Fatigue: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment. Chronic Fatigue, Muscle Fatigue (Menopause)

According to many studies, physical activity boosts one's energy levels. Working out is linked to improving vigor and overall quality of life. When people become active, they have a greater sense of self-confidence as well as improved working efficiency of the heart, lungs, and muscles. Besides, it is hard to feel fatigued when you need to focus on exercises.

So, if you want to deal with chronic fatigue and fatigue symptoms in general, do types of physical activity that you enjoy or haven't tried before. It is also a good idea to take small breaks at work to do a couple of fatigue-fighting exercises and stretching. Another great solution is to perform stretches recommended by Chinese medicine. 

Dehydration one of the fatigue causes. According to a research, it zaps your energy and impairs physical performance. Moreover, drinking not enough water decreases alertness and concentration.

As a fatigue treatment, try to stay hydrated. If you can, drink about 2 liters or 68 ounces a day. How to find out if you’re suffering from dehydration? When you consume enough water, urine should be pale yellow or straw colored. But if it's darker than that, you need to drink more water.

Although almost any exercise is good for fighting depression and fatigue, yoga is especially helpful for boosting one's energy. According to a British study, six weeks of once-a-week yoga classes led to improvements in clear-mindedness, energy, and confidence among the participants, and yoga can definitely be considered a good "medication" for chronic fatigue. Besides, there are so many types of yoga and you can certainly find the type that suits you. And, it's never late to start.

There are many reasons for fatigue, but a nap can definitely help you deal with it. Although it is not always possible, nap can save you a lot of time and stress. You just need to do it the right way. 

First, check the temperature. The best temperature for a nap is 60- 68 degrees F (15-20 C). Dim the lights in the room, in order to stimulate melatonin. Then, take the ideal nap position, which is achieved by lying a bit upright so as to avoid deep sleep. 

There are a few types of a nap differing in length that you can choose from, depending on what you want to achieve:

• The power nap (15-20 mins) - Your top choice for getting right back to your work. If you choose that one, you can drink a cup of coffee right before lying down. The caffeine won't kick in for 20 minutes, but it will right around the time after you're already awake. And hold a pencil or pen while drifting off to sleep - the pencil will drop and wake you up naturally.
• The NASA nap (26 mins) - Ideal for a day, when you're to work long hours. It's been scientifically proven to improve pilot performance by 34% and alertness by 54%.
• The bad nap (30 mins) - Should be avoided as it's a cause of a sleep hangover. You would need up to 30 minutes after it for any restorative benefits to kick in.
• The slow-wave sleep nap (60 mins) - Your first choice before an important presentation or a meeting. It benefits our cognitive memory processing, remembering places, facts, and faces.
• The full sleep cycle nap (90 mins) - Great before a big test or a project deadline. It only helps your creativity as well as emotional and procedural memory. 

Many people know what is chronic fatigue, but what many of them might not know is how to treat it. A simple way to treat fatigue is a glass of lemon water. The smell of a freshly sliced lemon combined with drinking clean water will revitalize your tired body. Drink one glass in the morning and more when you feel sluggish throughout the day.  

All you need to do is squeeze the half of a freshly sliced lemon or lime into a full glass of water and drink it. You can add some mint, too. The water can be either cold or warm, depending on what you prefer. 

There are many causes of fatigue and weakness, but taking a deep breath is a good way for you to fight against fatigue. Taking a few deep breaths can help your body deliver oxygen to your body’s cells and nutrients in your blood stream, in a better way. Moreover, it can detoxify your body by expelling toxins via your lymphatic system, as the inability to detoxify quickly leads to fatigue. Therefore, take a couple of deep breaths and you will almost automatically stop feeling tired and fatigued.

It is common for people to easily get bored when it’s too quiet around, and boredom leads to fatigue. Therefore, turn up the radio, or start listening to your favorite tunes on the phone, as a way to fight against depression and fatigue. As you repeat (sing) the lyrics of the songs in your head, your thoughts of being tired will slowly disappear. 

It's well-known that laughter has a lot of benefits, including releasing higher levels of endorphins that make you feel happier and more energized. Actually, according to some recent studies, even the anticipation of laughter increases endorphin levels. So, whenever you sense anxiety and fatigue, try to find something amusing. For example, read some jokes online, listen to a show, or watch some funny videos. As soon as you start laughing, you won’t be tired anymore.

As a way to deal with sudden extreme fatigue, PMS fatigue, shortness of breath fatigue, etc, use peppermint oil. In order to quickly perk yourself up, put two drops of peppermint oil on a tissue or handkerchief, hold it to your nose, and breathe deeply. 

Alternatively, take a bath with peppermint oil: 

1. Add two drops of the peppermint oil and four drops of rosemary oil to bathwater for an invigorating and revitalizing soak;
2. You'll need to soak in water until you feel better.

It is often said that taking a shower can help one deal with excessive fatigue. Therefore, try don't hesitate to try it.

Warm colors as red, yellow, and orange, are energizing and attention-grabbing, which means that they can activate our brain circuitry. The most energizing color is thought to be orange, since it's a blend of the red that activates adrenaline production and yellow that reminds of the Sun. 

The solution to excessive fatigue is simple - surround yourself with energizing colors. Get some orange accessories or clothing items, such as socks, scarves, shirts. It's also a nice idea to stock your office or house with orange sticky notes. You can also put an item with an orange color on your desk.

If stress and fatigue trouble you and you want natural remedies for fatigue, try drinking ginger tea. You don't need caffeine to get energized as the same effect can be achieved with the help of ginger tea. Ginger tea possesses strong stimulating properties that are equally great when it comes to dealing with mental and muscle fatigue.

All you need to do is add hot water to a slice of ginger and let it steep for a few minutes before drinking.

Yogurt is soft, which is why our bodies processes it way more quickly than a solid food, and make it a great source of quick energy. Also the efffects are longer, because of a good ratio of protein and carbohydrates. 

Protein is known to stay in the stomach longer than carbohydrates, which makes it a steady source of energy. Probiotic supplementation can promote feelings of calmness and tranquility and help you fight against physical and emotional fatigue.

So, if you still wonder how to overcome fatigue, eat some yogurt and make it a habit.

When you can't focus, a simple yet effective method can be used - drawing. It doesn't have to be beautiful - just doodling would be helpful, too. 

Draw some hearts, unicorns, rainbows, whatever comes to your mind. The reason behind this is the fact that doodling can help the brain focus. And when you become focused, you won't be thinking about a nap that much.

If you have any of the signs of fatigue and you just cannot stand drinking pure water, try drinking self-made juice. It is important that you blend the juice yourself, because the juice or fruit drinks bought from a store usually contain a lot of sugar, but lot less of the high-fiber and high-nutrient pulp, thus, resulting in more fatigue and calories for you.

Lack of sleep leads to the increased risk of accidents and is one of the main causes of daytime fatigue. The solution is simple: go to bed earlier to get a full night’s sleep.

Sometimes, sleep just won't happen. In order to avoid restless nights, try the following tips:

• Find the comfortable time for you and stick to the schedule in order to let your body get used to it. By doing that, you can set your body’s internal clock and maximize your sleep's quality. Begin by setting a realistic bedtime that will compliment your lifestyle and soon you will be waking up naturally before the alarm clock wakes you up.
• Use the technique developed by Russian special forces' agents. Lie down on your back with hands on your stomach. Breathe slowly. Close your eyes and move your pupils under the eyelids up. Keep them there. Keep breathing and don't think. You should fall asleep within a couple of minutes.
• Keep your room dark. Even bright numbers on a clock may disrupt your sleep. If you need to wake up at night, avoid turning on the lights. Instead, use a small flashlight or install a dim nightlight in the hall or bathroom.
• Make sure that the temperature in the room is sleep-friendly (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate ventilation. 
• Reserve your bed for sleep and sex only. If you associate your bed with work or errands, it will be much harder for you to relax.

Drinking some potato water can be helpful in fighting fatigue, due to the fact that potato contains potassium. Since our body does not produce potassium naturally, we have to consume it. Without enough of it, our muscles wouldn’t move as they should and our nerve impulses wouldn’t fire in the correct manner.

What to do:

1. Slice up one unpeeled potato.
2. Add the slices to a glass of water.
3. Let it steep overnight in your fridge.
4. Drink in the morning.

Talking can be a simple yet effective way to combat tiredness. We often find ourselves being tired when we are quiet and just follow a routine.

The solution is to actively participate! Not only can speaking bring almost the same benefits as movement (moving your muscles while talking does count), but it also gives us an extra boost in focus and energy to counter the feeling of fatigue. Therefore, chat with a co-worker, or pick up a phone and call your friends for a few minutes.

Despite the fact that a few glasses of wine in the evening can help you fall asleep, you actually sleep less deeply after drinking alcohol and you'll be tired the morning, regardless of how many hours you've slept.

Therefore, try to cut down on alcohol before bedtime. This way, you will be able to get a better night’s rest and have more energy. 

Stressful situations at home or at work may lead to quite a variety of long-term problems, including fatigue. Especially if you allow them to build up. Serious stress can be quite extremely harmful to your body, leading to physical and emotional exhaustion.

How to deal with stress? Relaxation techniques, e.g. meditation, biofeedback, Tai Chi, imagery, and many more can alleviate some of the tension you experience. 

Aside from vitamins to help with fatigue, try to lie on your back, use pillows to prop your feet and they should be at a level higher than your head. It can be even more beneficial if you lie on an adjustable exercise bench or other surfaces that slant.

Ginkgo can promote blood flow to the brain, which can make you feel more alert and less sluggish. What you need to do is take 15 drops of ginkgo tincture in the mornings.

A frequent cause of fatigue is the feeling of not being able to do anything the right way. Fortunately, this can be dealt with by writing down three good things that happened to you each week and tasks you performed. The list should be about the period of your life where you experience tiredness: work, home, gym.

The reason why this works is because thinking about things we're proud of can induce a positive mood, which is associated with more energy.

According to some studies, minty aromas help people exercise longer as well as complete clerical tasks faster and more accurately. Therefore, keep something minty around. It can be as simple as packaged mints, gum, minty lotions, and tea or a bit of fresh mint that can even be added into drinks and salads. 

Dark chocolate contains mood-enhancing anti-oxidants which can perk one up. Moreover, dark chocolate is richer in cocoa and contains less sugar than milk chocolate, thus, making it less likely to cause an insulin spike and induce fatigue. 

Also, according to an English study, dark chocolate can be helpful in treating chronic fatigue syndrome. In order to experience the benefit, choose chocolate of 70% or above.

Slouching is not only making you look like you are tired - it makes you feel tired, too. When you slump, you put excess strain on your neck, back and hips. Moreover, when your joints are aligned in a wrong way, your whole body has to work more than it should. An additional benefit of standing or sitting tall is in an improvement of the oxygen flow to your brain, which can increase your body's alertness and attentiveness.

It can be really hard to start working on some project, but the only thing that stands between you and the desired result is your initial inertia. It is well-known that as soon as you make yourself start, your fatigue may disappear completely. So, persuade yourself not  to think about the work, but get down to working right now.

You are awesome. You know that! Make sure to remind yourself a few reasons what makes you such a great person. Think of some of your positive qualities and compliment yourself on them. You'll quickly realize that your fatigue is gone. Make this an everyday habit to avoid tiredness.

Movement is an incredible remedy for fatigue. However, you might not be able to actively work out at the moment, due to physical or time restraints. So, instead, go for a walk! This way, you'll get some oxygen and change of scenery. Find time to squeeze a walk into your daily schedule, in order to avoid fatigue before it arrives.

It's not a secret that caffeine can give you the energy you need for a short period of time, which is exactly what you might need to finish some project. Just remember that this energy burst won't last long and you may feel even more tired when the caffeine's effect wears off. Therefore, use coffee sparingly. 

You can also take caffeine as a supplement (e.g. in pill or powder form). However, regardless of the form you take it in, you should try not to exceed the recommended dose of 150-600 mg.

Another thing to remember is that coffee may worsen one's menstrual symptoms, so be aware of that.

You feel burnt out because of lack of sleep? Maybe what you should do is to change your position. It's well-known that there are different perfect sleeping positions to help you with basically any condition you might have.

You might find it much harder to fall asleep during your period and feel tired. as a result. The reason for the period fatigue may be that your body is not producing enough melatonin. Try taking melatonin, which is available over the counter. Take some as prescribed before bed, during your period. 

Consult your doctor about taking it, in case you take any other medications.

You might want to see your doctor about hormone deficiencies because they may be what is causing your sleep troubles and tiredness. If this turns out to be the case, your doctor can prescribe you a hormonal supplement that will help you prevent tiredness caused by hormone deficiencies.

In order to determine if you have a hormone deficiency, you'll have blood or saliva tests few times throughout a month. Before visiting a doctor, try to make a list of all your sleep problems and any other symptoms you may experience. This may really help your doctor understand whether or not those symptoms are related to your menstrual cycle (i.e. whether period fatigue troubles you or not).

Skipping breakfast may seem like it's not a big deal at all. After all, you might not have an appetite or time at the moment. However, when you skip breakfast, you’re more prone to overindulging in the afternoon. And that will lead to your empty stomach being hit even harder, which may make you feel even more tired and result in stomach pain, headache, fatigue, etc.

If you aren't hungry, you don't have to force yourself into eating a full meal - fruit or yoghurt can be enough.