I’m sure you realise that Doctors use shorthand to describe patient’s symptoms in their notes, and one such acronym is TATT meaning Tired All The Time. According to NHS stats one in five of us feels like this all of the time and one in ten of us suffer long term problems as a result. Of course there are medical reasons why we might feel like this – vitamin deficiencies, hormonal issues etc. that should be tested by your GP with blood tests. But for many of us it will be the way we live our lives that leaves us feeling drained and there are things we can do to beat the slump:
Drink plenty of water, how much is needed depends on the person – aim for straw coloured urine. It is okay to include a couple cups of coffee per day; the caffeic acid instantly increases alertness and blood pressure.
Alcohol compromises sleep quality, it has a dehydrating effect and the chemicals prevent you from entering a deep sleep by disrupting the sleep cycle. Although alcohol can initially make you feel more relaxed and you may even manage the recommended seven or eight hours of sleep, in the long run the quality of sleep will leave you never feeling properly rested.
If you would be happy to try taking supplements then there are a few beneficial ones: Magnesium aids concentration, muscle health and maintains blood glucose levels, if taken at night it can make you feel sleepy, whereas a deficiency can make you feel lethargic. It is naturally found in leafy vegetables and nuts. B vitamins are equally important for feeling energised, they support a quick conversion from food in to energy. Good sources are chicken, eggs, nuts, marmite and cheese. If you are going to take a supplement than ensure it is a B complex variety.
If you are in the position to take a nap, then take one – but only nap for thirty minutes or less which should leave you revitalised. After the thirty minute period you enter deep sleep if you wake yourself from this you will feel groggy. We sleep in cycles of ninety minutes, so if you can take a longer nap then make it ninety minutes.
We don’t really think much about digestion, but it uses up a lot of energy, so the more you eat the harder your body has to work to process the meal. Keep portion sizes reasonable, choose low GI foods that release energy slowly and combine with protein which aids to fighting fatigue. Protein slows down the speed at which carbohydrates are processed leaving your glucose levels more even and you are less likely to get a slump from the increase in serotonin that a high carbohydrate meal can produce.
Get enough light, move your desk to near a window if possible and get out in the fresh air for thirty minutes per day to keep your body clock in check. If we do not get enough light we produce too much melatonin which makes us sleepy. Equally too much blue light (from T.V’s, laptops) etc. suppresses melatonin leaving us staying up later and later and not feeling tired. Electronics should be out of the bedroom and turned off at least 2 hours before bedtime.
It sounds silly, but some of the best advice for coping with a busy stressful life is to breathe properly, many of us don’t realise but we get in to a habit of breathing shallowly. Which in turn makes it harder for our body to get the air it needs. Try learning some breathing techniques that really use the diaphragm properly. Relaxation periods using meditation or yoga can be beneficial.
Ref: How to beat the constant fatigue affecting one in five Britons, by Rachel Reilly
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