Feeling Lethargic? 5 Ways to Beat Fatigue

Feeling physically empty and depleted is something everyone experiences throughout their life. There isn’t one set trigger for feeling this way, but it becomes more common as we age. Feeling lethargic can be caused by physical and mental stress. Maybe you’re responsible for a big task at work, and the anxiety of it all gets a bit too much to handle. It doesn’t help that as we age, we begin to neglect self-care as well. There is so much going on around us that we forget the importance of keeping ourselves afloat. All of this can have a definite impact on the way we live our lives.

Before we dive into five ways to beat fatigue, here’s a little background on why we feel fatigued in the first place.

Why We Feel Fatigued

Fatigue is a normal part of everyday life – but why? Before we start discussing solutions for the problem of fatigue, let’s take a look at the underlying causes that make us feel so burnt-out and tired.

These are some of the primary causes of chronic fatigue.

Low-Quality Sleep

Even if you get the right amount of sleep each night, you still might wake up feeling groggy, unmotivated, and exhausted. That lingering tiredness might be due to a lack of deep, restful, restorative sleep at night, which can still be a problem even if you’re getting your full seven to eight hours.

When it comes to feeling well-rested when you wake up in the morning, the quality of your sleep matters just as much as the quantity, if not more. Factors like too much exposure to light, overuse of digital devices in the evening, and lingering caffeine from your afternoon cup of coffee can all make it harder to reach deep sleep.

Aside from lethargy, poor sleep can also cause irritability, weight gain, poor metabolism, and muscle weakness.

A Sedentary Lifestyle

While sitting still all day might not come to mind when you’re thinking about causes of fatigue, it’s a potential culprit.

While it might sound counterintuitive, regular physical activity throughout the day actually helps you maintain feelings of energy rather than draining them – at least up to a point. Overexertion and too much activity can wear you out, too, but given the sedentary lives that most Americans live, it’s more likely that too little activity is making us feel more tired than we should.

Even getting up and moving around just a little bit during your workday can have a major impact on your overall energy levels. That little burst of movement can improve your mental energy just as much as your physical energy – sometimes a quick lap around the office or even taking care of a household chore or two is all you need to get your motivation and workflow back on track.

A Subpar Diet

What you eat and drink has a profound effect on every aspect of your health, both mental and physical, and poor diet can cause lethargy. If you’re feeling sluggish and exhausted when you wake up each morning as well as through the day that ensues, your diet might be part of the problem.

The Standard American Diet unfortunately typically doesn’t offer enough nourishment to keep your body and mind healthy and energized. That means that if you eat like most Americans eat, you’re likely to feel foggy and tired most of the time because of a lack of vitamins, minerals, and other key nutrients.

Poor diet can also contribute to diabetes, iron deficiency anemia, kidney disease or liver disease, constipation, and memory problems, to name just a few.

With daytime fatigue and exhaustion reaching epidemic levels, many Americans are making radical changes to the way they eat to achieve good nutrition. That sometimes means sacrificing your favorite junk foods – or at least eating them far less often – and switching to healthier, fresher, whole-food alternatives.

While it may sound like a hard trade to make, it can pay dividends into maintaining your overall health for the long run.

Dehydration

Dehydration can play a major role in chronic fatigue syndrome, too. Not drinking enough water makes it harder to feel your best, and it’s all too easy to forget to have a glass of H2O every few hours during the day.

As we’ll discuss in the paragraphs below, what you eat and drink really does make a difference in your energy levels. We’ll go into greater detail shortly about the most helpful changes to make to your diet and lifestyle for more energy and less fatigue.

Increase Your Activity

Staying stagnant and doing nothing can severely affect the way our body processes energy. Keeping our brain stimulated is vital for getting rid of excess energy and stress associated with daily life. If we have a day cooped up inside the house, there is no outlet for our bodies to get rid of excess energy or deal with stress. So, go outside, go for a run, fix your bike’s flat tire and take it riding; get out of the house. Simple lifestyle changes like getting at least an hour of sunlight and physical activity can have a positive effect on our energy levels, and can also support weight loss efforts, combat symptoms of restless legs syndrome, and ward off infection.

Be Mindful of What You Eat and Drink

What we consume has an immediate impact on our energy levels. Foods that are difficult to process, such as spicy dishes, high-dairy products, or any food high in fructose—to name a few—can lead to low energy levels due to the amount needed to digest these foods. Other sugary drinks such as sodas and sweetened teas can make this process more strenuous on your body as well. Sticking to a regimented diet consisting of a balanced proportion of protein, fruits, and greenscan help your body create and store the energy needed to get the most out of your day. Beware of excessive alcohol consumption before bed as well.

Improve Sleep Quality

Better sleep correlates to increased energy. Additionally, having good sleep habits has an immediate impact on our quality of life. Bad sleep quality mainly is attributed to is to:

• Excessive exposure to blue light
• The wrong late-night snack
• Stress and anxiety
• Pre-bedtime workouts
• High blood glucose levels
• Sleep disorders
• Medication side effects

Staying away from blue light is probably the most important out of this list. According to WebMD, “Americans spend an average of 7 hours a day on electronic devices. Worse yet, 9 out of 10 Americans admit to reaching for an electronic device [at least] several nights each week shortly before bedtime. That could be an invitation for insomnia.” So stay away from the phone before bed. Instead of reading your Twitter feed, pick up that book you’ve always told yourself you’d read. Additionally, stay away from processed, nutrient-lacking foods if you are late-night snacking — in fact, it may be helpful to avoid late-night snacking altogether. Foods that are high in fat are typically harder for the body to digest, which can harm your sleep pattern.

Utilize Vitamin Supplements

For those looking for a reliable and straightforward way to boost energy levels, vitamin supplements are the way to go. They can be easily incorporated into any morning routine while providing consistent, organic results. B-Complex vitamins such as vitamin B12 help our body transform the food we eat into energy. Other supplements such as melatonin—when taken before bed—can help you achieve a higher quality of sleep.

Consider IV Therapy

For those who suffer from fatigue daily, considering intravenous therapy could help alleviate your symptoms. Treatments like NAD+ therapy, help combat the signs of aging, such as fatigue, poor cognitive function, and weakened immune system. B12 IV therapy can also help boost energy levels quickly and support healthy red blood cells.

Conclusion

Chronic fatigue can take a huge toll on our quality of life, and too much of it can severely strain our mental health. Just about everything we do affects our energy levels, from the foods we eat to the amount we sleep. Sticking to a healthy, active lifestyle with an austere bedtime routine will prevent your body from running on E. So, if you are someone who experiences constant fatigue, making some small changes to your daily routine can have a huge impact on your health.

If symptoms are getting in the way of daily life, consult with a Healthcare Provider before starting any new supplements or incorporating major lifestyle changes.

Sources:

Fatigue | Mayo Clinic

12 ways to keep your brain young | Harvard Health

How Sleep Satisfaction Can Affect Energy Levels | Sleep Foundation

How to Manage Blue Light for Better Sleep | WebMD