03.04.07

8 Easy Ways to Beat Fatigue

Posted in Personal Development, Health Matters at 11:49 pm by Jeremy Jacobs

March 3, 2007 As posted by the brilliant and inspirational Sania Wyatt.

When you find yourself dozing off during the boss’s slide show, it could be for any number of reasons. Maybe you didn’t get your full eight hours’ sleep the night before. Maybe it was those drinks you had with dinner. Or maybe you just don’t find the boss’s “History of Corporate Tax Shelters” presentation simulating.

But there are days when you feel exhausted for no reason. You had plenty of rest the night before, and your REM cycle was uninterrupted. Still, it’s 11 am, and you’re seriously considering curling up under the meeting table.

There may be unseen forces at work to drain your energy. If you can spot them, though you can beat them. Here are eight:

• Too Many Carbohydrates

If you eat lunches that are high in carbohydrates but low in protein, you may find yourself feeling tired in the afternoon. That’s because carbohydrates increase the brain’s production of the calming chemical serotonin. Research suggests that protein, by limiting serotonin production, can offset carbohydrate-induced sleepiness. You may not need to decrease your protein consumption. Instead, try to make sure your meals contain a balance of carbohydrates and protein. This should help you avoid those mid-afternoon slumps.

• Snooze Till-Noon Weekends

Some clever work drone may have once said, “I’ll catch up on all of my sleep the first year I’m dead,” but most of us opt for Saturday mornings. Bad move. “We each have a biological clock that determines when we are sleepy and when we are alert,” says Timothy Roehrs, director of research at a sleep disorders centre. “When you wake up every morning at seven but sleep until noon on weekends, you can upset your biological clock and end up feeling even more fatigued.”

It partly has to do with the body’s release of cortisol (a hormone associated with alertness), which begins for seven-o’clock risers between three and four in the morning and peaks at about 11. When you lie in bed past this time, you suppress your brain into that weekend twilight zone.

Catch up on weekends by going to bed early, not sleeping late. “To keep your biological clock happy,” says Roehrs, “it is best to wake up every morning at about the same time.”

• Blood Pressure Quirks

Intermittent bouts of low blood pressure, known as Neurally Mediated Hypotension (NMH), may be a cause of exhaustion. If you become woozy after standing for long periods, dizzy while taking a hot shower, or if you’re prone to fainting have a physician evaluate for NMH.

The test is simple: The doctor puts you on a table and tilts it so your head is resting 70 degrees above your feet. This simulates long periods of standing. If you faint, or if your blood pressure falls and you experience light-headedness or nausea after several minutes, you probably have the condition. Treatment involves regulating the blood pressure, often by simply adding salt and fluids to the diet, and possibly a medication to prompt the kidneys to retain more sodium.

• Dehydration

Once you feel thirsty, you’ve already begun to lose a significant amount of fluid. As your fluid level decreases, you’ll start to notice a decline in physical performance. It makes sense. A lack of water can cause a decrease in blood volume, and that can bring on fatigue. Drink eight to ten glasses of water a day, or more if you exercise heavily.

• Drug Side Effects

Sure you know that certain antihistamines, cold medications and cough syrups can make you drowsy. But you may not have known that the list of potential energy sappers features many other familiar drugs that can cause drowsiness in some people. These include certain blood-pressure medications and even some diuretics.

If you feel tired or run-down, ask your doctor whether the medication you’re taking might be the cause, and what alternatives may be available.

• Stress

The pressure of a deadline can leave you wiped out for the afternoon. Stress makes you tense your muscles, which lead to fatigue, just as if you were out chopping wood. Stress can also make you hold your breath, depriving you of oxygen. This, too, can lead to fatigue.

Next time, when you’re in the hot seat, close your eyes and envision yourself in a tranquil setting. And concentrate on breathing deeply and slowly. Whenever possible, schedule a dental appointment or other discomforting event in the morning so that you don’t spend the whole day worrying about it.

• Eyestrain

If you’re having a hard time focusing, you’re probably twisting your body into awkward positions, leaning forward into the computer screen or hunching over your desk. No wonder you’re bone-tired. Vision problems also hamper concentration, which can cause fatigue.

Have your vision checked, and take a five-minute break from your computer or paper work every hour. Use the time to do other tasks, such as making phone calls.

• Sombre Colours

Surrounding yourself with nothing but sombre colours can make you both fatigue and depressed. Add warm colours to your environment such as yellow, orange and especially red, the colours of fire.

After eons of association, we are programmed to respond to them. If you want a quick cure for fatigue, focus on something red. A few items placed nearby should do the trick. But don’t overdo it. Your environment can be too stimulating and that, too, can be exhausting.

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