Fighting Fatigue
How to improve your energy levels
Summer is well and truly behind us, and with this shift to Autumn comes a wave of tiredness and lethargy. Keep reading for tips on how to fight the fatigue as we navigate through the shorter days and murkier weather.
Today’s blog is written in association with Fitlife Summertown. If you live in the Oxford area and looking for PT, or maybe you don’t live nearby but are looking for remote specialist exercise support, get in touch by tapping ‘Message Ben Howard’ at the bottom of the page! Alternatively, feel free to check out my website or Instagram. See you there!
To work out how to optimise energy levels, we first need to delve into potential causes of lethargy and lack of energy. I have outlined some common causes and steps we can take to correct these issues below.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, sub-optimal sleep habits are by far the most common cause of fatigue.
Whilst we know that we should be aiming for between 7-9 hours of sleep every night, statistics suggest that an average, we are closer to 6.5 hours of sleep per night instead. Not only is this terrible for energy levels throughout the next day, it can impact emotional wellbeing, sexual health and fertility, as well as cognitive performance. I have written a couple of detailed reports on sleep previously - take a look at these if you would like to find out more information.
Most people could do a lot worse than to focus on optimising two things: Their sleep environment, and their lifestyle habits leading up to bedtime. The bedroom should be cool, dark and quiet. Black-out blinds are handy at blocking ambient lighting from outside, such as street lighting and (in Summer) sunrise. If noise is a problem, for example if you live close to a main road, then do consider earplugs - there are certain brands who market specifically towards wearing their products overnight. Contrary to popular belief, a ‘warm and cosy’ bed might not necessarily be optimal for getting asleep and staying asleep. The perfect temperature for sleep is around 18 degrees Celsius, and this is in part due to the fact that when we sleep, our core body temperature drops. If we keep the environmental temperature too high, we not only block those circadian rhythm signals that bedtime is coming, but we also compromise the ability of the body to enter slow, restorative sleep, meaning that our quality of sleep suffers, too.
Outside of the bedroom environment, the ‘10-3-2-1’ sleep rule is an easy-to-remember method for optimising habits before bed. If followed consistently and strictly, this should help to sleep more restfully and deeply.
No caffeine 10 hours before bed;
No food or alcohol 3 hours before bed;
No work 2 hours before bed;
No electronic devices 1 hour before bed;
If you’re feeling tired and fatigued, but you’re sure that sleep isn’t an issue, then maybe one or more of the following may be something to consider….
Adequate physical activity
As silly as it sounds, being active actually does energise us. When we exercise, we increase blood and oxygen flow around the body to our brain and muscles, making us feel more awake. We also release a bunch of snazzy chemicals and hormones, including endorphins and endocannabinoids, which make us feel happy and act as natural painkillers. In the long-term, regular cardiovascular exercise also increases the density and quality of mitochondria in our cells, which play a vital role in energy production.
In addition to giving us energy directly, adequate physical activity also increases sleep drive. Sleep drive refers to the want for the body to sleep to restore energy levels. If we are not active enough during the day, it makes sense that we won’t feel the same urgency to dive into bed to fall asleep. The only trap we can fall into here is exercising intensely too closely to bedtime, which can make it harder to fall asleep and stay sleep.
Dietary deficiencies
A whole host of vitamins and minerals contribute to energy production.
Now that we are entering the Autumn months, Vitamin D deficiency, which affects many of us, becomes more of an issue. Since we naturally produce this vitamin in response to direct sunlight, it makes sense that we are unable to produce such high levels in the darker months of the year. The NHS actually recommends that we take a Vitamin D supplement in these months to counteract the lack of sunlight. It also contributes to bone, immune, brain and nerve health, so is a no-brainer.
The B vitamins are also directly responsible for energy production. Those with particular dietary requirements, such as vegans or vegetarians, may struggle to take in adequate B12 in particular, as this is largely sourced from animal products. These populations may also struggle with iron deficiency, but we can obtain iron from leafy green vegetables, fortified cereals, and pulses, not just animal products.
Vitamin C is perhaps a surprising vitamin linked to fatigue. We tend to typically think of scurvy as the main symptom of vitamin C deficiency, but tiredness and fatigue is also a common pre-cursor. Eating a colourful, varied diet is a sure-fire method of boosting vitamin C intake, but just like the B vitamins, this needs to be done consistently, daily, as it cannot be stored in the body.
Hormone status
Fatigue is a seemingly unavoidable part of the menopause. Recent data suggests that nearly half of perimenopausal women experience regular tiredness and fatigue, whilst this number increases to over 85% of postmenopausal women.
The lack of oestrogen and progesterone production which occurs has downstream affects on the adrenal and thyroid systems, as well as cortisol production, which are big players in the energy production game. These changes also have a massive affect on sleep duration and quality, which can snowball into chronic poor sleep habits through no fault of the individual. Thankfully, the sleep tips mentioned earlier in this blog do still apply to all individuals, and, along with trying to maintain a regular bedtime, can help with these feelings of fatigue. Staying hydrated is also of vital importance, since hot flushes associated with progesterone reduction can dehydrate cells, leading to tiredness an lethargy.
Stress and mental health challenges
Finally, stress and mental health play a large role in fatigue and tiredness. Mental and emotional exhaustion are becoming more common as the modern world makes it harder to leave a work environment. Work communication, either via text or email, is accessible on a mobile phone, as opposed to left in the office. It is important to create strict boundaries where possible, and to leave work at the office where possible. This is a habit I myself have implemented this year and found myself to feel a lot less stressed and pressured since starting it.
It is important o remember that we must take time to ourselves. Whether this takes the form of physical activity (anything from a gentle walk to a gym session), meditation, mindfulness, or time to enjoy the company of friends of family, we need this level of emotional support and downtime to create a health balance in life. Journaling is also becoming more common, and there appears to be good evidence that taking thoughts from the mind and putting them physically onto paper can help relieve stress and help the mind to switch off.
This is far from an exhaustive list, but hopefully it helps you to understand that there are many reasons for feelings of fatigue. My advice to most people would be to reach a healthy work-life balance, exercise regularly, eat healthily, and prioritise sleep. If you already manage all of these things, you’re probably in the top 5% of individuals, but if you know you’re lacking in a particular area, set yourself the goal of trying to improve it just for one week, and see if it makes a difference. As always, if you have any questions, ping me a message below!