Speaking of fatigue in the singular isn’t entirely accurate, according to doctors and psychologists. The causes and types of this condition can vary. To cope with chronic fatigue, you need to correctly identify its type. Sometimes this requires an examination and tests. In other cases, you can figure it out on your own. Check your symptoms with our list.
Fatigue is the price we pay for freedom, explains psychologist Alain Ehrenberg in his book “The Tiredness of Being Ourselves.” We try to do a million things, torn between work, phone calls, emails, family matters, and other obligations. We drive ourselves to exhaustion.
Fatigue is a kind of defense mechanism, the body’s way of shielding us from the frenzy of life. It prevents us from taking on a ton of new tasks. So fatigue can also be seen in a positive light.
Fatigue has many faces, so it needs to be analyzed from the perspectives of psychology, medicine, and sociology.
1. Professional fatigue
“It’s not the one who works the hardest who gets the most tired,” explains sociologist Marc Loriol, author of “The Time of Fatigue.” The feeling of fatigue from work is influenced by interest in the work, its meaningfulness, recognition of your achievements, encouragement from management, and other factors.
Some people believe that they should put forth effort for the approval of colleagues, bosses, or clients, but when no one appreciates their efforts, they don’t want to take unnecessary initiative.
Another is inspired by the result of his work, and he is not against working even more and better just for the sake of it.
If your work lacks variety, you’re more likely to suffer from negative emotions, which you’ll perceive as fatigue. And if you can’t accomplish everything you need to do due to a lack of resources and time, the overwhelming feeling of helplessness can exacerbate the feeling of exhaustion.
How to win
Not ready to change jobs? Then you can try to find meaning where there is none, or become a kind of happy Sisyphus.
Are your colleagues or boss unimpressed by your work? Be the first to engage. Highlight your role, for example, in closing a major deal. Or explain why you lack the time or resources for certain tasks. Perhaps management would be willing to assign you an assistant.
2. Emotional fatigue
Summer is ending, sunlight is dwindling, and many people are returning from vacation and finding it difficult to get back into the work routine. “Autumn is traditionally a time of fatigue: a lack of vitamins, sunlight, and cold—all of this takes a toll on a person. Emotional fatigue also sets in: you feel underperforming, unable to accomplish anything, dissatisfied with yourself and the world, believing you’ll never succeed, and gradually sinking into a funk. And the to-do list keeps growing, exacerbating this feeling,” psychologist Violena Guerito describes emotional fatigue.
How to win
Patience and endurance have their limits. It’s not fatigue that matters, but positive emotions. Start by recognizing that you’ve taken on too much. Consider what tasks can be postponed until next month or delegated. You won’t feel obligated to do them, which means you won’t feel guilty about not getting them done.
Don’t demand too much from yourself and don’t set the bar too high.
Even if your home isn’t perfectly tidy, you’ve already missed three sessions with a trainer, and you still haven’t started your diet, be kind to yourself during this difficult time. But even if you’re exhausted beyond measure, resist the urge to hunker down. Loneliness only intensifies emotional fatigue. Socialize and get out into the world to overcome nervous tension.
3. Hormonal fatigue
“A few days before the end of their cycle, some women experience a specific fatigue,” explains gynecologist and endocrinologist Claire Briquet. “It’s usually caused by an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone, two female hormones. This imbalance causes irritability and a loss of energy. During menstruation, a sharp drop in hormone levels causes a different type of fatigue: aversion to everything.”
Furthermore, heavy bleeding leads to physical fatigue due to iron deficiency, and lower abdominal pain weakens the nervous system. In later life, declining estrogen levels also trigger fatigue that seems overwhelming.”
How to win
If you experience these symptoms or notice a connection between your fatigue and a specific period in your cycle, discuss it with your doctor. They may order tests and prescribe hormonal medications.
4. Food fatigue
“Food can also cause a feeling of low energy,” adds nutritionist Jacques Fricke. “After a meal, fast-acting carbohydrates (cookies, white bread, candy) raise blood sugar levels and force the pancreas to produce large doses of insulin to lower them. This leads to a hypoglycemic response—a drop in blood sugar—accompanied by a feeling of sluggishness.”
Another critical period is three or four hours after eating fatty or heavy foods. Such foods are digested slowly and require a large amount of energy. Furthermore, high levels of fat in the blood place a strain on the liver. In the long term, an unbalanced diet can lead to vitamin deficiency and magnesium deficiency, which can be felt as nervous exhaustion.
How to win
Eat 3-4 times a day. In the morning, eat slow-digesting carbohydrates (bran bread, fruit, oatmeal). They will give your body a boost of energy. At lunch and dinner, focus on protein and vegetables. Try not to snack every hour or gulp down food on the go. And of course, drink water to help your body detoxify.
5. Physical fatigue
“If you’re feeling muscle fatigue after a day on your feet or collapsing after just 15 minutes of playing basketball with your son, these are warning signs,” says Stefan Kashua, author of “Is Exercise Good for Your Health?”
Your body is signaling that your physical fitness is far from optimal.
“Regular exercise, without strenuous exercise, will help you feel better. It increases endurance and stimulates the release of endorphins,” the specialist emphasizes.
How to win
The simplest recovery exercises are walking, cycling, and swimming. To get the most out of them, you need to gradually get into a rhythm. If you haven’t exercised in a while, it makes sense to start with regular brisk walks.
6. Fatigue due to poor sleep
“To recover, the brain requires full (approximately 90-minute) phases of deep and paradoxical sleep,” explains Stéphane Kashua. “The deep sleep phase is necessary to process and organize the information received during the day. When this phase is disrupted, memory capacity declines, and you find it difficult to focus.”
The paradoxical phase (also known as the dream phase) helps cope with fatigue and restore strength. If a person is deprived of it, they will end up in a mental hospital.
Noise, an uncomfortable bed, and other small things cause micro-awakenings.
Eventually, one phase gives way to another without you even noticing, and the cycle never ends. As a result, you wake up feeling tired. This feeling is all too familiar to new mothers who get up several times a night to tend to their newborn.
How to win
If you have a small child, you’ll have to put up with fatigue due to lack of sleep for a while. In all other cases, you need to take action. Address your partner’s snoring, improve the soundproofing of your walls and windows, and upgrade to a more comfortable mattress. Make sure nothing disturbs your restful sleep.
