Episode 127 – Are you tired all the time?

Why are you so tired? Being tired ‘all the time’ seems to be something that I hear a lot when talking to friends, family and clients. Many women that I see are just blooming knackered, all the time. This week, I talk to you about simple ways to improve your energy. And signs that it might not be as simple as that.

Tired all the time

Quite simply, one of the key things that I see in clients is overcommitting. Working long hours at work to ensure projects are completed on time, agreeing to bake cakes for fund-raising days at kids schools, agreeing to host dinner parties at the weekend when all they really want is a night off cooking.

All of these can lead to extreme tiredness or fatigue. The constant feeling that you need some extra sleep or a day off where you can just hide away watching box sets. It seems to be the common modern complaint.

Extreme fatigue

The issue is when this stops just being a bit tired, and manifests itself into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. A difficult and debilitating illness that affects twice as many women as men. CFS affects approximately 250,000 of the UK population and the common age is between 20-40, just at the time when you are juggling the most amount of balls.

I work with a CFS charity, called Salus and the one thing that I hear more than anything about the condition is that there were signs. It’s just that we are used to ignoring them and powering through.

Extreme fatigue, or CFS, is when you simply cannot get out of bed in the morning. And if you exert yourself one day, your energy levels plummet the following day; it’s like you are constantly running on empty and the slightest thing can set you back. Early signs can include falling asleep at inopportune moments, and can often be accompanied by pain and inflammation.

Take back control

There are many, simple things that you can do to help improve your energy levels and take back control, before symptoms progress into something more serious. These include:

Ensure you get enough sleep – 7-8 hours is optimum.
Eat a wide and varied healthy diet – plenty of fruits and vegetables, good fats and protein.
Move every day – walking in the fresh air is one of the best forms of exercise for tiredness.
Get fresh air – lots of studies show that spending time outside improves mood and energy.
Put time in for you – what brings you joy and fills your energy bucket up?

Vitamins & Minerals for Energy

A balanced and varied diet, is the best way to ensure you get the full range of vitamins and minerals your body needs. However, there are supplements that can boost energy. Always make sure you seek professional medical advice, particularly if you are on any form of medication.

CoQ10 – you can find this in oily fish and organ meat.
Magnesium – when we are busy or stressed we burn through this mineral. You can find it in green leafy veg. Why not have a magnesium salts bath tonight?
B Vitamins – all the B vitamins are useful for energy, they are co-factors throughout our methylation cycle.
Water – ok not a vitamin or mineral, but our brain is 80-90% water and one of the first signs of dehydration is low energy.