Ways To Avoid Academic Fatigue
Tired. Weary. Burned out. Worn down. Drained. Stick-a-fork-in-me-done.
Whatever you call it, there will probably come a point in which youll feel absolutely exhausted by everything going on in your life.
Its tough stuff juggling academic studies, family and work responsibilities all at the same time.
Why, it can be enough to have you thinking of dropping out of college.
But dont. The key to avoiding academic fatigue so you can stay in college and finish your degree is pretty straightforward: manage your energy, not your time.
Here are 5 effective fatigue fighters:
What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Chronic fatigue syndrome , also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or ME/CFS, is a condition in which fatigue lasts six months or longer and is not related to other diseases or conditions. People with CFS experience symptoms that make it hard to do daily tasks like dressing or bathing. Along with severe fatigue that doesnt get better with rest, CFS symptoms can include problems with sleep, memory and concentrating, pain, dizziness, sore throat, and tender lymph nodes. Learn more about CFS.
Sleep Suggestions For Fighting Fatigue
A common cause of fatigue is not enough sleep, or poor quality sleep. Suggestions include:
- Get enough sleep two-thirds of us suffer from sleep problems, and many people dont get the sleep they need to stay alert through the day. Some recommendations on getting a good nights sleep include: go to bed and get up in the morning at the same time every day, avoid naps through the day, and have a warm bath or shower before bed.
- Limit caffeine too much caffeine, particularly in the evening, can cause insomnia. Limit caffeinated drinks to five or less per day, and avoid these types of drinks after dinner.
- Learn how to relax a common cause of insomnia is fretting about problems while lying in bed. Experiment with different relaxation techniques until you find one or two that work for you for example, you could think of a restful scene, focus on your breathing, or silently repeat a calming mantra or phrase.
- Avoid sleeping pills sleeping pills are not a long-term solution because they dont address the causes of insomnia.
Read Also: How I Cured My Adrenal Fatigue
Key Takeaways On How To Beat Winter Fatigue
Fatigue in the winter is a normal incident experienced by many people caused by the lack of daytime hours during the colder months. Seasonal Affective Disorder can also bring it on. While winter fatigue may seem unavoidable, there are several ways that you can beat winter fatigue including getting more sun, exercising, napping, and creating a good sleeping environment.
Fortunately, Layla Sleep has a wide selection of bedding options to help you achieve a comfortable sleeping environment fit for the winter. From our ultra-soft Down Alternative Comforter, which provides warmth without locking in heat, to the renowned Layla Weighted Blanket, we have just the thing to help you sleep at night.
How To Cope With The Mid
Most people feel drowsy after lunch. This mid-afternoon drop in energy levels is linked to the brains circadian rhythm and is hard wired into the human body. Prevention may be impossible, but there are ways to reduce the severity of the slump, including:
- Incorporate as many of the above fatigue-fighting suggestions as you can into your lifestyle. A fit, healthy and well-rested body is less prone to severe drowsiness in the afternoon.
- Eat a combination of protein and carbohydrates for lunch, for example a tuna sandwich. Carbohydrates provide glucose for energy. Protein helps keep your mind attentive and alert.
- Get moving. A brisk walk or even 10 minutes of stretching at your desk improves blood flow and boosts energy.
Also Check: How To Stop Chronic Fatigue
What Is Adrenal Fatigue
A relatively new term, adrenal fatigue was proposed as a new condition in 1998 by Dr. James L. Wilson, a naturopath and chiropractor. His assumption was that an overstimulation of the adrenal glands by long-term stress could lead to an inconsistent level of cortisol in the bloodstream.
In addition to this overload or improper stress hormone levels, people with adrenal fatigue often dont have enough DHEA, the parent hormone responsible for the creation of many necessary hormones in the body.
Dr. Wilson describes the unique progression of adrenal fatigue throughout the day as follows:
- You wake up and are unable to function without a significant amount of caffeine.
- You finally feel a boost of energy during the early part of the day.
- Then your energy levels crash around 2 p.m., rise around 6 p.m. and fall again around 9 p.m.
- Your energy finally peaks again at 11 p.m.
Is Adrenal Fatigue Real?
The major issue with recognizing or diagnosing adrenal fatigue is the inability to distinguish its symptoms and patterns from other disorders. The parameters for this condition are nonspecific, which, unfortunately, has led to a great controversy around this topic, even though the very nature of cortisol and bodily hormones is that the effects are far-reaching.
A diagnosis for this condition is difficult because stress hormone levels typically fall in what conventional medicine would call inside the normal range, although the symptoms are clear to those suffering from the condition.
How Does A Doctor Diagnose Fatigue
Your doctor may diagnose fatigue using a number of medical tests. These include:
- Confirmation of your medical history
- Physical examination to check for signs of illness or disease
- Tests such as blood tests, urine tests, or X-rays
Your doctor may also ask detailed questions about your diet, lifestyle and life events.
Recommended Reading: Shortness Of Breath And Muscle Fatigue
Treat Arthritis Pain And Other Symptoms
Chronic pain alone can cause fatigue. Pain also can lead to depression and mood changes that can worsen fatigue. To control fatigue, it’s important to have pain well-managed. Talk to your healthcare provider about drug and non-drug techniques for effective pain management.
Higher-than-normal levels of cytokineschemical messengers involved in inflammationhave been found in the blood of those suffering from fatigue.It’s important to control inflammation and monitor active inflammation.
Dietitian Lavleen Kaur Shared These Easy Tips To Counter Tiredness And Stay Active Throughout The Day
Do you often feel lethargic after waking up in the morning? That is why, even though sleep or rest is considered the best way to rejuvenate the body and tide over lethargy, sometimes you need to do more than just that. What can help are some basic tweaks to your everyday routine.
Want to know more?
Here are the top five tips from dietitian Lavleen Kaur that we thought would help you immensely.
*Eat one fig, two dates and 3-4 soaked black raisins first thing in the morning. Iron content helps with a good supply of oxygen to your cells.
*Chew clove or small cardamom or jaggery with fennel seeds to prevent feeling lethargic post-meal. It maintains blood sugar levels.
*Dont start your day with caffeine. It does give you that kickstart, but only temporarily, and at the end of the day slows down your Basal Metabolic Rate and switches on your desire to sip on caffeine again, she remarked.
*Stay hydrated simplest way. No fixed amount of glasses in a day. There is no one number. Check the colour of your urine to determine dehydration, she mentioned.
*Take a break from gadgets. Spend time with family, not with phones at night. It gives a signal to your body to activate brain functioning, and switch off dullness that occurs due to blue light, mentioned Kaur.
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Tips For Dealing With Fatigue After Covid
1. Go easy on yourself
Dont try to rush to resume your normal activities. You may not have the energy to take care of everything you did before you got sick, and you may need to take more time off from work than you expected. Discuss the possibility of phased return with your manager and avoid hurrying back to your normal routine.
2. Rest
Rest is a very important part of the recovery process from COVID-19 infection, allowing your body to heal faster. Its also important to relax your mind as well as your body, so minimize your exposure to TV and digital devices to only a few hours a day. Try calming techniques such as mediation, breathing, aromatherapy, and listening to music.
3. Sleep
Fatigue can make you sleepier than before, and its important to get 6-8 hours of quality sleep. Practice good sleep hygiene, such as:
- Sleeping in a dark room
- Avoiding caffeinateddrinks or foods before bed
- Staying away from devices that emit blue light at least an hour before bedtime
4. Focus on good nutrition
Feeding your body with nutritious foods can help you recover faster and fight fatigue, so include plenty of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Limit intake of processed foods, and opt for whole grains over refined carbs. Since not drinking enough water can add to fatigue and irritability, stay hydrated with at least 8 glasses of water a day.
5. Move around slowly
While it may be tempting to stay in bed all day, try to get up and move around slowly several times a day.
Beating Chronic Fatigue By Improving Lifestyle
The effects of Chronic Fatigue cant be managed overnight. It requires small daily habit changes and lifestyle shifts to incorporate more activity, better rest, and improved dietary habit. By assessing and adjusting your daily activities, you can help determine what is contributing to your chronic fatigue, and make the appropriate lifestyle changes. Successfully managing these factors that contribute to Chronic Fatigue associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis, a patient can drastically improve energy levels and overall wellbeing.
If youre concerned about how chronic fatigue is affecting your life, talk to your rheumatologist about the options to beat fatigue and improve your wellbeing.
Read Also: Main Causes Of Extreme Fatigue
Coping With Fatigue At Work
You may find that you cant continue working due to fatigue, or that you have to reduce the amount of time that you spend at work. It can help to talk to your employer or personnel/human resources officer and let them know that you may need some time off due to your illness or its treatment.
Dont feel that you have to work if you are too tired, but if you do want to carry on working, you may be able to find ways of making your work less tiring for a while.
People with certain illnesses are protected by the Equality Act, which prevents employers victimising or discriminating against people with a disability. The Act also states that employers are expected to make reasonable adjustments to support employees in the workplace. You may want to make suggestions for adjustments that could help to support you. Things that your employer can do to help include:
- changing your hours so that you can travel to and from work at less busy times
- asking colleagues to be supportive and to help with some of your work
- finding you a parking place near to your place of work
- letting you take a short break every now and again to lie down and rest
- allowing you to work from home, if possible
- finding you lighter work if your job involves physical exertion or heavy lifting
If you are self-employed, it can help to talk to the Department for Work and Pensions about benefits that you may be entitled to claim.
Psychological Issues And Fatigue
Studies suggest that between 50 and 80 per cent of fatigue cases are mainly due to psychological factors. Suggestions include:
- Talk about it Theres some evidence that talking therapies such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy might help to fight fatigue. See your doctor for a referral for talking treatment.
- Reduce stress Stress uses up a lot of energy. Try to introduce relaxing activities into your day. This could be working out at the gym, or a gentler option such as meditation, yoga, listening to music, reading or spending time with friends. Whatever relaxes you will improve your energy.
- Assess your lifestyle for example, are you putting yourself under unnecessary stress? Are there ongoing problems in your life that may be causing prolonged anxiety or depression? It may help to seek professional counselling to work out family, career or personal issues.
- Learn to do nothing one of the drawbacks of modern life is the pressure to drive ourselves to bigger and better heights. A hectic lifestyle is exhausting. Try to carve out a few more hours in your week to simply relax and hang out. If you cant find a few more hours, it may be time to rethink your priorities and commitments.
- Have more fun maybe youre so preoccupied with commitments and pressures that you dont give yourself enough time for fun. Laughter is one of the best energy boosters around.
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Ra Fatigue: How Do I Control Chronic Fatigue From Ra
Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating condition that causes a wide range of symptoms. One of the most prevalent symptoms experienced in suffering from rheumatoid arthritis is chronic fatigue. Fighting fatigue for rheumatoid arthritis patients seems like an ongoing uphill battle.
For those who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, feelings of fatigue and constant tiredness can make it difficult to get through each day. But there are some ways to help beat fatigue, stay alert, and feel more rested and happy.
Know When To Say ‘enough’
Rather than lying in bed tossing and turning, you could get up and watch television or read a book. Wait until you feel tired again and then go back to bed. Audiotapes with stories may help you to sleep, and are stocked in most bookshops and libraries.
Mental exercises can also help you to sleep. These usually take about 10 minutes and include:
- trying to remember the lines of a song or poem
- making alphabetical lists of girls or boys names, countries, trees or flowers
- reliving a favourite experience in every detail
- writing a letter in your head
- relaxation exercises
Your body will still get some benefit from lying quietly in bed resting, even if you are not actually asleep. Although you may feel as if you have been awake all night, you may well have managed to have several hours of good quality sleep.
Also Check: What Causes Severe Fatigue And Weakness
Can Emotions Cause Fatigue
Are you fearful about the future? Do you worry about your health and who will take care of you? Are you afraid you are no longer needed? Emotional stresses like these can take a toll on your energy. Fatigue can be linked to many conditions, including:
- Anxiety
- Stress from financial or personal problems
- Feeling that you no longer have control over your life
Not getting enough sleep can also contribute to fatigue. Regular physical activity can improve your sleep. It may also help reduce feelings of depression and stress while improving your mood and overall well-being. Yoga, meditation, or cognitive behavioral therapy could also help you get more rest. Talk with your doctor if your mental well-being is affecting your sleep or making you tired.
Stage : 60 Minutes Or Less Before Training
In this stage, you’re giving your body one powerful extra round of nutrients and fatigue-fighting ingredients to provide energy and focus, bring the maximum amount of blood flow to your muscles for optimal nutrient delivery, and prime your body for recovery.
There are two paths you can takeâPath A and Path Bâdepending on your prior muscle and liver glycogen status, the type of training you do, and how long your training session is. Try each path, regardless of which set of parameters you may fit into, and find out which works best for you. By now, you know there’s always variability among individuals, so recommendations aren’t a one-size-fits-all.
In this stage, you’re giving your body one powerful extra round of nutrients and fatigue-fighting ingredients to provide energy and focus, bring the maximum amount of blood flow to your muscles for optimal nutrient delivery, and prime your body for recovery.
Follow Path A if:
- You weight lift/resistance train for 90 minutes or less at a time.
Skip Path A and go straight to Path B if:
- You’re on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein diet in which your liver and muscle glycogen stores are low.
- You train first thing in the morning in a fasted state.
- You are sensitive to reactive hypoglycemia, where you feel lightheaded, dizzy and lethargic after ingesting a fast-absorbing carbohydrate. Move up your ingestion to within 10 minutes or less pre-workout.
Follow both Path A and Path B if your training session consists of:
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