Change Your Daily Habits to Fight Fatigue

Chronic fatigue has countless possible causes. Sometimes, symptoms stem from serious underlying medical conditions, such as kidney disease, heart problems, thyroid issues, and others. However, 50 to 80 percent of fatigue cases can be traced to your daily habits. Make the following changes to help improve your energy levels.

Get Enough Sleep

Sometimes, fatigue is simply the result of not getting adequate rest. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep to function properly. To help you achieve restful sleep each night, strive to:

• Limit your caffeine intake: Ironically, drinking caffeine can make you feel more tired in the long-run because it prevents you from sleeping soundly.
• Follow a bedtime routine: This might include turning down the lights, playing soothing music, reading, or stretching before bed.
• Wean yourself off any sleeping pills: This short-term solution fails to address the underlying problem and introduces dangerous side effects.

Rethink Your Nutrition

Eating healthy food and staying hydrated are foundational principles of good nutrition, but they may not be enough to fight chronic fatigue. Consider supplementing your diet with the following:

• Vitamin B-12 shots: If you attribute your fatigue to lack of sleep, consider the possibility that you have a nutrient deficiency. Vitamin shots counteract the effects of B-12 deficiency, which include fatigue, headaches, depression, and clouded thoughts.
• Nutritional IV therapy: A vitamin-infused drip customized to meet your needs could be the perfect way to fight chronic fatigue. This provides your body with nutrients that may be lacking in your diet to help boost your energy levels, mood, and immune system.

Be Physically Active

When you’re fatigued, the last thing you want to do is exercise, but even something simple like taking a brisk, 10-minute walk can improve blood flow, release endorphins, and increase your energy level. Plus, exercising early in the day helps you sleep better at night.

Address Problems at Work

If you have a stressful job or work long hours, you may feel utterly exhausted by the end of the day. To help improve your work situation, try these tips:

• Talk to HR: The Human Resources department at your work may be able to help with unfair working conditions or solve drama between coworkers.
• Invest in ergonomic office equipment: When you sit and work comfortably, you prevent muscle tension and nerve compression that can lead to fatigue.
• Look for a new job: This may be a significant change, but that could be just what you need to improve your quality of life.

Quit Smoking

Smokers tend to have less energy than non-smokers because inhaling cigarette smoke increases the amount of carbon monoxide in the bloodstream. If you need yet another reason to drop this habit, think about how quitting smoking may improve your energy levels.

Chronic fatigue often responds well to these lifestyle changes. If you’re interested in trying vitamin shots, IV therapy, and other energy-boosting treatments, contact Effective Integrative Healthcare in Millersville, Crofton, or Lanham, MD for a free consultation.