It’s time to beat the fatigue!
It’s been
one of those mornings. The kids aren’t ready for school, breakfast isn’t ready
and you’re running late for work. In terms of stress levels, this morning is a
little higher than usual. You’re feeling a little more irritable than usual and
just need some rest and to recharge the batteries. If this sounds familiar you
may be suffering from fatigue which is becoming increasingly common due to our
busy work and home lives. A little stress can be conducive to upping our game
and making us work harder, but prolonged stress can leave us feeling drained
and fatigued and the two often go hand in hand. Fear not though, there are a
few ways we can naturally beat fatigue, so read on: it’s time to show fatigue
who’s the boss!
Fatigue can
be a mentally exhausting experience and symptoms can include, but are not
limited to:
- Drowsiness
- Stress
- Depression
- Lowered immunity
- Poor memory
We cannot
always change our lives and how busy we are, but certain lifestyle and even
dietary changes can make a big difference in how we cope with busy periods and
give us increased energy to get the job done! Here are a few tips on beating
fatigue once and for all to get your energy levels up ready for the summer!
Take a
look at your diet
When we are
tired, busy and stressed, it can be easy to go for the most convenient meal
possible and head to the local takeaway or frantically search the fridge for
the nearest microwave meal. While the occasional treat in the form of a
takeaway saves you from cooking and can be a welcome relief, consistent
reliance on this can negatively affect our energy levels. Meals should be
balanced, consisting of complex carbohydrates, fibre and protein in order to
give us a sustained release of energy needed to get us through the day. Taking
a look at our diets and seeing where we could possibly improve could go a long
way in improving how much energy we have during the day and how we deal with
fatigue.
Take a
break!
Sounds simple enough right? If we are living
exceptionally busy lives both at home and at work, sometimes all we need is
some time to ourselves to unwind and stop thinking about the mountain of jobs
we have. Many of us don’t get the recommended amount of sleep at night and this
can, in part be due to our bed time routine. Studies have shown watching TV, or playing
on the iPad straight before bed can be detrimental to a good night’s sleep, and
so instead of reaching for Netflix, try reaching for a book half an hour before
bed instead.
Hydrate
Our
hydration levels can affect how we deal with fatigue and one of the first signs
of dehydration can be increased fatigue. 8 glasses of water a day is the
recommended amount so try drinking plenty of water to beat fatigue and be ready
to take on the world!
Exercise
When we are
feeling fatigued, exercise can sometimes be the last thing we want to do, but
can also be the thing that can help us out the most. Exercise releases
endorphins, or feel good hormones and so our mood can improve after exercise,
as well as our energy levels. Exercise can mean as little as a half an hour
walk over lunch time, getting some fresh air and increasing circulation, so no
excuses!
Supplement
your diet
Certain
dietary supplements are popularly used to increase energy levels and fight
fatigue such as Ginkgo Biloba and Korean Ginseng. Used for many years in traditional
Chinese medicines, they are thought to support energy levels and promote
healthy circulation and memory. If you live an active lifestyle and eat well, a
dietary supplement may be just what you need to beat the fatigue and get you
back to your usual self.
To sum up
We all feel
overly tired or stressed sometimes, but prolonged fatigue can lead to a number
of health issues and so if you feel like you’re fatigued, it’s best to try and
remedy this. Lifestyle changes and dietary changes can make a massive
difference to how our body is able to store and use energy, and can therefore
play a massive role in how energised we feel. Dietary supplements can also be
of use and you can read more about the benefits of Ginkgo Biloba and Korean
Ginseng in our HealthyLife article here. Fatigue can affect us all at some
point, especially if we lead a busy life, but we can do a lot ourselves to
prepare our body’s for busy times and ensure we can deal with them without
feeling too run down!
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**This is a guest post
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