What is fatigue?
Fatigue is a feeling of tiredness, lack of energy, and feeling of exhaustion that doesn't go away with rest or sleep. It can make even simple daily tasks difficult to complete.
There are two main types of fatigue:
- Physical fatigue - feeling that your muscles can't properly perform tasks due to overuse. This is the feeling you get after heavy physical activity that makes your muscles ache.
- Mental fatigue - feeling that your brain can't focus or process information properly. This makes concentrating, remembering things, making decisions, and thinking clearly more difficult.
What causes fatigue?
Many factors can contribute to feelings of fatigue, including:
- Lack of good quality sleep
- Working long hours without rest
- Emotional stress or anxiety
- Poor nutrition - not eating enough healthy foods
- Dehydration - not drinking enough fluids
- Medical conditions like anemia, cancer, depression, heart disease
- Medications
- Overtraining - exercising too much without adequate recovery
How can you manage fatigue?
If fatigue is impacting your daily life, here are some tips that may help:
- Get enough high-quality sleep - aim for 7-9 hours per night
- Take regular breaks during work to rest your mind/body
- Reduce stress through relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation
- Eat a balanced, nutritious diet with plenty of complex carbs, protein and healthy fats
- Stay hydrated - drink plenty of water throughout the day
- Avoid caffeine late in the day
- Balance periods of activity with periods of rest
- Talk to your doctor if fatigue persists to check for underlying causes
The team at Harmony Hormone Care can also help diagnose and treat fatigue related to hormonal imbalances. Our comprehensive wellness plans take diet, lifestyle, exercise and hormone optimization into account to help patients regain their energy, focus and zest for life!