If we told you your body was actually designed to bounce out of bed, be productive and energised all day and then slowly wind down simultaneously with the sun setting so that you could crawl into bed, fall to sleep easily and soundly only to then get up do it all again the next day, would you believe us?
Is fatigue the driver or the outcome?
In our modern world, many of us have come to accept the fact that ‘feeling ok’ is good enough.
We snooze multiple times then drag ourselves out of bed, pep ourselves up with caffeine and sugar, rely on our adrenal glands and nervous system to get through the day and then wonder why our bodies aren’t performing at their best.
Naturopathically when we look at ‘fatigue’ as a symptom you are experiencing, we first need to understand if it is the driver or the outcome.
Let us explain!
Physical v Mental v Emotional Fatigue
Fatigue can come in many forms and it’s important we differentiate which one is pulling the strings for you (Spoiler alert: it could also be all of them).
Physical fatigue
Physical fatigue is a sense of tiredness in your body. Your muscles can feel heavy, they may even regularly feel sore and even though you want to get up and do things, you just don’t feel you can or find it difficult to do so. You can really struggle to get out of bed in the morning and even though you will yourself into doing things, it can then take you a long time to recover. People who experience physical fatigue will want to be out and about doing things, but they just can’t get themselves going. Common contributors to physical fatigue include: post-viral fatigue (things like glandular fever or Covid), nutrient deficiencies, heavy metal toxicity, hormonal imbalances, dietary imbalances, blood sugar disturbances, bowel toxicity, poor sleep.
Mental fatigue
If you are experiencing mental fatigue, it’s almost as if thinking is in the too-hard-basket. You can find it hard to get motivated or to start a task, you may struggle with brain fog, difficulty concentrating or staying on topic. You can easily forget pieces of information that would have not been an issue for you previously, but once you get started you can generally get through a task (albeit, much slower and less efficient than your previous energetic self!).
Mental fatigue can also masquerade as low mood and a general sense of ‘can’t be bothered’. Common contributors to mental fatigue include: periods of (or ongoing) intense work, having to adapt to new living or working environments, nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, general stress, lack of fun or making time for things you enjoy doing.
Emotional fatigue
The simplest way to describe emotional fatigue is that feeling you get after you’ve had your heart broken when the tears have stopped, the raging tide of emotions has settled, and you’re just left with this blank sense of not much. Emotional fatigue can leave you feeling a little lack-lustre and not really wanting to do much. You get through your day when you have to and can flick the switch if a deadline or commitment is looming, but you just don’t really feel very inspired of motivated to do anything. Common contributors to emotional fatigue: relationship stress, parenting, stressful working environments that have become ‘personal’, ongoing challenges with metal health like anxiety and depression, the death of a loved one.
