14 reasons why you constantly feel tired.

If you think that only lack of sleep undermines your strength, you are deeply mistaken! Share this information with your friends! They will also benefit from this information. Many very insignificant things that you do not do (or do) can exhaust you as much as insomnia, both mentally and physically.

Below you will find several habits that cause chronic fatigue, as well as simple recipes on how to overcome them and regain your vigor.

1. You think that when you're tired, going to work out is a bad idea.

In fact, on the contrary - the more tired you are, the more training will help you - this is the conclusion reached by scientists from the University of Georgia, USA. They observed a group of adults who were mostly sitting at work. They had chronic fatigue. When they started going to the gym, despite their fatigue (classes lasted 20 minutes, every other day), after 6 weeks of such training, their health improved greatly, and the fatigue disappeared as if by hand.  Regular physical training loads the cardiovascular system and it begins to work more efficiently and stamina, supplying more oxygen and nutrients to body tissues. Therefore, when you want to lie down from fatigue, do the opposite - take a walk - this will paradoxically give you strength.

2. We drink little water.

It should be noted that even a small shortage of water (even 2% of the norm)  seriously affects your body, according to nutritionist Amy Goodson. Dehydration reduces blood volume and makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood because the flow of thick blood is much slower. Accordingly, the time it takes for oxygen and other substances to reach internal organs and muscles increases significantly.

3. Iron deficiency can also cause irritability, lethargy, and weakness.

You will find it difficult to concentrate on anything. According to Goodson. Fatigue is caused by a lack of oxygen in the cells. To compensate for iron deficiency and reduce the risk of anemia, you need to eat more beans, eggs with yolks, nuts, peanut butter, lean beef, and vegetables with dark green leaves.  It is ideal if you eat foods that contain vitamin C (it is this that promotes the rapid absorption of iron). Of course, changing your diet is not a panacea. Iron deficiency can be the result of a serious illness, so just in case, see your doctor if you regularly experience symptoms of iron deficiency. 

4. If you constantly strive for perfection, if you are a perfectionist, you constantly overwork.

A New York University psychiatry professor puts it this way: “The unrealistic goals you set are either impossible or incredibly difficult to achieve. That's why you never have a feeling of satisfaction." In this case, it is useful to set time limits for your project (and yourself too) that you will strictly adhere to. You will soon realize that the amount of extra time spent on work is not always proportionally equal to the quality achieved.

5. You constantly expect the worst.

Or that you will be fired when your boss calls you in, or that you will fall off your bike. Fear of the worst can paralyze you so much that you become completely mentally exhausted. If you find yourself thinking like this, take a few deep breaths and ask yourself what are the chances of the worst happening. Such meditation will help you look at the state of affairs more objectively. It can also help to simply go for a walk or talk about the situation with a friend.

6. You don't eat regularly.

In fact, in many ways we are like a machine. If you don’t fill it up on time, there may not be enough gasoline to achieve your goal. If you skip breakfast, you will feel a lack of energy. Goodson says, “Breakfast is like the ignition system—it's what gets your entire metabolism going.” A healthy breakfast can include lean meats, healthy fats, and whole grains (such as oatmeal with peanut butter plus a fruit smoothie or low-fat milk, scrambled eggs, toast plus yogurt)

7. You eat unhealthy food.

Foods loaded with simple carbohydrates  and sugar have a glycemic index which  indicates that they can quickly increase blood sugar levels. Spikes and drops in blood sugar levels cause fatigue. An alternative could be baked (not fried) chicken, salmon, potatoes, brown rice, salads (vegetables and fruits).

8. It's hard for you to refuse.

If you are trying to please everyone and act to the detriment of yourself, this can make you angry and offended by the whole world. If someone  asked you  about something, don’t rush to say “yes” to him. Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, says you need to learn to say “no” out loud. First, practice doing this loudly in private (for example, in a car) - this will get you used to how the word “no” sounds out loud. Then it will be easier to pronounce when necessary.

9. The office is chaos and disorder.

The lack of order exhausts you psychologically. The ability to concentrate decreases, and this limits the brain's ability to process information, say scientists from Princeton. “At the end of the day, organize all your personal and work items. This will help you have a positive outlook the next morning.”

10. You live without a vacation.

If you are constantly working, when should you relax  then you will probably “burn out”. When you disconnect from work and allow your body and mind to recover, then you can return to work. “Taking periodic breaks makes you more creative, efficient and productive when you return to work.”

11. We drink wine before bed.

It seems like a good way to relax, but in fact the sedative effect of wine and depression of the nervous system leads to sleep disturbances. Allen Toufai, a medical doctor from New York, says that alcohol affects the metabolism in such a way that it leads to a sharp increase in adrenaline. This may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Therefore, it is recommended to stop drinking three or four hours before you go to bed.

12. You sit in the dark before going to bed on social networks or check your email.

Bright light from gadgets can disrupt the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the circadian rhythm (the cycle of wakefulness and sleep). Of course, this is very individual, but it is better to refrain from sitting at a computer or mobile phone in the dark, at least two hours before bed. If this is not possible, then at least keep the bright screen away from your face to reduce the impact on melatonin production.

13. You drink too much coffee.

A cup of coffee in the morning is, in principle, not a bad idea, even three cups of coffee a day is also not critical. But if your dose is higher, your sleep-wake cycles are disrupted. Adenosine, a product of cell activity that accumulates and causes drowsiness, is blocked. Recent studies have shown that even six hours before bedtime, caffeine affects sleep. It is best not to drink coffee after 12 noon.  

14. On weekends you go to bed late.

If you get a good night's sleep on Sunday after staying up until the middle of the night on Saturday, you will have difficulty falling asleep on Sunday and, accordingly, you will wake up sleep-deprived on Monday.  Therefore, it is better not to stay long on Saturday. If you still feel tired in the morning on Monday, try taking a 20-minute nap. Such a nap will prevent you from entering deeper phases of sleep, exiting from which at the wrong time can also cause fatigue, says Dr. Toufai.

In addition to these reasons, there is also an internal struggle. Psychological problems or traumas that you have not worked through and which create stress that takes a lot of energy. Sometimes this can last for years. Traumas that are not processed give rise to PTSD - post-traumatic stress disorder, a chronic mental illness that, like a worm from the inside, eats your strength, taking it away from you so that you can direct it to achieving your goals.

To work with PTSD, stress and trauma, I successfully use EMDR therapy, which allows me to achieve excellent results in just a few sessions. The metaphor that arises among my clients is that it’s as if these experiences were simply erased from life. 

If you think that the help of a psychotherapist is exactly what you need, you can use my services. I consult mainly online, but I can also meet with you in person in Kyiv. To sign up for a consultation, click the button below.

Take action and you will succeed!