How often do you find yourself feeling exhausted way before noon? Or do you skip your exercise routine regularly just to catch up on a few hours of sleep? Our modern lifestyle often leads to a vicious cycle of exhaustion and drops in our immune system, which then in turn hinder our work performance and wreak havoc on our mood. However, instead of constantly treating the consequences, you can make some lifestyle changes in order to tackle the underlying issues that lead to chronic fatigue.
Don’t skip your checkup
One of the most overlooked steps in our self-care is taking that annual medical checkup to make sure everything is in working order. Chronic fatigue is not just an issue in and of itself but is often a symptom of a more complex health problem, such as diabetes, anemia, or sleep apnea. Even certain medications are known to cause the feeling of sluggishness.
It’s vital that you don’t disregard the early signs, so talk to your doctor and rule out any medical conditions before you tackle fatigue itself.
Sweat off the snooze
A little can go a long way when it comes to exercise to beat fatigue, even though you may not feel inspired to get active on those days when you’re drowsy. An analysis conducted by the University of Georgia has shown that beating fatigue is possible with the help of consistent exercise, not to mention the health perks of preventing numerous diseases.
While it might not be the best idea to opt for a hardcore lifting workout, you can head outside for a walk in fresh air, perform a yoga flow, or pick up your jump rope if the weather is bad. Just elevating your heart rate and getting more oxygen to your brain and body will help you elevate your energy levels.
Power up your diet
We all know that food is fuel for our cells, hence the need to choose quality, nutritious bites if we expect our bodies to perform properly. However, working in a stressful environment, going through a difficult period, or simply facing burnout may lead you to reach for a cup of coffee or an energy drink instead of looking to reinforce your diet.
Excessive caffeine and similar stimulants can have negative effects on your body. One of them is a greater loss of magnesium. This can lead to the increased jittery, anxious, and hyper-alert behavior that sometimes occurs after an increased caffeine intake. Now, as you know our body needs magnesium to function properly and stay healthy. This is why you should opt for quality magnesium tablets to take as a supplementary option so as to help your body get the much-needed magnesium intake. Sufficient magnesium levels in the body can help keep your energy levels up, improve your appetite, and increase your concentration. So it will definitely give your diet the much-needed boost, but the healthy kind.
Build a sleep routine
It’s not just quantity that matters, but quality. Most people have a hectic daily schedule, leading them to go to bed at vastly different times, wake up haphazardly, and spend hours staring at screens that keep their brains awake for longer than necessary.
Establish your own, natural circadian rhythm, and build a schedule that will help you respect that sleep-wake cycle you need to rest properly. In order to help your brain and body unwind, do your best to create a ritual such as a warm bath before bedtime, avoiding heavy meals, and doing something relaxing, such as reading a book or meditating. Studies show that mindfulness meditation increases the quality of sleep, so incorporating even as little as ten minutes may be what you need to power down your brain into rest mode.
Do a digital detox
We’re overly attached to our phones, computers, and tablets, so we tend to spend hours every day staring at one screen or another. This, however, poses a threat to our ability to rest, according to studies that analyze how screen time before bed affects the amount of sleep we get, thus hindering our focus, performance, and decision-making.
The exposure to artificial bright light suppresses melatonin production, the key hormone that signals our body it’s time to sleep – so it’s only natural that your brain remains wildly active as you lie exhausted in bed after you’ve just shut off your tablet. Do your best to stay away from screens in the several hours before bed, and you’ll help your body rest.
Skip the sugar
When you hit that afternoon slump, all you crave is either a cup of joe or something sweet that will give you the energy kick to continue your workday. However, if you treat yourself to a candy bar or a cookie too often during the day, you’ll find that your sleep cycle may be affected by this unhealthy eating habit.
Eating too much sugar has been linked to a decrease in sleep quality, more frequent wake spouts during the night, and similar sleep issues. As delicious as it may be, you should definitely consider replacing it with fiber-filled fruits that have vitamins and minerals in addition to fructose, and other tasty treats that take longer to digest so that your blood sugar levels are under control.
Although you can never truly eliminate all sources of stress or stick to a monotone routine constantly, you can help yourself restore your energy and prevent fatigue with a few alterations in your lifestyle. However, consistency is the key to success, so make sure you keep an eye on your progress and talk to your doctors if your tiredness doesn’t subside.
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