Why Am I So Tired All The Time?
Did you know that according to research, during Covid-19 pandemic many people started going to sleep much later and began sleeping more? This information might make one wonder if we always needed more sleep but didn’t allow ourselves to have it. Furthermore, one may wonder if some of us are still a little sleep deprived.
No wonder that many of us feel tired, even right after we wake up. There are natural, obvious and common causes of tiredness that we all experienced at some point in our lives:
- Going to bed late and getting up early,
- Spending long hours working,
- Having interrupted sleep,
- Drinking too much coffee and/or alcohol,
- Taking long naps during the day.
Then there are also things that might contribute to us feeling tired that aren’t that obvious. These include:
- dehydration
- vitamin deficiency
- diet (not enough calories)
- sedentary lifestyle (lack of movement can cause tiredness and lethargy)
- certain medication or medical conditions
- sleep disorder
Lifestyle for better sleep
In many cases feeling tired is has physical or lifestyle causes. This can be relatively easy to correct through small changes in our daily routine. These lifestyle changes include making sure that you get enough sleep at night, drink plenty of water, take supplements, move your body and eat a varied diet. If you suspect that your medication or a medical condition might be causing your tiredness, it’s important to speak to your GP.
But…
What about those of us who sleep well, eat well, exercise, drink water and still wake up each morning feeling tired?
It turns out that tiredness and lack of motivation that’s linked to it, can also be caused by psychological causes.
Psychological causes of tiredness
There might be parts of your life that are draining your energy which results in physical tiredness. These might be issues with work, financial situation, family, health or any other aspect of life that might be feeling like it’s a little bit “too much” right now. It might be one big thing that you’re dealing with or a series of small events and situations that are tiring.
There are also certain emotions that, if not processed and released, might cause the feeling of exhaustion. It is because we put energy into suppressing that emotion.
Some psychological experiences that can cause you to feel tired include:
- Living in a state of stress or tension for an extended period of time – this stress may be caused by negative and positive events. For instance, moving apartments or changing jobs are considered to be major stressors.
- Feeling worried or anxious about your future.
- Feeling low and sad.
- Feeling shame, embarrassment, betrayal. This may often come with analysing and re-living the past events in our minds.
- Recent experience of grief or loss.
What you can do if you’re feeling tired all the time (holistic approach)
If you’ve been feeling tired for an extended period of time and despite getting enough rest, it’s important to flag it with your doctor to make sure that there are no physical causes for this state.
While your doctor will help you check for any possible physical causes of tiredness, you may wish to consider your lifestyle, as well as your mental and emotional health.
As mentioned earlier, there are numerous things you can do to lead a lifestyle that helps to shift the feeling of constant tiredness. Simple hacks include:
- Drinking plenty of water,
- Getting the right amount of sleep,
- Getting enough movement,
- Eating varied and nutritious diet,
- Avoiding high amounts of alcohol and caffeine.
Just like in case of physical and lifestyle causes, there are plenty of ways to address tiredness brought on by psychological causes. Some things you may try:
- Talking to a therapist,
- Giving yourself plenty of time and space to process whatever is happening in your life,
- Trying alternative methods to support your mental and emotional health such as: journalling, sharing circles, meditation, peer support groups.
When you’re healing from chronic tiredness, it’s easy to get frustrated and impatient. When that happens, know that it’s a part of the process. Allow yourself to feel tired, and honour your body’s needs.
If you’d like to try therapeutic yoga as a way to address your tiredness on the energetic level, drop me a message at jlangiertherapy@gmail.com