10 Reasons Why You’re Always Tired & How To Fix It
“I love feeling tired all the time” – no one ever.
If it’s hard for you to get out of bed, if the snooze button is your best friend, if you dream about a nap on the couch as soon as you reach the office, or if you can’t wait to hit the sack after lunchtime, you’re not alone. You’re a platinum member of the always-tired club.
The biggest problem with being an exhausted bloke is that it cannot be kept a secret. Everybody around can tell you’re not committed to your work, and on top of that, the lazy tag can damper your professional life.
While some people feel they can do nothing about their weariness and it comes to them naturally, this isn’t true. You can take back control of your energy levels by tweaking a few things in your daily routine.
10 Reasons Why You’re Always Out of Energy
You’re a Caffeine Junkie
We all have days when we need our coffee right after we step out of bed. A couple of cups a day are fine but if you find yourself gulping down more than five cups just to get through the day, you’re heading for troubled waters.
Consuming large amounts of caffeine is akin to going on a roller coaster ride. While you will experience a rush, the crash is inevitable. The sad part is that the crash doesn’t just last for a few hours, you’re going to feel it when you wake up the next morning.
According to a study, more than 400mg of caffeine every day can disrupt your sleep cycle and interfere with your ability to fall into and stay in deep sleep. Using a French Oak Extract (a.k.a. Robuvit) supplement is a great alternative for caffeine.
Following a Low-Carb Diet
The thing about following a new diet plan is that most of the time, people end up cutting their carb intake. There is no doubt eliminating a good chunk of carbs will help you shed the extra kilos, but there are tradeoffs to make.
Carbs act as fuel for your body. If you deprive your body of carbohydrates, it automatically enters a power-saving mode. An effective diet plan will always avoid simple carbs like processed sugars and white flour while including complex carbs, such as whole grains, beans, lentils, sweet potatoes, peas, and fruits.
You Don’t Sleep Well
Sleeping on time, uninterrupted, and for 6-8 hours is essential for feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. If you sleep for six hours or less at night, you should take a 30-45 minutes nap during the day.
If you have trouble falling asleep, it might have to do with your sleeping routine. Avoiding blue light-emitting gadgets, and staying away from caffeinated drinks in the late-afternoons and evenings can help you fall and stay asleep.
Not Eating Enough Iron
Before you bite onto your spoon, we’re talking about food here. Iron’s main role is to help your red blood cells transport oxygen throughout the body. If your diet lacks iron, you’ll feel fatigued during the day.
If you find yourself yawning throughout the day, it’s a sign you’re running low on iron. Meat, poultry, fish for carnivores, and beans, lentils, leafy greens, and whole grains for vegetarians are great sources of iron.
You’re Not Recovering Well
Working out every single day of the week can be thrilling, and you might feel like you’re the hardest worker in the room, but that isn’t the smartest thing to do especially when you’re well into your 30s.
As you grow older, your muscle and cartilage cells take longer to recover from intense training sessions. There is no shame in taking an extra day off if your muscles feel too sore.
You Love Your Cocktails
For some people, hanging out with friends over a few drinks is the perfect idea of winding down. But here lies the problem, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two servings of wine, liquor, or beer are considered “moderate” for an American male.
Anything over the two servings will lead to a hampering of your energy levels. Not only does alcohol lead to dehydration, but it also disrupts your sleep cycle, screwing with the time you spend in deep, restorative sleep.
Depression
Apart from physiological aspects, your psychological state also plays a crucial role in your well-being. Most men might overlook the fact that their mood issues are at the core of their fatigue.
Some signs of depression include feeling fatigued, decreased libido, slower cognitive function, and feeling sad, hopeless, or helpless. Depression and other psychological are serious issues and people suffering from them should reach out to a professional with a track record who can help them recover.
Not Following a Schedule
Doing something new every day might sound exciting but if you don’t follow a schedule or a pattern, you’ll find yourself dozing off in awkward places. No matter how hectic your schedule might be, following a pattern for a few days will give your body enough time to adjust to it.
If you go to the gym at 5 am, don’t try to shock your muscles by training in the evening on odd days. The only thing this is going to do is sap you out of your energy and leave you feeling lethargic throughout the day.
You’re Always Stressed
Being under the pressure of meeting deadlines at work every day can take a toll on your health. Being drowned under an overwhelming amount of work can be a cause of feeling constantly fatigued.
The constant barge of work and pressure can seem to build-up as you progress in your professional life. Following healthy habits like mindfulness, yoga, and meditation can help lift off the tension and keep it at bay.
You Have Hormonal Issues
If you’re an always-tired club platinum member but couldn’t relate to any of the reasons mentioned above, chances are that something is amiss with your hormones. If you’re experiencing constant fatigue and along with it are also facing weight gain, dry skin, or an enlarged thyroid gland, you could be suffering from hypothyroidism.
Low testosterone levels can also make you sluggish and can lead to loss of muscle mass, decreased body hair, and libido. You should consult a doctor if you’re facing any of the symptoms mentioned above.
On a scale of 1-10, how active do you think you are throughout the day? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
