Fighting Fatigue

Fighting Fatigue

I don’t like using negative language when discussing wellbeing – but I really like using literation and rhymes to catch your attention!! So should it be “Fairing well with Fatigue”, Freedom From Fatigue”, “Intrigue about Fatigue”?

But actually, when I’m fatigued, I feel like I need some Fight in me in order to overcome it. The fight is less about hostility and more about drive and self-motivation. Understanding your own relationship to your fatigue can make a big difference to how you can overcome it. Do you need fire in your belly, a helping hand, some relief: probably all of the above in some way.

Fatigue is a common complaint that people come into The Apothecary Shop with, and it’s for a variety of reasons: a fast-paced lifestyle, long-term stress, an overwhelming schedule, lack of support, lack of motivation, feeling under-nourished, lack of sleep, mental fatigue, physical fatigue… Everyone is different.

Chronic Fatigue is long-term fatigue that is so common it is it’s own medical condition, which can result from various health issues, including nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, or underlying medical conditions that can be tricky to identify and demoralising to live with and try to understand. As always – I would promote getting advice where you can from Medical Practitioners and Health Specialists. Here’s a few tips to remind you of some things that might help to put your Bounce Back in your Boots:

Balanced Nutrition: Eat well. Eat real food and avoid processed foods and all the things you know you shouldn’t eat. Where required, taking some quality nutritional supplements can make a huge difference if you are deficient or if your body isn’t absorbing what it needs, such as B vitamins, CoQ10, gentle iron, or even probiotics to balance your gut health. At this time of year vitamin D supplementation can make all the difference.

Stay Hydrated: It really is the simple things. Dehydration can significantly contribute to feelings of fatigue. So why not just cross that one off the list of things that you can do to help yourself? If you don’t like water, try simple herbals teas.

Sleep: If you don’t recharge a battery, then it will eventually go flat. Having good quality rest, such as taking a relaxing bath or doing gentle and restful yoga poses or having a good solid power nap, is far more beneficial than doing low energy activities that distract your brain such as scrolling on social media. And even more important that good rest is good sleep. Sleeping is vital for you to recharge every part of you. If you struggle to sleep, then target this as the most important factor. I have written a few articles about sleep: you can find previous articles on The Apothecary Shop website or in the back-catalogue of Ledbury Focus magazines. In brief: have a sleep routine, cut out blue lights, try supplements such as Magnesium, Ashwagandha, Lemon Balm, L-theanine, or Reishi.

Manage your stress levels: easier said than done. But go for the low-hanging fruit: what tiny change can you make that would brighten or ease your day? Smile at someone, watch something that makes you laugh, take a few minutes break to do something that bring you joy or peace. Find awe.

Move: While it may seem counterintuitive, regular physical exercise can boost energy levels significantly. Activities like walking, yoga, or dancing increase circulation and reduce stress, contributing to overall vitality. Movement can give you the spark of motivation that you need to spiral toward more energy. Sometimes we need to “fake it to make” and so just taking small steps toward physical activity can help set you in the right direction. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you may not want to run a marathon tomorrow, but you might be able to move a little more right now.