Are you dragging your feet? Do you constantly feel tired or are sleeping during the day? You may be wondering ‘Why am I lacking energy?’
Lacking energy is a feeling associated with body fatigue. Fatigue is a feeling that has a variety of symptoms but can only be addressed if you know what is wrong.
Fatigue is a feeling of weariness, tiredness or a lack of energy that does not go away when you’re relaxed.
People can feel fatigued in the body and mind – Physical or Psychological
In this blog, we look at the possible causes of low energy levels, and how you can increase your energy levels.
Why Is My Energy So Low?
Lacking energy or fatigue can be caused by three factors;
Fatigue can be backtracked to maybe one or two daily habits within your routine. The feeling is a normal response to physical activity, eating habits, stress, boredom, or not enough sleep.
When you’re fatigued, you are not motivated and lack energy. If the feeling isn’t resolved from adjusting your daily habits such as diet and sleep, it could be caused by an underlying physical or mental condition.
Psychological Causes Of Fatigue
Psychological causes of fatigue are much more common than physical.
Most psychological causes lead to a poor night’s sleep or insomnia, both of which can cause daytime tiredness.
Psychological causes include:
- Stress
- Emotional shock
- Depression
- Anxiety
Studies suggest between 50 and 80 per cent of fatigue cases are mainly due to psychological factors.
Physical Causes Of Fatigue
Multiple health conditions can make your feel tired or lack energy. These include:
- Iron deficiency anaemia
- Under-active Thyroid
- Sleep apnoea
Lacking energy can also be a result of:
- Pregnancy – Most substantial in the first 12 weeks
- Being overweight, obese or underweight – Your body either has to work harder to do everyday activities or your poor muscle strength can fatigue you quicker
- Cancer treatments
Carbon monoxide poisoning – could warrant your gas appliances needing to be serviced
Ruling out medical conditions can help you refine why am I lacking energy. It’s a good idea to see your doctor if you have been lacking energy for 4 weeks or more.
Read more about the 10 medical reasons for feeling tired.
Lifestyle Causes Of Fatigue
In today’s society, we have a tendency to try and cram as much into our daily lives as possible. This can lead to burnout or a lack of energy, so we consume too much coffee, alcohol or sugary items rather than eating a balanced meal.
The main lifestyle causes of fatigue include:
- Alcohol – Drinking too much can interfere with the quality of sleep. Stick to the weekly guidelines of no more than 14 units.
- Exercise – Not including enough exercise in your week, on the flip side doing too much can also harm energy levels.
- Caffeine – Too much caffeine can interrupt our sleep, as well as it having a negative effect once it’s worn out. Try decaffeinated drinks or cut them out altogether.
- Night shifts – Nights workers can find their sleeping pattern constantly changes and therefore a poor routine can make you tired easily.
- Daytime naps – Napping during the day can hurt your night’s sleep
How Can I Increase My Energy?
Several changes can help lessen the impact of fatigue caused by your daily activities. To help boost your overall energy levels and overall health you need to:
- Stay hydrated
- Have a healthy balanced diet
- Exercise regularly
- Get enough sleep
- Avoid stressors
- Take part in relaxing activities, such as yoga
- Avoid the intake of alcohol, tobacco and drugs
- Avoid an overdemanding work schedule
These lifestyle changes take into consideration activity and nutrition. Activity and nutrition are some of the most important parts to increasing your energy levels in your daily life.
Should I See My Doctor For My Lack Of Energy?
You should make an appointment with your doctor if you fatigued and you:
- Can’t explain what’s making you feel this way
- Have a higher-than-normal body temperature
- Struggle to sleep or staying asleep
- Are losing weight unexplainably
- Feel sensitive to cold temperatures
- Believe you may be depressed
As discussed above, there are many lifestyle changes you can make individually before seeking professional help. Once your changes have been made give it two weeks or more and if you’re still feeling fatigued then your lifestyle can be discounted, therefore make an appointment.
How Can We Help?
A healthy, happy workforce is good for business. It reduces absences and increases productivity.
The Wellspace workplace wellbeing app is packed full of features to help you manage mental wellbeing
Our wellbeing app includes a sleep tracker, activity tracker, mood tracker and a leadership board, it rewards the employee for engagement and perseverance. Our training experts include medical doctors, lifestyle coaches and everything in between.
Why not contact us today to see how we can help you manage work-related stress? Or email info@yourwellspace.com. We will be happy to help you!
