Fatigue - How to Not Be Tired All the Time

Written by: Dr Ilbey Ucar – PhD (Psychology)
Last updated date : March 13, 2022

Are you so exhausted every day, to a point that you can’t engage in your usual activities? Do you find it hard to get out of bed every morning to complete simple tasks? In your mind and body, do you feel a sense of physical and mental exhaustion?

The mind-body connect means that fatigue and mental health woes, stress, anxiety etc. go hand in hand. In this article we go over fatigue in detail, how it impacts mental health and finally, what you can do to prevent fatigue.

Firstly, fatigue is very common. We have all felt drained at some point in our lives. Eight times out of ten, there is an simple fix-more rest! This is easier said than done. And we will cover ways to feel more rested further along in the article.

Sometimes, fatigue is a warning sign that you must take heed of. This article will go over instances that you may need to visit a doctor. In addition, we will explore simple ways to overcome physical and mental exhaustion.


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Chapter 1:

What Is Fatigue?

A tired young man sitting at his office table leaning back and looking up

Firstly, lets break down the difference between general tiredness and fatigue. A busy day rushing around town or a poor night’s sleep can leave you feeling tired. Fatigue on the other hand is a longer term. It’s that sense of physical and mental exhaustion that lasts for weeks.

Chapter 2:

What Causes Fatigue?

Fatigue can be divided into two main categories based on their causes.

Physical health-related causes

It is a very common occurrence of fatigue to show up if an individual disregards their physical health. Deprivation of the body’s basic needs easily makes one feel tired. Some physical health issues related to fatigue can also be serious issues, brought up by long-term negligence of one’s health. Most often these are very easy fixes.

Below lists 10 physical causes that leads to fatigue.
Consumption of unhealthy food or not consuming enough food

Too many carbs end up being a quick source of energy. They easily break down into sugar that works as fuel. However, too much carb consumption can produce too much sugar. This will affect badly when the blood sugar levels rise. As a result, bodily insulin production fastens in order to get the excess sugar level under control.

This rise and fall in the blood sugar level may confuse your body and exhaust it. You’re most likely to continue your carb consumption to feel better, which will be the start of a vicious cycle. These issues may also come up incase you consume a food that you’re allergic to. Sensitive for may result in headaches, runny nose or rashes causing exhaustion and fatigue.

Consumption of too many calories can easily lead a person towards obesity. When your body is of too much weight to carry around, you will find comfort in sitting in one place all day. Simple tasks will be exhausting and you may feel tired and sleepy all the time. This calls for a lack of activity and the food you consume will continue to increase your body weight.

Eating less doesn’t make the situation any better. If you decide to cut down on your meals due to limited time, or overworking, etc. your body goes into a malfunctioning state since it doesn’t have the energy to get you through the day. It is important to remember that in order to run the day like we want to, our body needs fuel, which is supplied by balanced meals with fruit and vegetables. Also, water! Lots of water!

Serious physical illnesses

An individual is more at the risk of developing very serious health conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure, obesity, etc., In the case of an individual sticking to harmful diets, consuming high calorie, carb-filled food or energy drinks way too often. Below are some of the serious illnesses that may cause fatigue.

Diabete

In the case of Diabetes, your blood will have an extreme level of sugar. They do not ender blood cells, where the sugar can be converted into energy. Due to this cause, despite the good intake of food, you may still feel tired, lethargic, and fatigue. In the case you have persistent unexplained fatigue, you may request your health care provider and be tested for Diabetes.

Heart Diseases

The simple attacks of fatigue during the day when you attend day-to-day tasks may not be alarming. However, if you have suffered from various illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, or others, it may be a signal of your heart no longer being able to handle activities. In this case, you notice that it is increasingly difficult to finish the jobs that were once very easy, it is wise to meet your health care provider.

Obesity

Consumption of high-calorie food to an excessive level may lead to overweight gain. The difficulty of moving around or attending to small tasks such as picking an object off the ground may require a lot of effort. As a result, overweight people tend to lessen movement. Thus, with less activity, they continue to gain weight and are at a bigger risk of being diagnosed with illnesses such as diabetes or blood pressure issues.

A tired young man sitting at his office table leaning back and looking up
Not getting enough sleep

People tend to disregard sleep for many reasons. Most of it involves overworking, or not having enough time to meet deadlines. They cut down their sleep schedule to make time for other work, not knowing that sleep is just as important. The few ties you hit the snooze button to grab that extra few minutes of sleep are so tempting because you lack so much of it. If you don’t wake up energized, alert, and refreshed, chances are your sleep wasn’t of high quality.

Regulating your sleeping schedule helps your body get the much-needed break it deserves. Your brain muscles need time to relax from the tiring activities of the day. So do your body tissues. If you don’t fall asleep, didn’t get enough sleep, didn’t have time to sleep the result is the same. you’ll be tired. In fact, sleeping for less than 7 hours is one of the most common causes of fatigue. Sleep deprivation and the exhaustion caused by it increases the chances of accidents as well.

Sleep apneaA potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts may also be a common reason you don’t get enough sleep. An individual tends to wake up from their sleep several times for a brief moment, due to their breathing getting briefly disturbed. Chances are, they may not notice this. as a result, you may spend enough hours in bed, thinking you’re sleeping but not getting enough sleep. If you don’t have the time to sleep for 7 hours, try napping when you feel tired!

Sleep deprivation or drowsiness can also be side effects of other medications you’re taking. If that is a concern, please meet your healthcare provider to make things clear. If none of these methods work it’s essential to meet a medical health professional for further tests and to identify any underlying issues.

Drugs and medications

Drugs and medications can be the reason for your fatigue too. Some medicine you may have been prescribed for a different illness may have side effects such as drowsiness. This is especially noticeable in medication for mental health illnesses. If it’s asleep aid for Insomnia it may not be so much of a side effect. It’s important to ask your doctor about the side effects any medication prescribed to you may get. You can also do a full evaluation and ask your medical health provider for an alternative.

This includes alcohol consumption as well. After a fun night out, don’t be surprised if you find it difficult to get out of bed due to exhaustion. This fatigue is not long-lasting. A few hours of good sleep and some medication will fix things easily.

Infections

Infections that cause fatigue could range from flu to HIV. Symptoms of this situation include fever, headache, body aches, and fatigue as well as appetite loss or shortness of breath.

Covid -19, Pneumonia, Hepatitis, HIV are some of the viral infections that may cause fatigue. Getting rid of the infection will help you regain your strength, but if the medical condition gets serious you may feel tired for a long time.

Anemia

This is a cause that affects fatigue among women. Iron deficiency caused due to blood loss during the menstrual cycle. These red blood cells carry oxygen, so the loss of it leads to reduced energy. That being said, Anemia is not a condition-specific for women. It is the general term used to identify the lack of red blood cells.

If you face fatigue and general lethargy, especially during your time of the month, try iron supplements and consuming food rich with iron.

Hypothyroidism

The small gland at the bank of your neck called the thyroid controls your metabolism and the speed at which your food digests and turns into energy. If the gland is functioning slow or underactive you may put on weight and feel sluggish. In the case your thyroid is malfunctioning, synthetic hormones can bring the process up to speed.

Chapter 3:

Mental Health-Related Fatigue

Being mentally exhausted and giving up on life might make you feel like walking from your room to the kitchen is too much. One of the most relevant behaviors of severe mental sickness is the behavior that isolates an individual. People that are suicidal and are under a lot of stress take pleasure in being on their own. They find it extremely difficult to gather themselves up to engage with the outside world as if a permanent cloud of sadness has surrounded them.

Below are a few mental health related issues, which tends to bring about the exhausted version of you.

Müdigkeit – Wie Man Nicht Ständig Müde Ist
Extreme stress & anxiety levels

Stress is a natural feeling of finding it hard to cope with daily activities. This is an extremely normal condition that must have affected everyone at least once. However, if steps aren’t taken to manage stress at its basic level, it may become a chronic and painful condition, hard to get rid of. Just like a poor diet may affect a person badly, so can a poor mentality.

Insomnia is a very common symptom experienced by someone with stress. Due to the lack of sleep, fatigue is to be expected.

Eating well, exercise, engagement in cheerful activities, or simply spending time with loved ones can help you battle stress. Meditation helps a person relax and refresh their minds. However, stress is not anyone can get rid of completely. It’s bound to occur at some point, often many times a day. the trick is to keep it in check. Remember to be so grateful for what you have, that you have no time to worry about what you don’t.

Eating disorders

This is a range of psychological conditions that help develop unhealthy eating habits. They can even result in death if continues for too long without treatment. Eating disorder symptoms may include binge eating, puking, or restriction of food. This condition is most common among young women than men. Eating disorders can be genetic, developed due to personality traits or societal pressure.

However, due to overeating or not eating, the body naturally starts lacking the nutrition it wants. Or on the contrary, too much of it leads to confusion and malfunction. These causes and the fight an individual’s body puts up to fight it tends to exhaust one’s body tissues, organs causing fatigue.

Boredom

Having nothing to do for a long time might get you used to sitting in one place, doing something you enjoy. You may get addicted to this feeling of relaxation to a point you no longer enjoy any physical activities. Boredom and relaxation can be harmful sometimes. Yes its necessary, but too much of anything is not the best idea.

Impactful life events Sometimes, the sudden shock of emotions you face may be at the root of a chronic fatigue.

Events such as an unexpected loss of a loved one, losing a job, or losing a pet may leave an individual hopeless. This feeling of defeat and emotions can estrange them from the outside world, no longer wanting anything to do with it. With therapy and guidance, they may recover over time. The severity of the situation decides the amount of help one may need. Usually, when a certain grieving period has passed, one may collect themselves and slowly come back to their routine functions.

Feeling of emotional distress can be linked with agitation too. However, if things don’t get better over time, it is advised to meet a mental health professional to embark on recovery.

Emotional exhaustion

You have may have felt like everything is so overwhelming to a point that you don’t want to take another step anymore. All the meetings are stressful, the typing and calls are too much, kids are too much and you may feel stuck in your own life.

An emotional rollercoaster that makes you feel trapped in your own ups and downs may push you to give up on everything. This is more like a feeling of wanting to nap all day without worry. This may indicate that you’re over-exhausted, physically and emotionally, and should take a break for recovery.

Continuing to push and work past these severe thoughts may make your fatigue chronic and severe. Thus, listen to your body and mind when it requires rest. If you feel like you can’t help it like you’re required to, do consult a doctor for further assistance.Stress is a natural feeling of finding it hard to cope with daily activities. This is an extremely normal condition that must have affected everyone at least once. However, if steps aren’t taken to manage stress at its basic level, it may become a chronic and painful condition, hard to get rid of. Just like a poor diet may affect a person badly, so can a poor mentality.

Insomnia is a very common symptom experienced by someone with stress. Due to the lack of sleep, fatigue is to be expected.

Eating well, exercise, engagement in cheerful activities, or simply spending time with loved ones can help you battle stress. Meditation helps a person relax and refresh their minds. However, stress is not anyone can get rid of completely. It’s bound to occur at some point, often many times a day. the trick is to keep it in check. Remember to be so grateful for what you have, that you have no time to worry about what you don’t.

Eating disorders

This is a range of psychological conditions that help develop unhealthy eating habits. They can even result in death if continues for too long without treatment. Eating disorder symptoms may include binge eating, puking, or restriction of food. This condition is most common among young women than men. Eating disorders can be genetic, developed due to personality traits or societal pressure.

However, due to overeating or not eating, the body naturally starts lacking the nutrition it wants. Or on the contrary, too much of it leads to confusion and malfunction. These causes and the fight an individual’s body puts up to fight it tends to exhaust one’s body tissues, organs causing fatigue.
Boredom

Having nothing to do for a long time might get you used to sitting in one place, doing something you enjoy. You may get addicted to this feeling of relaxation to a point you no longer enjoy any physical activities. Boredom and relaxation can be harmful sometimes. Yes its necessary, but too much of anything is not the best idea.

Impactful life events Sometimes, the sudden shock of emotions you face may be at the root of a chronic fatigue.

Events such as an unexpected loss of a loved one, losing a job, or losing a pet may leave an individual hopeless. This feeling of defeat and emotions can estrange them from the outside world, no longer wanting anything to do with it. With therapy and guidance, they may recover over time. The severity of the situation decides the amount of help one may need. Usually, when a certain grieving period has passed, one may collect themselves and slowly come back to their routine functions.

Feeling of emotional distress can be linked with agitation too. However, if things don’t get better over time, it is advised to meet a mental health professional to embark on recovery.

Emotional exhaustion

You have may have felt like everything is so overwhelming to a point that you don’t want to take another step anymore. All the meetings are stressful, the typing and calls are too much, kids are too much and you may feel stuck in your own life.

An emotional rollercoaster that makes you feel trapped in your own ups and downs may push you to give up on everything. This is more like a feeling of wanting to nap all day without worry. This may indicate that you’re over-exhausted, physically and emotionally, and should take a break for recovery. Continuing to push and work past these severe thoughts may make your fatigue chronic and severe. Thus, listen to your body and mind when it requires rest. If you feel like you can’t help it like you’re required to, do consult a doctor for further assistance.

Chapter 4:

Is It Time to Meet a Doctor?

It is necessary to take medical advise if you’re experiencing the following situations.

  • Fatigued, but can’t think of a reason why
  • Have tried everything possible to reduce fatigue with no luck
  • Frequent high temperature
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Trouble falling asleep or trouble to stay awake, even with good sleep
  • Increased sensitivity towards cold

Persisting fatigue for two weeks, even after major life changes to reduce it is the most compelling sign of an underlying cause. Below are some conditions that may be your red flag of a serious medical condition needing help.

  • vomiting blood
  • severe headache
  • chest pains
  • difficulty catching your breath
  • suicidal thoughts
  • wanting to harm another
  • faintishness

Chapter 5:

What Are the Treatment Options for Fatigue?

Given the fact that fatigue takes place due to unique reasons, the treatment plan will vary depending on a few factors. to determine the best method for you, here are some questions your health care provider will ask you.

  • occurrence of your fatigue, Nature, frequency, what makes it better or worse
  • if any other underlying illnesses, you may be getting treatment for
  • Any other noticable symtoms
  • What stresses you out
  • medication that youre under

As always, just to be clear of the exact reason causing your fatigue, the doctor may order several tests such as blood or urine. It is important to recognize any underlying illnesses to treat the root cause of the problem.

Chapter 6:

How Can I Prevent Fatigue?

Fatigue can only be prevented with life style practices and mental health care, and that is on selfcare!

Make sure you’re hydrated. Water is essential to keep you running. Make sure your meal is balanced, rich with protein, calcium, and all that helps you improve your health. cut down the carbs and the energy drinks. The temporary energy is just not worth the lifetime of suffering they may cause.

Get enough sleep. Regulate your sleeping patterns. Nap, to catch up on the missed hours of sleep and to refresh yourself whenever you feel the need to. Your health is just as important as your work schedule. Quality work only comes from a mind of quality.

Know your limits. Don’t settle for over-demanding working schedules. Be ready to give yourself a break when you are necessary. Pushing through extreme limits will strain your health, and will lead to no good.

If you know it’s going to be stressful, avoid it. If you can’t make up for it after.

Take time to do what you love. Some music, art, yoga, or meditation will help you get that leap of relaxation you’re missing out on in your busy life.

Avoidance of tobacco, alcohol, and other substances can never go wrong. Every time you want to put yourself through that high, remember the low!

At Epsychonline we have a wide range of mental health courses. Visit our Courses Page to learn more. Our courses are written by our psychologists, we have 6 week courses on Chronic Pain, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Social Anxiety and other common health conditions.


"Completed at my own pace, great online learning!" Venus

99 sections

6-Weeks Self-Paced

  • Educational Content
  • Quizzes
  • Self-reflection material
  • Suggestions & feedback
  • Worksheet, tips & tools to use

$9.00 $12.00

25% discount