How to Fight Fatigue
Increase your physical activity., Reduce stress., Drink more water., Quit smoking., Cut back on alcohol intake., Lose weight.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Increase your physical activity.
Even though it's the last thing you feel like doing when you're tired and out of energy, getting frequent exercise is one of the most effective ways to overcome fatigue.
Study after study has shown that people who exercise regularly are more active, energetic and, in general, healthier than those who don't.
You don't need to slog it out on the treadmill for an hour to enjoy the benefits of exercise
- find an activity you enjoy that still gets your body moving
- try a dance class, take up martial arts, or go on a bike ride with a friend.
Not only does exercise make you more energetic, it increases your overall health by strengthening the heart, lungs and muscles.
It also makes you happier, as it triggers your body's production of "happy hormones" called endorphins.
Yoga is believed to be a particularly effective form of exercise for reducing fatigue.
This is due to the fact that yoga, thanks to its calming, meditative nature, can increase mental energy in addition to physical energy levels. -
Step 2: Reduce stress.
Stress, anxiety and negative emotions in general can be a major sap on your energy levels.
Therefore, in order to effectively fight fatigue, you will first need to minimize your stress levels.
If your stress tends to come from the workplace, see if you can delegate some of your heavy workload to your colleagues, or consider switching to more laid-back job.
If your stress comes from a demanding or difficult partner, sit them down and discuss what your needs are within the relationship
- if he/she can't agree, consider taking a break and reassessing whether you want to be in this relationship.
Sometimes stress stems from a lack of "me time".
If you feel this is the case, then make some time for yourself.
Take up an activity like yoga or meditation which will help to clear your mind and reduce stress.
If that's not your thing, just having a relaxing bath or spending time with friends and family can be enough., Dehydration is a common cause of fatigue and low energy levels, in addition to poor concentration.
Without enough water in your system, blood flow to the essential organs (including the brain) is reduced, thus slowing them down.
Therefore, one easy step you can take to fight fatigue is just to drink more water every day.
Although 6 to 8 glasses a day is a good guideline, it's also important to listen to your body.
One way to tell if you are dehydrated is to look at the color of your urine.
If you are adequately hydrated, it should be a pale yellow or straw colored.
If it's any darker, you are dehydrated.You can also increase your water intake by drinking herbal teas and eating fruit and veg with a high water content, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, watermelon and beets. , In general, smokers tend to have less energy than their non-smoking counterparts.
Cigarettes contain an abundance of harmful substance which affect your overall health and wellness.
More specifically, your body needs to combine oxygen with glucose in order to make energy, but the carbon monoxide in cigarettes depletes your body's oxygen levels, making it harder to produce energy.Therefore, if you're a frequent smoker who struggles with fatigue, your first step should be to quit smoking.
It won't be easy, but your body will thank you for it! Find some helpful tips on how to quit smoking here. , Although you may feel that having a glass of wine or beer in the evening helps you to unwind or maybe even fall asleep, it can actually leave you feeling more tired the next day.
This is due to the fact that alcohol prevents you from falling into a deep sleep, which leaves you feeling groggy and unrefreshed when you wake up, even if you had a full 8 hours sleep.
Therefore, you should aim to cut back on nighttime drinking, and limit your alcohol consumption to 3-4 units per day for men and 2-3 units a day for women., If you're carrying around an extra few pounds, you can find yourself feeling sluggish and drained of energy.
Simply by losing a little bit of weight, you can increase your energy levels and improve your mood and quality of life.
Make sure you lose weight safely and healthily
- you can do this by cutting back on your portion sizes (using smaller plates helps), eating a balanced diet, cutting out high sugar and high fat foods and getting plenty of exercise.
It's very important that you avoid crash dieting, as this can leave you feeling more fatigued than before.
This is due to the fact that low-carb and other strict diets don't provide enough energy for your body's needs, in addition to depriving the body of important vitamins and nutrients. -
Step 3: Drink more water.
-
Step 4: Quit smoking.
-
Step 5: Cut back on alcohol intake.
-
Step 6: Lose weight.
Detailed Guide
Even though it's the last thing you feel like doing when you're tired and out of energy, getting frequent exercise is one of the most effective ways to overcome fatigue.
Study after study has shown that people who exercise regularly are more active, energetic and, in general, healthier than those who don't.
You don't need to slog it out on the treadmill for an hour to enjoy the benefits of exercise
- find an activity you enjoy that still gets your body moving
- try a dance class, take up martial arts, or go on a bike ride with a friend.
Not only does exercise make you more energetic, it increases your overall health by strengthening the heart, lungs and muscles.
It also makes you happier, as it triggers your body's production of "happy hormones" called endorphins.
Yoga is believed to be a particularly effective form of exercise for reducing fatigue.
This is due to the fact that yoga, thanks to its calming, meditative nature, can increase mental energy in addition to physical energy levels.
Stress, anxiety and negative emotions in general can be a major sap on your energy levels.
Therefore, in order to effectively fight fatigue, you will first need to minimize your stress levels.
If your stress tends to come from the workplace, see if you can delegate some of your heavy workload to your colleagues, or consider switching to more laid-back job.
If your stress comes from a demanding or difficult partner, sit them down and discuss what your needs are within the relationship
- if he/she can't agree, consider taking a break and reassessing whether you want to be in this relationship.
Sometimes stress stems from a lack of "me time".
If you feel this is the case, then make some time for yourself.
Take up an activity like yoga or meditation which will help to clear your mind and reduce stress.
If that's not your thing, just having a relaxing bath or spending time with friends and family can be enough., Dehydration is a common cause of fatigue and low energy levels, in addition to poor concentration.
Without enough water in your system, blood flow to the essential organs (including the brain) is reduced, thus slowing them down.
Therefore, one easy step you can take to fight fatigue is just to drink more water every day.
Although 6 to 8 glasses a day is a good guideline, it's also important to listen to your body.
One way to tell if you are dehydrated is to look at the color of your urine.
If you are adequately hydrated, it should be a pale yellow or straw colored.
If it's any darker, you are dehydrated.You can also increase your water intake by drinking herbal teas and eating fruit and veg with a high water content, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, watermelon and beets. , In general, smokers tend to have less energy than their non-smoking counterparts.
Cigarettes contain an abundance of harmful substance which affect your overall health and wellness.
More specifically, your body needs to combine oxygen with glucose in order to make energy, but the carbon monoxide in cigarettes depletes your body's oxygen levels, making it harder to produce energy.Therefore, if you're a frequent smoker who struggles with fatigue, your first step should be to quit smoking.
It won't be easy, but your body will thank you for it! Find some helpful tips on how to quit smoking here. , Although you may feel that having a glass of wine or beer in the evening helps you to unwind or maybe even fall asleep, it can actually leave you feeling more tired the next day.
This is due to the fact that alcohol prevents you from falling into a deep sleep, which leaves you feeling groggy and unrefreshed when you wake up, even if you had a full 8 hours sleep.
Therefore, you should aim to cut back on nighttime drinking, and limit your alcohol consumption to 3-4 units per day for men and 2-3 units a day for women., If you're carrying around an extra few pounds, you can find yourself feeling sluggish and drained of energy.
Simply by losing a little bit of weight, you can increase your energy levels and improve your mood and quality of life.
Make sure you lose weight safely and healthily
- you can do this by cutting back on your portion sizes (using smaller plates helps), eating a balanced diet, cutting out high sugar and high fat foods and getting plenty of exercise.
It's very important that you avoid crash dieting, as this can leave you feeling more fatigued than before.
This is due to the fact that low-carb and other strict diets don't provide enough energy for your body's needs, in addition to depriving the body of important vitamins and nutrients.
About the Author
Theresa Torres
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in organization and beyond.
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