- [Narrator] You often find yourself staying in bed all day?
Does your body feel heavy and your mind totally blank?
Having low energy is not an uncommon problem,
but it's still a tough one
and dealing with this exhaustion, ugh,
it makes you feel tired even thinking about it.
But what could it be that makes you feel tired all the time?
In this video,
we hope to explain some common reasons why
people often get tired, and in the end
we'll talk about Sigh
and how he managed to get his tiredness under control.
Let's begin.
A tired mind.
Often fatigue may be a byproduct
of a psychological problem, especially depression.
Psychiatrist and sleep medicine expert Alex Dimitriu
says that fatigue and depression can look quite similar.
A 2018 study even estimated that over 90%
of people living with depression have symptoms of fatigue.
Dr. Amy Rickey said for Insider
that this may happen because of brain chemistry.
She says that dopamine, serotonin,
and norepinephrine play important roles
in regulating not only your mood, but also energy levels.
So when you're depressed, your body may feel heavy and slow,
making it hard to do even the simplest tasks,
such as showering or getting dressed.
Check out this video to learn more
about depression tiredness.
Anxiety is another psychological issue
that could play a role in your fatigue.
While you're in the depths of anxiety, the racing heart
and quickened breath might keep you awake,
but after the worst is over,
you are hit with a post-anxiety crash.
Micah Abraham, who has a bachelor of science in psychology
wrote for Calm Clinic
that anxiety is like being on high alert,
but once the adrenaline runs out, your body goes
through a crash that can leave you feeling drained.
You may also feel exhausted because
of the tension in your muscles
or racing thoughts that bothered you throughout the day.
Mental illness could definitely make you more tired,
but sometimes the problem may be a bit different.
Let's explore why your nutrition might be the reason
why you're so sleepy all the time.
What's on your plate?
Do you know that feeling
when you eat a delicious meal
and suddenly you feel so sleepy?
You just wanna get under a warm blanket
and take an afternoon nap.
It's awesome when it's Sunday in your home,
but what if you're at work or school,
and what if this tiredness
persists the entire day?
Well, the food you eat might be responsible
for this grogginess, especially carbohydrates.
According to Harvard's School of Public Health,
eating too many carbs makes your blood sugar spike,
creating a short term energy rush.
Your body then releases insulin and causes the removal
of carbs into your muscles and organs.
Now your blood sugar goes back down,
leaving you lethargic and tired.
Sugary sweets may have a similar effect.
In a study published in Journal Appetite in 2016,
people who ate a diet high in refined sugars
had higher scores
for depressive symptoms and fatigue
than those who ate a diet high in whole grains
and low in sugar.
Yes, we know that chocolate cake is the best,
but science is clear on this one.
What you drink may play a role
in your energy levels as well.
Do you often reach for coffee when you're tired?
It seems logical to try
and cure your tiredness with a large amount of coffee,
but research shows it might not be the best idea.
A 2016 study published in the journal Nutrition
showed that drinking one cup too many is linked
to increased nighttime worrying, sleeplessness,
increased nighttime awakenings, decreased total sleep time,
and daytime sleepiness.
Tips and tricks to feel less tired.
You must be wondering, well, what do I do?
How can I stop feeling tired all the time?
To give you some tips and tricks,
let's see what Sigh did when he had a similar problem.
Well, he started with small steps in his diet.
Dr. Amy Myers wrote on her webpage
that nutrient-rich foods may provide an abundance of energy.
That's why Sigh now makes sure to eat balanced
and nutritious meals, high quality protein, lots of veggies,
especially greens such as spinach and broccoli,
and low sugar foods.
For example, strawberries or blackberries.
Snack times are quite a challenge
since he loves eating chocolate,
but Dr. Myers says that an entire block of chocolate
is not a good idea for a pick-me-up snack.
He still eats chocolate, but only a small piece.
Next, Sigh makes sure to drink enough water
throughout the day and he doesn't skip exercise anymore.
He read a 2013 research study published
in the Journal Fatigue, Biomedicine, Health and Behavior,
and learned that even 20 minutes
of low to moderate intensity exercise can reduce fatigue
and increase energy.
He often puts on fun YouTube exercise videos
to help him get going.
Sometimes it gets hard for Sigh to get up in the morning
but he read a quote from Sleep Specialist Rebecca Scott
on Thrillist.com where she says that about 10 to 15 minutes
of natural light within two hours of waking up
will help ward off early morning grogginess
and keep you feeling more awake throughout the day.
He now takes quick 15 minute walks
around the block every day.
Sigh now knows
that it's not enough to only keep the body energized.
He takes care of his mental energy too.
On Forbes.com, he read some suggestions
from Dr. Alice Boyes.
Now he tries his best not to ruminate and overthink
and stay organized to avoid procrastination.
He also takes frequent breaks during work
and has even tried meditation.
After trying out all those things,
he really does feel more energized and happy.
Hopefully you'll join him on this journey too.
Following these steps might help you feel more energized,
but there's so many other things that could be
emptying your batteries.
To make sure you've covered all the possible reasons
to feeling tired,
not just physically but emotionally as well,
check out eight things that lead to emotional exhaustion.
If you enjoyed this video, remember to like, subscribe,
and share with others that you think it might help.
Let us know in the comments
if you can relate to any of these things.
And don't forget, you matter.