How to fight fatigue

If simple lifestyle changes and not physical illnesses cause fatigue, there are a number of alternative therapies that can help you to beat tiredness.

How to fight fatigue

+ You can begin to overcome your tiredness with some simple measures:

∎ Eat well. Your diet should be balanced and include the principle foods in the food pyramid: lean meats, fruit, vegetables, cereals and low-fat dairy. In addition, it is good to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. Drinking water and fruit juice are important because a lack of liquids and minerals can make you fatigued.

∎ Improve your physical activity. An exercise routine can be very helpful to help you recuperate your energy. It is recommended to start an exercise program with the supervision of your doctor.

∎ Quit smoking. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug and cigarettes are very harmful to your health. The effects of tobacco are related to many illnesses that cause fatigue.

∎ Fight insomnia. Develop techniques and a sleep routine that will help you to rest fully and recuperate from tiredness.

∎ Learn to relax. There are many techniques, especially with complementary and natural therapies that can help you to relax and revitalize your energy. Developing personal relationships with friends and relatives can be helpful. Also, making time for gratifying activities and having fun is a great way to get over tiredness.

NATURAL ALTERNATIVES

With our stressful, busy lives, most of us experience tiredness sometimes. Daily commutes, overwork, straining physical exercise and changes in lifestyle can be treated, using effective, natural remedies:

Natural Alternatives

  1. • Herbal medicine. Revitalizing infusions, tinctures and teas.
  2. • Aromatherapy applications. Using essential oils on the skin or during massages, or soaking in a hot bath with a few drops of an essential oil (see how to use aromatherapy to revitalize your energy in the list of Essential oils from A to Z, on page 47).
  3. • Eating energizing foods. Among the basic foods, complex-carbohydrates found in wholegrain cereals are digested slowly, which permits sugar to be released into the bloodstream slowly. It is also good to eat bananas, apricots and almost all fruits that provide the body with necessary sugars. Beans as soy are a great way to incorporate low-fat protein into the diet (see Foods to fight fatigue, on page 56). However, it's good to consult your medical doctor before starting a new diet; and you should definitely seek medical advice if you suffer from diabetes or if you are overweight.
  4. • Alternative therapies. To overcome tiredness there are techniques: yoga, meditation, reflexology, hydrotherapy, energizing Chinese self-massages –do-in and qi gong– (see Complementary therapies, from page 10).

SYMPTOMS OF NORMAL TIREDNESS

SHOES

SHOES

You should wear shoes for their utility not because they are in style. Narrow shoes, high heels and uncomfortable designs force the feet into positions that are unstable and unnatural, which not only exhaust your feet but your entire body.

CHANGE YOUR HABITS

If you are busy and constantly on the go, not exercising or taking out the time needed to rest completely can cause excessive tiredness. There are a number of solutions on hand to transform your home and office in sanctuaries for tranquility.

∎ At home

There are basic concepts based on the century old Chinese philosophy of feng shui, a way to mindfully organize your environment to bring harmony and restfulness into your life:

  1. • Do not place your alarm clock, radios or stereos anywhere near the headboard of your bed or place where you rest. Also, avoid placing computers close to your legs. Electronic equipment have transformers that produce electromagnetic fields that when you are exposed to them over time can cause tiredness.
  2. • Avoid cluttered areas, because they can pollute your vision and the lack of energy flow can affect the nervous system, alternating your vital energy flow.
  3. • Don't combine contrasting colors (for example black and white) in the ceramic tile or flooring in the bathroom or kitchen because the contrast can cause visual fatigue.
  4. • Keep your house dry and ventilated.

∎ In your free time

To help you rest up and energize it's good to go out, have fun and get away from your everyday responsibilities. Many entertaining and leisure activities can contribute to being able to rest. In addition, endorphins are released when you are having fun. Endorphins are chemicals produced in the brain in response to a variety of stimuli, they may be nature's cure for high levels of stress. They lead to feelings of euphoria, moderation of appetite, release of sex hormones and enhancement of the immune responses. Endorphins are released when you exercise, experience orgasms and laugh.

In your free time

∎ At work

The clothes that you use during the day can also contribute to daily fatigue. To relieve tiredness –and other ailments– it's important to wear comfortable clothes; there is no reason to confuse formal wear with using uncomfortable clothes.

  1. • For women, you should use the size of clothes that are best for your body, don't use tight clothes for fashion's sake. Tight clothes and uncomfortable fabrics can cause a sensation of exhaustion.
  2. • For men, using a necktie too tight, constantly using a suit or using unnecessary jackets can add to tiredness during the day.
  3. • Limit, if possible, the utilization of synthetic fabrics.

At work

User Contributions:

Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: