If you had a day to yourself, would you spend it in bed?

People often come into my clinic for fatigue, and this is one of the questions I ask, as it tells me some important information: if you had a day to yourself, would you spend it in bed? Fatigue can present in so many different ways, and understanding the nature of it is the start of understanding exactly what is going on in your body.

Some people start their day with fatigue, and it improves as the day goes on. Others start fine, but can hardly stay awake after lunch, and others get progressively more exhausted as the day goes on. For these people, when It’s bad enough, their ideal day is a day in bed, as they are just too tired to enjoy other activities.

Adrenal fatigue

If you’re sleeping through the night and getting enough sleep, this is likely to be adrenal fatigue: when you have been stressed or anxious for a long time, and your body has put the breaks on, trying to get you the rest that you need. Often at or even before this point, people turn to caffeine, the easy fix for the fatigue. This may work for a while, then one of two things happens, either the caffeine stops being effective, or it keeps you awake at night. In both circumstances, you wind up being tired again.

Calm the nervous system

The first thing to do, is to calm the nervous system. If your body has been pushed for a long time, it’s time to slow down and have some rest. Spending times with friends, creative activities, and exercise can all be really helpful here.

Calming breathing exercises

Breathing exercises can also be really helpful, and if you have learnt how to do them, they can be really effective in a moment or stress or anxiety. There are a lot of different techniques for calming breathing. Choose one where your exhale is longer than your inhale.

Diet

So, now that we’re addressed the nervous system, it’s time to look at your diet. Sugar and refined carbohydrates will give you a sudden energy boost, followed by a slump. If you feel like you need the boost, add protein and fats to keep your energy constant. For example, dried fruit on its own will give you a low afterwards, but if you combine it with nuts and seeds, the fats and protein will keep the energy going steadily for longer.

Further help

If you are absolutely exhausted and your ideal day would be in bed, herbal or nutritional supplements, can make an amazing difference to help you get your energy back, whilst you work on calming your nervous system.