat, is a great defense against depression. Yes, the body needs fat intake to function. But too much of the wrong kind is just as bad as too little.
Here are some foods that are either mood boosters or good at keeping you evened out.
A food that can help you avoid sugar lows, as well as the mood swings they bring, is brown rice. Not the instant varieties but the good old brown rice that takes a half an hour to cook. If you really don’t want to spend the time making it, get a rice cooker to set it and forget it! Your body will thank you when it receives vitamins B1 and B3 as well as folic acid. The slow-release of sugar into your bloodstream since it’s a low-glycemic food coupled with the high fiber content makes brown rice a real power food!
Another way to avoid the crash and burn that inevitably comes with a sugar high is oatmeal. It has many of the same benefits as brown rice. B vitamins and folic acid are powerful regulators of mood. And oatmeal has these as well. To add flavor, cook your oatmeal with a pinch of salt, and when it’s cooked, add cinnamon, blueberries, and bananas. This will provide the sweetness most are used to without having to add refined sugar. If you simply MUST add sugar, add only a couple of teaspoons of brown sugar. You get more flavor with brown sugar, and adding the fruit allows you to use a lot less than you would otherwise.
Find a combination of oatmeal and fresh fruit that you like enough to have every morning. Breakfast is critically important, and if you want to avoid that mid-morning sluggishness, this could be your solution. And committing to the same breakfast regimen every morning increases the likelihood that you’ll stick with it because eventually it’ll be an effortless start to your day. You might also try mixing the oatmeal ingredients the night before in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and let it sit in your fridge. When you wake up, pop it in the microwave and then add your fruit! It’s better than prepackaged oatmeal any day and with a lot less sugar!
There are other foods that can give a serotonin boost in the brain, relieving a depressed mood. Try broccoli, potatoes, blackberries, and winter squash. Folic acid deficiencies are often found in depressed people. So try the following foods: asparagus, beets, spinach, avocados, brussel sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, beans, oranges, and peas.
Niacin has also been shown to relieve feelings of anxiety and panic. Try chicken, pomegranates, tuna, lamb, wheat, or turkey. Magnesium, a natural muscle relaxant, can be found in spinach, chocolate, pumpkin seeds, oysters, sunflower seeds, brazil nuts, quinoa, almonds, and barley.
If you’re feeling down, try food before medication. Choosing one of the above foods could do the trick without contaminating your body and trying to force change unnaturally. Make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor. These doctors are dedicated to restoring balance in the body without invasive treatments, drugs, or surgery. Many times, a naturopathic physician’s services are covered at least partially by your insurance. To find a doctor near you, go to The American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at http://www.naturopathic.org/.
So am I saying that you have to toss out all the food in your house and stock your fridge full of vegetables? Maybe. There are numerous accounts of people using raw food diets and other dietary makeovers to overcome depression.
But you don’t have to totally revamp your kitchen to start feeling better. Make small changes here and there. Integrating these better choices into your life one at a time is more likely to end in a lasting lifestyle enhancement. Just start with the oatmeal every morning. Or stop sitting in front of the TV with a whole box of cookies. Choose just a few cookies with a huge glass of water. That way you get the satisfaction but you also get the feeling of fullness and hydration. After all, many of us confuse hunger with thirst.
If you’re already on anti-depressants or another medication, and you want to try more food therapy, don’t just stop your medication. Talk to a doctor, maybe a naturopathic physician, about wanting to explore natural remedies.
But the main point is, just stopping medication cold-turkey will cause its own set of side effects. Make sure you decrease your medication under the supervision of a doctor.
The first step is being aware of what you’re feeling before you put something in your mouth to eat. Are you eating because it makes you feel good? Are you eating to reward yourself? Are you eating out of boredom? Out of habit? To please someone else? If yes to any of these or other emotional reasons, then you might make things worse instead of better if you make certain food choices.
So stock your desk at work, your fridge at home, and kitchen countertops with some of the foods above. Part of the appeal of chips and cookies is that they’re so easy. Make healthier options easy. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when the instant gratification of a healthier snack wins over the effort of finding and preparing an unhealthy one. And kicking the moody food blues will be your reward!
Continue reading about Moody Food Blues: When Snacks Attack!
I was thinking today about values. Not sure why. It just struck me to question the difference between what I believe my values to be versus what my thoughts and actions each day show that they are. And the disconnect that can persist in everything that we do, dragging down our moods and removing us from even the possibility of success. So how can they be so different?
It’s easy to think of values I would explain to other people. I might say that a core value of mine is a dedication to healthfulness. In my mind, for this to be true, I must be knowledgeable about my medical history. I must keep up with my vital statistics. I’ll make good dietary decisions at each meal. And other qualities. But is this really what I subscribe to?
It’s much more difficult to tease out the things we say to ourselves in the dark. The habits we may or may not feel guilty about but that reveal our true priorities. The truth with a capital “T” is that I fall short in all the above areas. My thoughts are filled with my favorite Wendy’s french fries that I eat more often than I should at lunch. I give myself permission to eat “bad” things because I’m stressed and deserve a treat. I haven’t done a thorough audit of my medical history and that of my family. And so on.
Honestly, much like the other ideas I put forward on this site, I still struggle with bringing my thoughts and actions in line with my values. Everyday life is a never-ending exercise in embracing my authentic self.
But I guess the point of this post is to share my struggle with this and invite you to challenge your own ideas of what your values are. To what degree do your core values, the things about yourself that you take the most pride in, take a back seat to everyday life? To what degree do you put happiness and balance last? And then, what steps can you take to truly bring your life in line with what is truly important, making it your Truth?
I, for one, am putting having a conversation with my parents about my medical history on my calendar. I’m going to also make an appointment with a nutritionist to make sure the new habits I work on forming are the right ones for my body. And I’m going to make a grocery list after that visit to start incorporating some of those foods. I’ll take it one step at a time and find comfort in knowing that my Truth is within reach and moving in the right direction is indeed virtuous enough. May your journey to your authentic self be a fulfilling one.
Continue reading about A journey to virtuous values, even in the dark
