6 Signs of Fatigue and What You Can Do About It

You guys know me, I’m all about sharing tips and trick on how to boost your energy levels. Today I’m sharing a guest post on 6 Signs of Fatigue and What You Can Do About It.

We all know that fatigue comes with some pretty annoying side effects; namely, a feeling of chronic sleepiness and exhaustion. But did you know there are more signs of fatigue you may be overlooking? In addition to making you feel like you could take a nap at any given moment, chronic fatigue can make you feel weak, unfocused, slow and impaired. Undoubtedly, these side effects can get in the way of daily living and affect your mental health.

In this guide, we’ll go over some common signs of fatigue as well as some techniques for how to attack it to help you kick the drowsiness to the curb and feel like yourself again. Because there’s no denying that feeling fatigued can keep you from all the things you want to do in life, whether it’s related to work, play or your health.

Beyond Sleepiness: Signs of Fatigue

Of course, the most obvious sign of fatigue is a feeling of sleepiness, especially during the day. Many people with chronic fatigue have no issue getting through the morning, but they may feel a steep crash after lunch. This can make it hard to get through the day without taking a nap, but work, kids, pets and a long to-do list usually get in the way of an after-lunch snooze.

Fatigue can also cause a condition called hypersomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness (ECS), which causes a feeling of excessive sleepiness during the day. Besides feeling drowsy when you need to be alert, fatigue also comes with a few more frustrating signs and symptoms. Here are a few of the most common ones to look out for.

Muscle Weakness and Pain

Just like fatigue can make your brain sleepy, it can make your body sleepy too. Among the most obvious physical signs of fatigue are muscle weakness and muscle and joint pain. Together, these symptoms can keep you from staying active. But exercise is crucial to fighting fatigue, so this can throw you into a dangerous cycle.

Lack of Focus and Concentration

We’ve all felt the brain fog that washes over us after a long day of thinking too hard. Lack of focus and the inability to concentrate are common symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, which is a serious, long-term illness that affects the whole body. People who have this syndrome or temporary fatigue may have issues with memory as well.

Slowed Reflexes

Because the brain and body are tired, fatigue can cause the body to respond slower than usual. While this can be quite annoying — especially for athletes who need to be quick on their toes — it can be dangerous in certain scenarios, as when driving or operating heavy machinery. In fact, the National Highway Safety Council reports that over 328,000 drowsy driving crashes occur each year.

Impaired Judgment

When you’re tired, unfocused and achy, you’re simply not in the right mental state to make good decisions. Your struggle with fatigue — and, in turn, your inability to make sound decisions — can get in the way of your success at work and in social situations.

Insomnia

We know it sounds odd. How could fatigue cause insomnia? Shouldn’t it actually put you in a sleepy state of mind so you can soak up many hours of high-quality sleep each night at bedtime? Sadly, that isn’t always the case. In fact, many people experience insomnia because fatigue can mess with your sleep cycle and cause you to sleep at the wrong times.

Anxiety and Depression

When you consider these side effects, it’s not shocking that many people who suffer from fatigue also struggle with their mental health. A lack of sleep, too much sleep and not feeling productive each and every day are all closely linked with anxiety and depression.

What Can You Do About It?

Many conditions and lifestyle triggers can cause chronic fatigue — from a poor diet to stress at work — and figuring out how to attack them is really the best course of action for anyone looking to fight fatigue head-on. Here are a few tried-and-true methods for treating fatigue, whether it is chronic or temporary.

Change Your Lifestyle Habits

The first thing you should do when addressing this issue is to take a hard, honest look at your lifestyle. Even the most seemingly inconsequential lifestyle factors could be contributing to feelings of fatigue, so make sure you have everything in order.

• Eat a healthy diet rich in nutrients, making sure to avoid foods that slow you down or exacerbate your fatigue.
• Avoid stimulants that might make you crash later on and worsen your fatigue, such as caffeine or alcohol.
• Make sure you’re getting enough water. Dehydration is a common cause of fatigue that has a simple solution.
• Practice good sleep hygiene and follow a healthy sleep routine.
• You can boost your diet with vitamins from trusted and reputable brands such as RnA ReSet, such as vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium.

Try CBD Supplements

Sometimes your body just needs a little bit of extra support to resist drowsiness. Something as simple as taking a CBD gummy each day is a quick way to arm it with exactly what it needs to feel fresh and energized. CBD is a natural compound that works the body’s endocannabinoid system, which helps regulate sleep and mood. Consider taking a CBD supplement designed specifically for energy that’s blended with natural energy boosters to help keep your oomph up throughout the day.

See Your Physician

One important thing to know about fatigue is that, while it can exist on its own, it can also be a sign of something more serious. It has been linked to conditions such as anaemia, sleep apnea, heart disease, diabetes, hypothyroidism, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. You want to make sure you rule out any of these conditions

Giving Fatigue the Attention It Deserves

Many people brush off fatigue as a minor annoyance that doesn’t deserve attention. But the truth is that this condition can be serious and even life-altering. In addition to making you feel sleepy every day, it can also cause pain, lack of judgment, anxiety and depression. So, no matter how minor it seems, don’t brush off fatigue! This small thing has a huge impact.

This post on 6 Signs of Fatigue and What You Can Do About It is a guest post. If you are interested in contributing to JesseLaneWellness.com please email info@jesselanewellness.com. Images are from Unsplash.