fighting daily fatigue

FIGHTING DAILY FATIGUE

Do you feel there are not enough hours in the day to do the things you
need to? Do you find yourself feeling exhausted or lethargic much of the
time? By 3pm in the afternoon would you love to crawl into your bed?
Are there times when a friend suggests something fun and although you
know your spirit is willing your body just hasn’t the energy?

Most of us know what it's like to feel tired, sluggish and run down. That's
just part of modern-day life, isn't it? Two thirds of adults in the UK suffer
from tiredness - but it might surprise you to know that Daily Fatigue is
now a common and recognised condition.

Daily Fatigue is a feeling of tiredness and exhaustion caused by the busy
and demanding lifestyles we now lead. Many of you will be juggling your
career, relationship, friends, family and social life - and will be all too
aware how easy it is to let life control you and not the reverse. More than
one in ten people admit that they have not been to work because they are
too tired. One in four of you feel too tired to tackle everyday jobs such as
shopping and paying the bills, while one in three of you are too tired to 2
socialise and one in five people have said they are too tired for a
relationship.

Many people’s emotional energy is under attack on a daily basis from the
24/7 lifestyle of 21st
Century living coupled with the UK having the
longest working hours in Europe. Downsizing in organisations has left
less people doing more work while poor eating and lifestyle habits (no
exercise, smoking, excessive drinking, lack of sleep) play their part.
Mums know how coping with demanding children takes its toll as do life
changes such as divorce, loss of job, bereavement and family problems.
Commuting problems, crowded streets and pollution all add to the daily
grind.

Celebrity clients often look to coaching as a way of helping them cope
with their busy lifestyles. However, they often think that life coaching is
only about the practical things you can do in terms of changing your
thinking and your habits. However, life coaching looks at the whole of
your mind, body and soul and there are times when it is more pertinent to
make sure that someone is looking after his or her body. After all who
can think straight when they are tired?

Answer the following questions and see what steps you can take to help
yourself – daily fatigue is not a fact of life but something you can do
something about – your personal energy is vital to your well-being.

1. Do you feel your life is:

a) Great - more of it please
b) Good - although there are a few things I would like to change
c) Ok. - after all I can’t expect too much
d) Has little real meaning - one day is just like another

2. How much sleep do you get each night:

a) 7 or more hours
b) about 6 hours
c) about 5 hours
d) Less than 5 hours

3. Would you describe yourself as:

a) Optimistic – there’s lots to be grateful for
b) Forward looking – life’s not that bad 4
c) A realist
d) Pessimistic – expect the worst

4. Do you do something just for you:

a) 2/3 times a week
b) Once a week
c) Once every 2/3 weeks
d) Hardly ever

5. Which of the following sums up your attitude to facing new challenges at work:

a) Excited – it’s good to try something new
b) Quite pleased – what’s the worse that can happen?
c) A little nervous
d) Fed up with having to cope

6. When it comes to food:

a) My diet is pretty healthy without being faddy
b) I eat well most of the time 5
c) I don’t eat well or that regularly
d) I eat junk food and often crave sugar

Maximising personal energy is rather like a bus journey. If you are on the
right bus you get to your destination. If you are on the wrong bus the
sooner you recognise the error the shorter the journey back. Don’t let
your energy drain too far otherwise it takes longer to return to physical
and emotional well-being

Answers

Mostly A’s

You have an excellent energy bank and use what you have wisely
knowing that you need to keep your life in balance. You believe in the
saying “work, rest and play”. You eat well and sensibly, ensuring that
your physical energy boosts your emotional fitness.





Action Required:

Recognise how well balanced your life is and keep doing what you are
doing. There are always times when even the most energetic people can
be challenged with 21st
Century living and you may find that simply
taking a multivitamin provides you with all the protection you need.

Products like Activit G, a phyto-medicine, may also prove a useful daily
booster aimed at helping fit and healthy people maintain their fitness.
Phyto-medicine refers to natural products that have a careful balance of
vitamins and minerals as well as using traditional plants such as Ginseng
or Gingo Biloba. However, when choosing such products look for those
that can guarantee a laboratory controlled standardisation of approach as
not every product on the shelf does what it says it can.

Mostly B’s

Your energy levels are good but there are signs of depletion. Perhaps you
have been taking on a little more than you realised and whilst you can
function quite well, you may be lacking a certain “sparkle”. You may
well be loosing some of your emotional energy by not fully fuelling your
body with a well balanced diet and sensible activity.

Action Required:

Make some minor adjustments to your lifestyle. Perhaps you need a little
more time to yourself? Make sure you get a good laugh at least once a
day (releases brain chemicals such as Dopamine which provide a sense of
well-being). Get a little more exercise and make sure you are seeing
enough of your friends. Check that you are eating your 5 pieces of fruit
and vegetables a day and possibly top up with freshly squeezed fruit and
vegetable juices for extra vitamins. A multivitamin or some other
energy booster is definitely a must.

Mostly C’s

Your energy bank is running at about half speed and there are signs that it
would not take much to deplete you even further. You could be prone to
feeling under the weather and life may not seem as good as it once did. 8
It’s also possible you may have become a little more irritable or moody
than you once were. Your eating pattern is detracting from your well
being and your body is not receiving the vitamins you require.

Action Required:

You need to undertake a “life audit” – break down your life into major
headings such as Work, Family, Leisure, Finance, Environment, Own
Time and then list all the things you like about each area and why and
then all the things you would like to change. Once you have done this
devise an action plan and set about making those changes. Go back to
basics and make sure you get a good healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner
and include more vegetables and fruit into your diet. Watch the amount
of caffeine you are taking in and if it is more than 3 cups a day try and
drink tea and as much water as you can manage.

Your body needs a more powerful short-term boost. Amultivitamin may
not be enough. Products such as Pharmaton Capsules, a natural-based
phyto-medicine that contains a carefully balanced blend of vitamins and
minerals as well as Ginseng G115 will help you get back your energy as
this type of product is designed especially for someone who needs an
energy boost. Once your energy is back to normal you can decide 9
whether to take nothing or perhaps consider a maintenance product as for
the ‘A’s’ above.

Mostly D’s

Your energy bank is running at a low and it is likely there are many
things in your life you are unhappy about. You may be going through the
motions, pushing yourself to do what has to be done even though your
heart is not really in it. There may be things you need to do in your life
that you are neglecting and you may well be feeling irritable and unable
to cope. You are a nutritional nightmare whose body is giving off signs
of stress and you are at risk of getting anything from poor skin and
stomach upsets to extreme physical tiredness. Your blood sugar levels
are likely to be vulnerable and you need to stabilise these. You may be a
caffeine addict so cut down, drink lots of water and have a banana every
time you crave sugar.

Action

You need to take immediate action and you may need to see a Counsellor
or Life Coach to help you if you find you cannot motivate yourself. First,
make it a priority to look after yourself – take some time to relax and if 10
you have given up activities you used to like start doing them again.
Spend time with people you find fun and supportive and make sure you
see them even if you feel tired. You may well have sleeping problems
and so take the TV and mobile phone out of the bedroom, use Lavender
oil to help you relax and undertake some simple deep breathing activities.
Not only do you need to go back to basics by eating three sensible meals
a day but you also need to try and replace the vitamins you have lost by
drinking freshly squeezed fruit and vegetable drinks. It is also likely that
your system could do with some additional help and therefore some kind
of supplement or phyto-medicine is likely to be a must.

One word or warning – just because a product says it is natural does not
mean that it is safe. There are products that when taken with
conventional medicines can prove problematic. For example St John’s
Wort is an excellent natural anti-depressant but it can affect the efficiency
of the contraceptive pill. Visit sites such as www.dailyfatigue.co.uk,
www.wnas.org.uk, www.patrickholford.com for up-to-date scientifically
valid information, tips and strategies on making daily fatigue a thing of
the past.


Gladeana McMahon
www.gladeanamcmahon.com