Do you always feel tired no matter how much sleep or rest you get? Perhaps the reason for your fatigue is more than just lack of sleep. Getting at least eight hours of sleep at night is crucial for having the right amount of energy you need for the day, but if you are constantly fighting tiredness, it’s time that you consider other possible factors including hormonal imbalance, diet, exercise, and most importantly, stress. All these factors can affect your hormone levels in a negative way and can make it difficult for you to sleep at night and have the energy you need for the following day. The good news is that there are a number of lifestyle changes you can make that will help you overcome constant feelings of tiredness and fatigue. The first rule, however, is to figure out the possible reasons you always lack energy.
You Have Thyroid Disease
It’s surprising that although around 200 million people around the globe have thyroid disease, almost 50% are unaware that they have the condition. Women and older people are especially susceptible to the disease, which causes symptoms such as fatigue, moodiness, joint pain, muscle pain, and sudden gain or loss of weight. One of the functions of the thyroid gland is to help control metabolic rate, as well as energy levels, which is why you’ll constantly feel tired and low on energy if you have thyroid disease. Possible causes of thyroid disease include hormonal imbalance and nutrition deficiency in selenium or iodine. To treat the issue, you will need to adjust your diet so that you’ll have a lower intake of carbohydrates. At the same time, you would want to include more health fat sources and lean protein to your everyday meals to increase your energy levels.
You Have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Another possible reason for constant feelings of tiredness is chronic fatigue syndrome. In the United States, around one million people are diagnosed with this condition each year, with women having four times as much risk of acquiring it. One good sign that you have chronic fatigue syndrome is that you still feel tired all the time even if you get to sleep at least seven hours per evening. You also seem to get sick several times a month and always suffer from sore throat and flu-like symptoms. To treat chronic fatigue, you need to start changing your diet. As much as possible, avoid caffeine and food high in sugar and carbohydrates. Avoid processed food as well, but add more hormone-balancing fats and protein to your diet. Most importantly, fill up with lots of fresh green leafy vegetables.
You Don’t Get to Exercise Enough
It’s very common in today’s generation for people to develop an inactive lifestyle. You can’t blame that on office-oriented jobs, though, because even if your work requires you to sit in front of the computer most of the time, you still have the choice whether to exercise or not. Several articles have been written on the dangerous effects of long-term sitting. If you’re not aware of it, sitting for long periods is the number cause of neck pain, back pain, chronic headaches, and fatigue. The human body was designed to stay active, so if all you do all day long is sit on your desk at work, you’ll have problems with mood swings, sluggishness, and weight gain, which eventually leads to constant feelings of tiredness. We all know that the solution is to work out, but how do you do that when you’re too busy? It’s simple – you find time.
You Are Suffering from Depression
About 16 million adults in the United States alone have at least one depressive episode each year. Depression is an energy zapper, so if you feel that you constantly lack energy, it’s possible that you are suffering from this condition. There are many causes of depression including, but not limited to high levels of stress, emotional problems, alcohol, hormonal imbalances, and nutrition deficiencies. To combat depression, you need to find out what causes it. Generally, though, you can reduce symptoms of depression by reducing your intake of processed food, food high on sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. Taking time to exercise and meditate each day is also effective in fighting depression since both are an effective way to lift the mood.
You Fail to Drink Adequate Amounts of Water
You’re not really required to drink at least eight glasses of water each day, but it’s important to take note that dehydration or excessive loss of fluids in the body can be a cause for constant fatigue. Dehydration can occur when you have engaged in strenuous physical activities and failed to replenish the body fluids you have spent in the process. Forgetting to drink water due to busyness can also be a cause for dehydration. When you’re dehydrated, your body will suffer from fatigue and you will become moody and unable to focus when performing tasks. To avoid dehydration, see to it that you drink plenty of water throughout the day. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables as well, and try to include coconut water, watermelon, pineapple, and cucumber to your diet from time to time.
You Tend to Eat a Lot of Sweets
Imbalanced sugar levels is a major contributing factor to lack of energy, so if you’re always feeling tired, there’s a huge chance that it has something to do with your sugar intake. Overtime, such problem can lead to more serious health issues, including type 2 diabetes. Obviously, the best way to fight fatigue caused by sugar level imbalance is to regulate your intake of sweet foods. That would mean reducing, or even completely eliminating, sugary beverages, packaged snacks, and natural sweeteners. You might also want to cut back on gluten-containing grains like whole wheat.
You Are Emotionally Stressed
Emotional stress can zap your energy big time, especially if it has reached a level where you can’t sleep at night due to anxiety. Genetics, brain chemistry, and unhealthy eating habits are just some of the causes of emotional stress. The easiest and perhaps the most cost-effective way to combat emotional stress is through a change in lifestyle. For instance, get plenty of sleep at night and find time to exercise on a daily basis. Avoiding stimulants that are usually found in processed foods is also an excellent way to reduce emotional stress.
You Sleep Less Than 7 Hours a Night
Aside from getting less than the required number of hours of sleep per night, another reason for your fatigue is that the quality of sleep you get, if ever you can get to sleep at all, is quite low. Lack of sleep can result to poor diet, which in turn can lead to lack of energy. There are a number of reasons why you may not be sleeping well enough or long enough, but it’s crucial that you can get adequate sleep every night. A small amount of sleep deprivation can add up overtime and lead to health problems. To improve the length and quality of your sleep, try to engage in relaxing activities before going to bed. Meditating, writing on your journal, or reading a good book are just some of these activities. You should also try to avoid caffeine, as well as foods high in sugar and carbohydrates.
Fight Fatigue: Six Simple Steps to Maximize Your Energy