Chronic Fatigue. Is It Normal?

Chronic fatigue. Is it normal? We’ve been taught that it is.

You hear so many people talk about how tired they are.

Are you someone that needs a nap in the middle of the day?

Or after work you just have to go straight to the bed and maybe even go down for the night?

Yup, a lot people are on the same boat.

Up to 45% of the U.S population experiences fatigue that is persistent [1].

Which can be so challenging to live day to day when you are feeling like you can’t get through the day.

Yet, that is not how we are supposed to be feeling.

Chronic Fatigue Symptoms

I know I have experienced chronic fatigue before. Especially when my diet was all over the place, when I had a newborn and even all the way through 19 months of breastfeeding (hormones).

These parenting stages should only be temporary though.

For example, once I stopped breastfeeding, I got my energy back.

Sure, on those days where my sleep is disrupted I need a nap during the day but if I get 7-9 hours of sleep at night, I am good.

Possible Causes of Chronic Fatigue

There is no actual known cause to chronic fatigue. One thing is known to be true though: chronic fatigue is multifactorial.

Research shows that it could be due to:

How to treat chronic fatigue

There is no known cure to treat chronic fatigue.

A lot of these possible causes could be treated by making a lifestyle change. As always, check with your licensed medical provider whenever trying something new.

  1. Stress is a silent killer. Learning how to cultivate more mindfulness will greatly help ease the stress off.
  2. Hormonal imbalances should always be checked by a provider to learn how to bring them back to homeostasis.
  3. Nutrition is vital for the immune system, hormones and for the expression of our genes. Making diet changes should make a huge difference in how much energy we have.
  4. Checking your sleep hygiene by asking yourself a couple of questions:
    • How much sleep do I need? 7? 8? 9 hours?
    • What time do I need to go to bed to get those hours and wake up at the time that I need to?
  5. Dimming the lights at night so you are not wired by LED lights. Shutting off all screens at least 1 hour before bed. Blue lights tell our brain to stop producing melatonin.
  6. Check for iron deficiency.
  7. Exercise
  8. Limit caffeine intake. I know this is the opposite of what we naturally think we should do. We rely on caffeine to get by on those sleepy days. Consuming too much caffeine can really disrupt our sleep continuing the unhealthy cycle that is keeping us tired.
  9. Check with a Functional Medicine Doctor if nothing seems to help.

Are you ready to start living your life differently?

Tired of paying the price of all the stress and putting yourself and your health last?

There is a way out.

That other way out is through a health coach. Your own personal coach that will look at all areas of your life, to see how you can make changes.

Changes that will create long-lasting results.

These changes come from looking at nutrition, self-care, movement, and daily habits.

As your coach we will work on a step-by-step plan together on reaching all of your health goals and then leaving you empowered to continue making changes on your own.

If you are ready to start living well and say goodbye to the stress and burnout that has you surviving instead of thriving – contact me now.

Let’s Chat

Tell me, are you someone who is tired all the time? What have you done before to help ease it or make it go away completely?

Back to school is coming up. Can you believe it?! I feel like this summer flew by. Lukas my son is going to Kindergarten and Lucy my daughter is starting her toddler school years.

I feel like this transition is going to be hard. My son is becoming more aware of his independence and Self. My daughter has been home for the past 21 months with a nanny. Anytime I try dropping her off at church on Sundays, she does not have it. I have to go in with her lol. Luckily, they will be at the same school so I think that should ease things off a bit.

How are you getting ready for this transition?

Life Update

I took a leap of faith this past Monday and retired my Pharmaceutical sales career after 10 years. I am going full-time with Living Well Co. to help you! I am so extremely excited because this is my dream yet terrified at the same time.

I am grateful for my past experiences though because I strive to be a balance of both. I am 100% holistic. I know our bodies heal by itself if we let it. Yet, we also need medicine, especially during emergencies. Not to mention, people would much rather take medicine than make lifestyle changes. There is a place for both. I also learned so much about science, the FDA and clinical studies that integrating both (holistic and science) is what I want to bring to you.

I am terrified because now I am completely solo. Everything is up to me from now on but like my old therapist said to me before which I will never forget “whatever scares you or terrifies you, do exactly that.” Meaning, whatever scares you, that is where change and magic happens.

Now, I would love to hear from you. What more do you want to learn about? Leave me a comment below 🙂

Alejandra at Living Well Co.

References

  1. Brian D. Loy, Michelle H. Cameron, and Patrick J. O’Connor (2018). Perceived Fatigue and Energy are Independent Unipolar States: Supporting Evidence. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.mehy.2018.02.014

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