Feeling tired after a long day or a strenuous physical activity is understandable. However, this can turn problematic when you need to feel energized, but you are always feeling tired and weak. What are the causes, and what are some strategies that could help?
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Additionally, this is not medical advice. I am just sharing what worked for me. Following these tips will not guarantee wellness. It is still best to follow the advice of your doctor.
Also read:
Always Feeling Tired and Weak: My Share of the Experience
Personally, I have felt tired on certain periods of my life. The most remarkable ones were during college, my pregnancy, and when I had my baby. During college, we were given a lot of requirements and had multiple tests on a single day. I was forced to skip sleep and chug down coffee as if it was my water–literally! It came to a point where drinking coffee wouldn’t even work anymore, and I would fall asleep with readings on my face.
Then came pregnancy–I suppose it was the hormones. During the first trimester, most especially, I was always feeling tired and hungry all the time. I guess that was meant to help support the growing life inside of me. I thought when pregnancy was over, I’d be over those tiresome days. Definitely not!
Next comes getting used to the erratic sleep patterns of an infant, which made me always feeling tired even after sleeping. It was because, during the early months, babies won’t sleep through the night, which prevents you from having a restful sleep.
Possible Causes
Perhaps you’ve also come to this post thinking about the potential reasons why you’re experiencing these health issues. There is a myriad of causes to this phenomenon, but the most common ones are:
- Sleep deprivation: You may think that you have enough sleep, but you actually don’t. The hormone cortisol may keep you awake that it’s difficult to notice if you’re sleep-deprived.
- Poor nutrition: Poor nutrition doesn’t mean you’re looking too skinny or emaciated–in fact, it can be the opposite (obesity)! Poor nutrition causes your body to operate in survival mode, keeping itself awake for only the highly necessary tasks.
- Mental health problems: One of the signs of depression is actually fatigue. Although this is a less known symptom, the chemical imbalances in the brain can cause a lack of energy in the individual.
- Underlying health issues: Always feeling tired and unmotivated? It could be a symptom of a more serious health issue. Anemia, vitamin deficiency, or even more serious diseases such as cancer should be looked into.
Thankfully, I feel much better and got over these troublesome days. Although I would still experience sleep deprivation and tiredness from time to time, there are some things I did that might help you out.
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Always Feeling Tired and Weak: Things to Do
Get restful sleep
I know, it’s easier said than done. It’s difficult if you already have symptoms of insomnia and people tell you, “just sleep!” It’s much more complicated than that. I’ve had a series of insomnia symptoms myself. Some things that truly helped me are:
- Modifying my sleeping environment: To correct my circadian rhythms, I really put an effort to dim the lights in our room and keep the environment cool.
- Using an eye mask: I have very thin eyelids, which make the light pierce through my eyes even when they’re closed. Having an eye mask really helped block out the light and helped me fall asleep faster.
- Taking melatonin supplements: Although some over-the-counter sleeping pills worked for me to fall asleep, I woke up feeling woozy and ‘incapacitated’ the next day. Drinking melatonin supplements instead of those sleeping pills helped me wake up feeling refreshed rather than dizzy.
Mind your diet and physical activity
If you think that your food and exercise doesn’t affect how your energy plays out, you’re definitely mistaken. In fact, it’s one of the biggest variables that could affect your energy within the day. Every time we eat different types of food, it raises blood sugar levels which can make us sleepy. This is why some people may be always feeling tired after eating.
Thus eating nutritious food with a lower glycemic index will less likely make you feel sleepy. Whole grains, lean meat, vegetables, and low-sugar fruits are some examples of food that can make you feel energized rather than sleepy.
As for exercise, aim to work out at least 20-30 minutes 4-5 times a day. It doesn’t have to be high-impact–anything that gets your heart pumping more will help circulate the blood and remove the feeling of tiredness.
Supplement when needed
Aside from your diet and exercise, another common cause is vitamin deficiencies. When the body is deprived of certain vitamins and minerals, the first sign would usually be fatigued and low immunity.
Thus, taking a multivitamin would definitely aid in restoring depleted stores of vitamins and minerals. Coupled with a nutritious diet and physical activity, you will feel more energized as you incorporate these habits. A vitamin that I recommend is those which are produced by a company called NatureMade. Their produced are very comprehensive and they also make organic options as well.
Check for other symptoms
Most of the time, always feeling tired and weak can be cured by the strategies above. However, always feeling tired and weak may also be signal there are underlying health issues. An article in Mayoclinic.org showed some diseases that are correlated with unusual fatigue:
- Liver failure
- Anemia
- Kidney disease
- Chronic fatigue
- Diabetes
- Emphysema
- Fibromyalgia
- Grief
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Hypothyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Obesity
And many others. If you suspect other unusual health symptoms that feel like indicative of another disease, make sure to let your doctor know. It is best to address not just the feeling of tiredness, but also the underlying conditions in order to prevent serious complications.
Allot time for relaxation
Having restful sleep is one thing, but it’s another thing to rest your mind at certain times of the day. If your mind and body are always worked up about the ‘next thing on the list’, you’ll end up always feeling tired and weak–definitely!
Thus, you should also allow time for relaxation even during the waking hours of your day. These can include listening to relaxing music, drinking a cup of tea, or simply viewing nature by your window.
What worked for me as well as journaling my thoughts and reading God’s Word. This gives me a sense of direction for my day, and it also provides me something to meditate about as I go on with my usual tasks.
I hope this post helps you out! These are simple strategies, but they helped me when I was always feeling tired and weak. Lastly but most importantly, it is important to seek professional help when your symptoms persist. No experiential advice can replace medical advice from your doctors.
Don’t forget to check out the resources I mentioned above:
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