Do you often wake up in the morning with no energy to do anything? Perhaps you have been feeling low for quite a while – so much so that it is affecting your daily life? If you answered yes to these questions, then this article is for you. Let’s delve into the reasons you may feel tired all the time and look at how you can boost your energy to regain control of your life.
Why do you feel tired all the time?
Let us first understand what affects our energy levels and why we can feel tired – when there isn’t always a clear-cut reason.
Aside from a hectic day with a to-do list as long as your arm and commitments coming out of your ears, factors such as side effects from medications, ongoing medical treatments, changes in body weight, vitamin deficiencies and underlying health conditions can all play a role in depleting your energy levels. These ailments might impair the body’s capacity to produce energy. Research has shown that conditions including anaemia, hypothyroidism and diabetes are all common causes of tiredness. Unfortunately, they often go unnoticed as they are difficult to detect in their early stages and don’t often present with significant symptoms.
You may be surprised to hear that psychological issues can lead to fatigue too. Yes, we understand that you may question the relation between physical tiredness and mental state of a person, but our mental health has a great impact on our body. According to a study, 41.2% of people diagnosed with depression reported symptoms of chronic fatigue. This is a considerable number. And if you think that it’s only people with depression that suffer from chronic fatigue – you would be incorrect. Feelings of anxiety, past trauma and chronic stress can also lead to fatigue that can impact daily life negatively.
Another important factor that contributes to feelings of tiredness, is your lifestyle. Lifestyle plays a vital role in dictating how our daily life looks. Increased screen time, unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise can all contribute to a problematic cycle of tiredness. In addition to this, poor sleep habits, and improper sleep hygiene can all lead to feeling sleepy when you wake in the morning, perpetuating the cycle again. You can significantly improve the quality of your sleep by following these simple steps:
- Eat a balanced diet that is low in sugar
- Don’t eat too late in the evening
- Get some exercise every single day (even if it’s a short walk)
- Put a bedtime routine in place (such as staying away from gadgets at least an hour before getting into bed)
How to boost your energy levels
Let’s take a look at four changes you can make to start feeling less fatigued.
- Good quality sleep should be your priority! We cannot emphasise enough just how important getting quality sleep is when it comes to boosting energy levels. Putting a sleep schedule in place can help you with this. This includes taking steps such as keeping your phone away from your bedside table (if possible in another room and going analogue with your alarm clock), investing time in winding down properly before bed, reducing stimuli and dimming the lights before bed. Much of the body’s recovery processes happen at night while we are asleep, so poor sleep can not only make you feel groggy, but can impact your mental and physical health. Generally it is recommended to get a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep every night, although it is thought that women may need longer than this. Ultimately we are all individuals and should do what works for us.
- Exercise and movement. Exercising regularly can not only boost your fitness levels, but also result in increased energy, better cardiovascular function, release of toxins from the body, and also improvement in metabolic functioning. Exercise has been shown to reduce stress levels, which directly impacts your mental health, and subsequently results in fatigue. Taking out time in the day for a 15 minute walk in the park or hitting the gym regularly are simple ways to include movement in your daily routine.
- A balanced diet. Cutting back on fast food and switching high-sugar foods for nutrient-rich alternatives can benefit your body. By better fueling your body you are giving it what it needs to function at its optimal levels, which will give you more energy. Feel like you need a helping hand with this? Consulting a dietician can help you create a specialised diet chart based on your daily routine, and get a better understanding of energy-rich food choices.
- Taking steps to manage stress. While the above may seem obvious, reducing stress may not be one of the first things you think of when it comes to boosting energy. But the truth is that cortisol, the stress hormones, can quickly sap your body’s energy. We need a little bit of stress to function well, but when stress becomes chronic, it is an issue. Stress is something that we cannot avoid in our daily lives but ensuring we have good management techniques and coping skills, like practising meditation or using mindfulness to mitigate stress can prove to be beneficial for our energy levels.
But let’s say you lead an active lifestyle and follow all of the above, but you still feel fatigued?Alternative treatments options to improve your energy levels
If you lead a healthy lifestyle but still struggle to maintain your energy, speaking to your GP or a healthcare professional is an important next step.
Vitamin B12, vitamin D, magnesium, NAD+, and iron are all really important for energy synthesis in the body, and if there is a lack of them, this can lead to feeling tired. The underlying cause of fatigue is often the result of a vitamin deficiency, or a condition causing a deficiency or issue with absorption of vitamins.
IV drips can be an effective option for people with vitamin deficiencies. Why not just take oral vitamins? Well, you absolutely can, but only around a third of oral supplements are absorbed as they go through the gut. In addition, if you have underlying health issues impacting your gut (for example, coeliac disease) even less will be absorbed. IV drips bypass the gut and the nutrients are delivered directly in the bloodstream, resulting in near instant absorption so the body can utilise the full amount of vitamins. Many people who have used IV drips report a boost in their energy, skin quality, and overall health. As with all medical treatments, there are risks, so it’s important to attend a doctor-led clinic that can deal with any adverse effects for peace of mind.
Take back control of your life
While feeling tired after a hectic day is normal, if your fatigue starts to become a part of your daily routine, it may be time to seek professional help. Whilst making lifestyle changes can certainly be beneficial, getting a diagnosis for the underlying cause of your tiredness is the first vital step in getting your energy back
