6 Reasons You Are Tired All the Time

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Do you feel like you are tired all the time? If you do, you are not alone.  Shilpi Agarwal, MD, a board-certified family medicine and integrative and holistic medicine physician, revealed in an article in Psychology Today, that close to half her female patients in their late 20s through their 40s report some degree of fatigue.

Personally, I find that I have a case of the snooze blues quite often. Coffee helps, and so does exercise, however, when the tiredness gets out of control, I know I have an imbalance either in my mind or body that needs to be addressed. The causes of fatigue range significantly. Anything from thyroid imbalances, multitasking, or depression can make a person feel completely wiped out.

The good news is a medical treatment or a change in lifestyle is usually enough to get you feeling energized again.  The first step you must take is to understand why you are so tired all time.

Why You Are So Tired

Feeling tired once in a while is completely normal. We all go through periods of fatigue due to stress or a busy lifestyle. However, if your fatigue continues for more than two weeks and you do not remember the last time you were not tired, it is time to get checked out.

Here are some common and treatable medical conditions that are connected to fatigue.

1. Anemia

   Take it from someone who has anemia; this condition makes you ridiculously tired. Anemia is extremely common in woman. Why? Blame it on that time of the month. Women who have very heavy periods tend to have lower iron levels, especially when they are menstruating. Also, women tend to consume less iron in their diet. Anemia causes a person to have lower than normal circulating blood, or blood that is not delivering oxygen efficiently. When the body is in this state, you can feel a sense of fatigue.
   A blood test can determine if you are anemic, and the treatment is simple: just take an iron supplement and add more iron-rich foods to your diet. Foods high in iron include beans, leafy greens and red meat.

2. Hypothyroidism

   Your thyroid is responsible for regulating your metabolism and energy levels. An underactive thyroid might be the reason why you feel so tired and cold all the time. Other symptoms of an underactive thyroid include hair loss and a general sense of lethargy.A common myth is that an underactive thyroid only occurs later in life; however, hypothyroidism can impact anyone, at any age. Young women in their late 20s and early 30s have developed hypothyroidism. Your thyroid can be further stressed through pregnancy. The demands on your body increase significantly during pregnancy which means your thyroid gland has to work twice as hard to create enough thyroid hormone to sustain both you and your developing fetus.

   Ask your doctor to check your thyroid, especially if thyroid problems run in your family. Once diagnosed, women with hypothyroidism are given a thyroid replacement hormone. Typically, women begin to see improvements fairly quickly, sometimes within two to four weeks.

3. Depression

   A common symptom of depression is fatigue. You should consider the possibility that depression might be the cause of your recent lethargy. Seeing a mental health professional might be a good idea if you recently have experienced symptoms of depression. Along with fatigue, symptoms of depression include oversleeping, changes in appetite and loss of interest in an activity that you once enjoyed.

   If you are diagnosed with depression, the good news is there is treatment. A combination of therapy and medication are enough to make most people combat this condition. Talk to your doctor about referring you to a mental health professional.

4. An Unhealthy Diet

   The donut you have every morning alongside your coffee with six sugars is not helping you in the long run. In fact, your poor diet could be why you are so tired in the first place. While sugary drinks and caffeine might give you a temporary energy boost, in the long term they are very poor sources of sustainable energy. Sugar causes your blood sugar to spike and then inevitably drop resulting in a feeling of fatigue. Coffee is another main offender. Often people over-caffeinate which mess with our sleep-wake cycle and also results in those awful caffeine crashes we all hate so much.
   Start eating healthier. Eliminate refined sugars as much as possible and replace them with foods that will keep up your energy, not drain it. If you struggle with the mid-work day snooze, try having a healthy snack instead of downing a coffee or sugary treat. Take everything in moderation. In time these changes in your eating habits can make a huge difference.

5. Lack of Sleep

   The biggest culprit of fatigue is not sleeping enough. I know; no brainer, right? However, this is important to mention because most women are getting only five to six hours of sleep on average. That simply is not enough. Experts agree that seven to eight hours a night is optimum.
   If you struggle with getting enough sleep, there are several steps you can take to improve. First, try changing your schedule, so you have an adequate amount of time to sleep the amount of hours you need. Another great idea is exercising. Exercise has been shown to improve a person’s ability to fall sleep and stay asleep longer.
   You might also have some horrible habits that need to be nipped in the butt. Using your phone at night is a huge no-no. The blue light from the screen affects your brain’s ability to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps you fall asleep. An inconsistent bedtime might also be the blame. Take it day by day. With commitment, you can improve the amount of sleep you have and reduce your fatigue.

6. Chronic Busyness

   Lastly, you might just be too busy. The best solution for chronic busyness is to set aside time to do things for you, like exercise or spending time in nature. Ask your family and spouse for support in lowering the amount of tasks you get done each day. Take breaks throughout the day instead of working through every minute. Break up your workday to feel more alert and refreshed.
   There is a tendency for many to believe they cannot change their busy However, small changes can make the biggest impact. Start by cutting ten minutes of work out of your day to focus on you. In the end, your healthy is your priority.

In recovery, it is important to take care of our overall healthy. Feeling fatigued is not a way to live. If you are struggling with fatigue or addiction, get help today. If you or someone you love is struggling with substance abuse or addiction, please call toll-free 1-800-777-9588.

Author: Shernide Delva