Feeling tired all the time? Cant seem to get enough sleep?
Here are my Five Fatigue Fighters:
Fatigue seems to be coming a major health issue among the people I speak with the majority of them saying that upon waking, they feel tired. The Victorian government estimates that 1.5 million Australians see their doctor each year complaining of fatigue and that’s why I’ve decided to write this post on fatigue to provide you with some simple tips and tricks that may help you overcome fatigue.
*If you are chronically fatigued and seem to have to energy for your daily activities please go and see a medical professional as it may be something more serious than what the below targets*
1. Staying hydrated;
This for me is the biggest factor when it comes to fighting fatigue because its importance is always overlooked. It’s estimated that the average Australian drinks only 1.29L of water per day which is well below the recommended levels of 2.5L for males and 2.0L for females so pretty much the average Australian is chronically dehydrated. A water loss of as little as 2% can lead to fatigue, headaches, confusion and cognitive decline. It’s also stated that if you wait for a feeling of thirst before having a drink that you have hit a point of dehydration already.
Ways to combat:
– Set reminders every hour to drink more water ensuring constant water consumption.
– Aim to drink at least 2-2.5L of water per day. Once this is achieved aim for 1L for every 25kgs of bodyweight. E.g. 75kg person would aim to drink 3L.
– Drink 500ml of water upon waking (this can also help fire up the metabolism but that’s a different topic all together and help fight toxins).
2. Physical activity;
I could harp on about this topic all day but pretty much everyone (including myself) needs to move more. Physical activity is known to help improve energy levels, prevent unhealthy weight gain and help prevent many preventable diseases (type 2 diabetes, heart and lung disease…). The Australian government recommends 150-300 minutes of physical activity per week, be active on preferably all days of the week and minimise periods of prolonged sitting for Adults aged 18-64.
Ways to combat:
– Create a habit of doing some set physical activity at the same time every day. E.g. at 6:30am before work going for a 30-minute brisk walk.
– When your water reminder from the above section goes off, get up and fill up your cup/drink bottle to help break up long periods of sitting.
3. Sleep;
This on is pretty self-explanatory but if you’re not allowing your body to have adequate recovery/sleep then of course you’re going to feel fatigued. The Australian sleep foundation recommends 7-9 hours per night for adults aged 18-64 but its not all in the quantity of sleep. Quantity also plays a major role in decreasing fatigue, quantity can be decreased by increased stress levels, poor sleep hygiene and suboptimal sleeping conditions.
Ways to combat:
– Have a set pre-sleep routine. E.g. mine runs something like this; 30 minutes before bed I put my phone away, wash face, brush teeth, read and then fall asleep.
– Don’t have electronics in the bedroom (e.g. phones and TV’s) and turn your bedroom into a sleep and sex only to make the association between the bedroom and sleep stronger.
– Improve sleep hygiene by making your room a cool, dark and quite place with as little light/electronics (as stated above) in the room.
4.Stress reduction techniques;
Stress reductions techniques are wide ranging and what works for me may or may not work for you. Practicing for as little as 10 minutes a day can drastically decrease your stress levels. I have tried differing techniques over the past 3 years and here is what I have found to work for me.
Ways to combat:
– Exercising daily (see the physical activity section)
– Meditation (I recommend downloading an app, I recommend the headspace or calm apps)
– Finding a relaxing hobby (mine are learning guitar at some stage throughout the day and reading before bed)
5; Diet;
Eating a plant based diet (this may or may not include meat depending on your preference) will help provide adequate Marco and micro nutrients whilst giving you sustainable energy throughout the day.
Ways to combat:
For more information on my recommendations on optimizing nutrition please see my previous blog post “what diet is best for me?”.
Sites used which may help provide more information:
– https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/fatigue
– https://www.waterlogicaustralia.com.au/resources/are-we-drinking-enough-water/
– http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines
– http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/getting/overcoming/tips
– https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/staying-well/reducing-stress
In summary;
– Drink 1L of water for every 25kgs of body weight per day
– Exercise for at least 30 minutes per day and break up long periods of sitting
– Develop a pre sleep routine and good sleep hygiene.
– Practice a stress reduction technique for 10 minutes
– Improve your diet by eating a plant based diet (this doesn’t mean you have to go vegan or vegetarian)
I hope these fatigue fighting techniques help you decrease your fatigue and increase your day to day energy levels.
By Jamey Pemmelaar (Osteopath)