10 tips for managing personal fatigue

Tabinda Shah







Taking measures for managing fatigue is a responsibility held by both a workplace and an individual, but to help things move along that little better, our health & wellness expert Tabinda shares her 10 top tips for managing personal fatigue. 

DIET

A healthy diet is essential to keep you energized for the whole day or work. To prevent fatigue and to recover from the damage of a hard day you need to add foods rich in protein, antioxidants, and carbohydrates into your diet.

SLEEP

Sleep is a biological need and a lack of sleep can put you at risk for mental fatigue because a long period of wakefulness has a negative impact on the hormonal regulation in your body that affects your energy levels and decision-making power (1). So, turn off those lights and go to bed on time!

REGULAR EXERCISE

If you think exercise will make you more tired, then you are wrong. Because a low to moderate intensity workout for 20 minutes a day is enough to reduce your physical and mental stress levels (2). Make it a habit!

TIME MANAGEMENT

This is a difficult one for most of us. If you are a person who has to carry ten chores a day then make a schedule and follow it, your life will become easier and happier. When you manage your tasks you can have enough time for yourself when you can relax and feel less fatigued.

FREQUENT BREAKS

Working continuously in a flow makes you less productive because when you are constantly focused you get fatigued easily. Researches also suggest that short tea or lunch breaks between long duty hours are effective for recovery from undue work fatigue (3).

CREATING LIFE BALANCE

Here we are talking about the balance between your work and family because both are important and you can not neglect one for the other. Employees feel more fatigue because of an imbalance in personal and professional life that often leads to a loss of interest in work. Live it instead of just surviving!

DRINK LESS ALCOHOL

Although a couple of glasses of wine in the evening can help you fall asleep, you sleep less deeply after drinking alcohol. The next day you'll be tired, even if you sleep a full 8 hours.
Cut down on alcohol before bedtime. You'll get a better night's rest and have more energy.

MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT

If your body is carrying excess weight, it can be exhausting. It also puts extra strain on your heart, which can make you tired. Lose weight and you'll feel much more energetic. Apart from eating healthily, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to be more active and do more exercise.

REDUCE CAFFEINE 

The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends that anyone feeling tired should cut out caffeine. It says the best way to do this is to gradually stop having all caffeine drinks over a 3-week period. You may find that not consuming caffeine gives you headaches. If this happens, cut down more slowly on the amount of caffeine that you drink. 

TALKING 

There's some evidence that talking therapies such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) might help to fight fatigue, or tiredness caused by stress, anxiety or low mood.
References;

1.https://www.jneurosci.org/content/22/13/5581
2.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080228112008.htm
3.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307435321_Recovery_during_Lunch_Breaks_Testing_Long-Term_Relations_with_Energy_Levels_at_Work
4.https://ergo-plus.com/office-ergonomics-10-tips-to-help-you-avoid-fatigue/