Are you tired of constantly feeling tired? Do you find yourself reaching for that second (or third) cup of coffee before mid-morning or desperately trying to keep your eyes open while you push through those last few hours of the day? If so, then we have good news for you: running on empty like this doesn’t have to be the norm. Don’t get us wrong, it will likely always be a challenge to balance the demands of your work, family, and social life, but there are still things you can do to help yourself fight off the fatigue and have energy for living your best life.
Understanding Fatigue and Its Impact on Your Life
While unpleasant, fatigue is common. In fact, it’s estimated that 13.5% of American adults experience fatigue, which is marked by ongoing tiredness and low energy. This ongoing exhaustion can impact many parts of your life. You may feel it in your body, making it hard to complete daily tasks. You may feel it in your mind, making it tough to concentrate or recall information. It may also affect you emotionally, leading to a lack of motivation or enthusiasm for things that once brought you joy. No matter how you experience fatigue, it can lead to a drop of productivity, problems in your relationships, and decreased overall happiness.
What’s The Difference Between Normal Tiredness and Chronic Fatigue?
While everyone feels tired sometimes, it's important to tell the difference between normal tiredness and chronic fatigue. Feeling tired from time to time is a normal part of life; however, feeling tired is usually temporary and relief can easily be found through sleep or rest. Fatigue, on the other hand, is long-lasting. It’s persistent and often debilitating. It’s not something that goes away after a night or two of good sleep, and it can significantly interfere with your ability to move through your day to day life.
Additionally, fatigue that lasts multiple months is known as chronic fatigue. This can be caused by a number of things, including poor quality sleep, chronic stress, a lack of necessary nutrients, or some medical conditions. While fatigue can often be identified and remedied with intentional lifestyle shifts, chronic fatigue can be a sign of something more serious and should be discussed with your healthcare provider.
The 4 Best Tips to Fight Fatigue
1. Fuel with Food
The foods you choose to eat play an important role in determining your energy levels. Eating a balanced diet ensures that your body gets the nutrients it needs to function at its best. If you are not providing your body with these key nutrients, then it’s more likely that you will feel tired and slow throughout the day.
Essential Nutrients for Boosting Energy Levels
To help fight fatigue and ensure you are feeling as good as possible, pay attention to ensure that you are getting these important nutrients in your diet:
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Iron: Your body uses iron to make red blood cells, which help carry oxygen throughout your body. Without enough iron, your body will be less equipped to transport the oxygen needed to carry out different bodily functions, which can cause feelings of tiredness and weakness.
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B Vitamins: B vitamins are a vital component of your body’s process of converting food into energy. Because of this, if you aren’t getting enough B vitamins, especially B12, your body’s energy production may decrease, which can lead to fatigue.
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Magnesium: Much like B vitamins, Magnesium also is an important nutrient for energy production within your body. In addition, this key mineral also helps regulate blood sugar, which is important for keeping your energy steady throughout the day.
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Complex Carbohydrates: Since they are digested more slowly, complex carbohydrates are an important nutrient for providing your body with a steady supply of energy. As they are slowly broken down by your body, they release a steady flow of glucose into your bloodstream, which helps prevent the large fluctuations in blood sugar that often lead to feelings of tiredness.
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Protein: While not an immediate source of energy, protein is one of the nutrients that helps keep blood sugar stable over time, which is key to maintaining high energy levels.
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Healthy Fats: Your body’s main way of storing energy is through fat, which means that when you consume healthy fats, you are refilling your energy stores so they are available to use later.
Foods to Include and Avoid for Sustained Energy
Your food choices can greatly affect your energy levels, as they determine which kinds of nutrients your body is receiving. With that in mind, here are some types of foods you should include in your diet to help fight fatigue as well as some foods you should avoid.
Nutrient rich foods to include in your diet:
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Whole grains: Foods like oatmeal, brown rice, barley, quinoa, and whole wheat bread are all great sources of whole grains, which are rich in fiber and complex carbohydrates.
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Fruits and vegetables: Fresh fruits and vegetables like berries, apples, kiwis, grapes, avocados, broccoli, spinach, carrots, bell peppers, etc. are all fantastic sources of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly.
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Lean protein: Greek yogurt, eggs, chicken, fish, and beans are all great examples of lean protein that can help prevent dips in energy by keeping your blood sugar stable.
Foods to try to avoid to prevent fatigue:
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Processed foods: Processed foods like pre-packaged snacks (e.g. chips, crackers, etc.), microwavable meals, and processed meats (e.g. bacon, sausage, deli meat, etc.) often have an excess of sugar, unhealthy fats, and unnecessary additives that can contribute to feelings of tiredness and weakness.
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Added Sugar: Sugar can cause quick spikes and drops in blood sugar, leading to changes in your energy. Because of this, it’s best to avoid foods and drinks with added sugar whenever possible, for the sake of your blood sugar and your energy levels.
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Caffeine: Caffeine can give you a short energy boost, but too much can dehydrate you and affect the length and quality of your sleep. As a result, caffeine is likely to contribute to fatigue in the long run.
2. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Hydration is very important for fighting fatigue. Since water is key for nearly every bodily function, even slight dehydration can reduce your energy and impact your mood. Being properly hydrated helps ensure your body can effectively move nutrients, control body temperature, and get rid of waste. When you are dehydrated, your body is more likely to struggle with these essential functions, which can lead to prolonged tiredness. To avoid this, it’s important to make a habit of drinking plenty of water throughout the day, aiming for at least half of your body weight in ounces each day.
Tips for Increasing Your Daily Water Intake
Staying hydrated is often a lot easier said than done, as it can be all too easy to forget to refill your water glass or go hours between drinks. If you find yourself struggling to meet your daily water goals, try some of the following tips to help you drink more:
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Carry a reusable water bottle: Having water close at hand serves a good reminder to drink it, which will ultimately help increase your water intake throughout the day.
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Set reminders: Use alarms or hydration apps to remember to drink water at certain intervals throughout the day,
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Choose water-rich fruits and vegetables: Drinking water isn’t the only way to stay hydrated—you can also snack on fruits and veggies that have high water content, such as watermelon and cucumber, to help keep your body hydrated.
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Flavor your water naturally: Add slices of lemon, cucumber, or mint to your water for a tasty twist that will make it easier to drink more water without much extra thought.
3. Stay Physically Active
When you are dealing with fatigue, working out is likely the last thing you want to do. In fact, seeing it as a recommended way to fight fatigue may seem surprising, but the truth is that being physically active is a great way to fight off fatigue. Regular exercise is a great way to improve your strength and cardiovascular health, but it’s also a fantastic tool for improving mood and energy levels. Working out helps increase blood flow throughout your body, which helps deliver more oxygen and nutrients to your brain and muscles. In turn, this helps boost energy production within your body while also enhancing your body’s ability to use that energy efficiently. What’s more? Engaging in physical activity can also promote better sleep, which will also help you combat fatigue.
What are the Best Exercises for Fighting Fatigue?
While any type of physical activity is good for your health and can help combat feelings of tiredness, there are some types of activities that are better for combatting fatigue than others. If you are struggling with fatigue, here are some of the best energy-boosting exercises:
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Yoga or Tai Chi: These gentle exercises combine movement with mindfulness. They help reduce stress and promote relaxation, both of which support better mood and energy levels.
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Brisk Walking: While often overlooked, this simple way of exercising is extremely effective at elevating your heart rate and improving blood flow throughout your body. As an added bonus, taking a brisk walk outside can help elevate your mood and give your energy even more of a boost.
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Swimming or Water Aerobics: If you’re looking for a low-impact exercise that will still give you a full body workout while also boosting your energy levels, then look no further than water activities like swimming or water aerobics. These workouts are great ways to get your exercise in while also replenishing your energy.
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Cycling: Riding a bike, whether outside or inside, is an enjoyable and easy workout that can lift your heart rate, improve circulation, and boost your mood, which are all key components in staving off fatigue.
4. Prioritize High Quality Sleep
Sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, but in our busy world, it is often sacrificed at the altar of productivity. To fight off fatigue and keep it away, it’s important to prioritize getting enough high quality sleep. After all, sleep is a restorative process for the human body. It is the time when your body and mind can rest, recharge, and replenish its natural energy stores so you can feel alert and on top of your game the next day.
What are Some Strategies for Improving Sleep Hygiene?
Establishing good sleep habits is important for getting sound sleep and waking up feeling refreshed. Here are some strategies you can use to help you improve your sleep hygiene and ensure you get the highest quality sleep possible each night:
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Have a regular sleep schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends. This helps your body keep a natural sleep-wake cycle, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
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Create a calming bedtime routine: Spend some time before bed engaging in relaxing activities to help calm your body and brain down. Turning off electronic screens, dimming the lights, reading a book, and listening to soft instrumental music are all great tools you can use to make your bedtime routine more calming.
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Optimize your bedroom for sleep: The human body is built to pick up on environmental cues and use them to determine whether or not it’s time to sleep. By taking time to ensure that your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool, you can leverage your environment to let your body know that it is time to rest. This will not only help you fall asleep faster, but it will also help you stay asleep throughout the night.
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Avoid stimulating substances in the evenings: Some substances like caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol can negatively affect our sleep quality, which is why it’s best to avoid them in the hours leading up to bedtime.
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Avoid screens before bed: Several studies have uncovered a connection between screen time and poor sleep quality. The blue light exposure we get from electronic screens can trick our brains into thinking it's time to wake up instead of falling asleep, which disrupts your bedtime and sleep routines and can even lead to sleep disturbances. To avoid this, it's best to turn off all screens at least one hour before you head to bed.
It’s Time to Fight Fatigue Naturally
Fighting fatigue can feel like an insurmountable task, especially when you are in the throes of it; however, there are some small, simple adjustments you can make to your lifestyle that will help you boost your overall energy levels and overcome fatigue. Take care of yourself and pay attention to what your body needs. When you recognize the signs of tiredness, slow down and think about your lifestyle. Focus on your nutrition, hydration, exercise, and sleep habits and see where you can make improvements. Remember, small changes make a big difference, so when you start changing just a few of your habits you can start fighting fatigue so you can live a more vibrant, energized life.