Fatigue is a feeling of constant tiredness or weakness and can be physical, mental or a combination of both. It can affect anyone, and most adults will experience fatigue at some point in their life.
Each year, around 1.5 million Australians see their doctor about fatigue. Fatigue is a symptom, not a condition. For many people, fatigue is caused by a combination of lifestyle, social, psychological and general wellbeing issues rather than an underlying medical condition.
Although fatigue is sometimes described as tiredness, it is different to just feeling tired or sleepy. Everyone feels tired at some point, but this is usually resolved with a nap or a few nights of good sleep. Someone who is sleepy may also feel temporarily refreshed after exercising.
If you are getting enough sleep, good nutrition and exercising regularly but still find it hard to perform everyday activities, concentrate or be motivated at your normal levels, you may be experiencing fatigue that needs further investigation.
Fatigue can cause a vast range of other physical, mental and emotional symptoms including:
The wide range of causes that can trigger fatigue include:
Fatigue can also be caused by a number of factors working in combination.
There are a number of diseases and disorders which trigger fatigue. If you experience prolonged bouts of fatigue, consult your doctor.
Common lifestyle factors that can cause fatigue include:
Some people try to get by on fewer hours of sleep.
Quick fix foods, such as chocolate bars or caffeinated drinks, only offer a temporary energy boost that quickly wears off and worsens fatigue.Common workplace issues that can cause fatigue include:
Studies suggest that psychological factors are present in at least 50 per cent of fatigue cases. These may include:
People who are depressed commonly experience chronic fatigue.As fatigue can present a vast range of symptoms and be caused by many different factors working in combination, diagnosis can be difficult. Your doctor may diagnose fatigue using a number of tests including:
The idea is to rule out any physical causes, for example anaemia, infection or hormonal problems.Fatigue is a symptom –something you can feel and describe – not a condition or disease. To reduce your fatigue you first need to understand what the underlying reasons for your fatigue are.
If fatigue is having a negative effect on your quality of life, or causing you distress, then consider speaking with a health professional. By asking questions, they will help you work out why you are experiencing fatigue, and offer some suggestions on how to find relief.
If necessary, your doctor might suggest certain medical tests if there is a reasonable chance the cause of your fatigue may be an undiagnosed medical issue (for example, anaemia or thyroid dysfunction).
Fortunately, for most people fatigue will get better over time on its own or with some simple and practical lifestyle changes.
2014, Fatigue – a rational approach to investigation, Australian Family Physician, vol. 43, no. 7, pp. 457-461, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. More information here.This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
Department of Health State Government of Victoria
This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:
Department of Health State Government of Victoria
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Information about a therapy, service, product or treatment does not in any way endorse or support such therapy, service, product or treatment and is not intended to replace advice from your doctor or other registered health professional. The information and materials contained on this website are not intended to constitute a comprehensive guide concerning all aspects of the therapy, product or treatment described on the website. All users are urged to always seek advice from a registered health care professional for diagnosis and answers to their medical questions and to ascertain whether the particular therapy, service, product or treatment described on the website is suitable in their circumstances. The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website.
Reviewed on: 30-06-2015
Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
Medically Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on December 03, 2020
Feeling tired is a common experience.
It can be caused by disrupted sleep habits, a change in routine, or the appearance of stressors in your life. No matter the reason, tiredness can push us to our limits emotionally and mentally. In some cases, extreme tiredness sets in. This is called exhaustion.
How can you tell if you’re tired or exhausted? Learn the signs of exhaustion and ways to prevent it from affecting your life and the lives of those around you.
Exhaustion, also known as fatigue, becomes a problem when it continues day to day, affecting your health and safety.
Exhaustion isn’t a mental disorder. But it can be caused by anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, neurological and sleep disorders, anemia, electrolyte abnormalities, diabetes, obesity, and/or an infectious disease or cancer.
Common reasons for fatigue could be lifestyle choices you should address. Here are frequent reasons for fatigue:
Exhaustion isn’t normally a cause for concern.
But it is when accompanied by:
If exhaustion starts affecting your daily life, it’s time to talk to a doctor to determine underlying causes.
Exhaustion can impact your daily activities, especially if you’re too tired to take care of average tasks. The good news is that exhaustion is treatable; however, here are some signs that you or someone you may know is experiencing it:
Symptoms of Depression or Anxiety
When you or a loved one is dealing with depression and/or anxiety, it can have a draining effect.
Depression can affect your sleep cycle. It may make you unable to sleep.
Or not you may not be able to sleep for long periods. A lack of energy associated with depression may keep you from completing normal activities.
Anxiety can be crippling for people who experience uncontrollable worry all day long. The symptoms include irritability and extreme fatigue.
Lack of Goal Making
Exhaustion can leave you tired and without energy to set goals and stick with them. You might be able to make goals, but you’ll set them aside and be unsure of when you’ll return to them.
Lack of Concentration
Lack of concentration happens when you’re exhausted and can’t focus on a task you had started. You may have a big task to complete, but you can give it only five minutes before you become frustrated and give up.
Disconnecting Relationships
Exhaustion can lead to inability to nurture relationships. This could mean giving your children time-consuming activities so you don’t have to deal with them.
Or perhaps your significant other is requesting attention you don’t have the emotional capability to give.
If exhaustion begins to leave you drained and unable to complete anything, you should talk to your doctor. They may run tests to find underlying health causes.
Determining the cause of your exhaustion will help you identify what you need to do to alleviate its symptoms. Common treatments include:
Sleep Habits
Getting enough sleep is extremely important. Make sure you’re sleeping enough for your body to feel rested. Keep a normal sleep schedule, and go to bed only if you’re tired.
Make sure your bedroom is prepped for deep sleep — a dark room, comfy furniture, and minimal distractions. You might also try writing about your worries in a journal before bed, so you can let them go while sleeping.
Dietary Changes
Cut out caffeine to reset your body. It’s found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, and some pain killers and herbal remedies.
After a month, take note of how you feel. Caffeine withdrawal can include headaches and irritability at first.
Physical Changes
Consistent physical activity can improve symptoms. Beginning to exercise can seem like a big obstacle if you feel exhausted, but moving for just 15 minutes a day can boost your energy levels.
Carrying excess weight exhausts your body. Eating healthier, exercising, and weight loss can improve your symptoms too.
Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, might include counseling to discuss the underlying causes and stressors in your life. These could include stress, anxiety, or low mood.
Words of encouragement can be difficult to find. Comforting a person, you can inadvertently upset him even more. We tell you how to support a person, what words will help express sympathy and show your loved one that you are on his side.
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A few years ago, a canary lived in my house. I did not look for souls in her, and even the fact that the little bird woke up early in the morning with her songs did not in the least diminish this love. Once an accident happened to her: the cage fell off the shelf, and the canary damaged the wing. The vet calmed me down, gave her medicine and told me to make special compresses for the wing. In the evening, I completed all the procedures and went to bed peacefully.
And in the morning I didn't hear a sound from the cage.
I came closer and saw the lifeless body of my favorite bird. My heart was broken. I blamed myself for not saving my pet, that I made a mistake somewhere and overlooked it. With tears and a howl, I grabbed the phone and wrote with trembling fingers about what had happened to my friend, hoping for words of support and comfort. But she received one sentence in response: “Well, don’t worry.” Perhaps she wanted to cheer me up with this phrase. But my pain only added a burning resentment: “How did my emotions devalue so easily?”
“We get psychological injuries much more often than physical ones. And they, like a scratch on the knee, get worse if we ignore them: “Oh, do you feel depressed? Never mind, it's all in your head." Imagine saying this to a person with a broken leg: “Oh, just put it out of your head, it’s all in your leg” ”.
Psychologist Guy Winch TED Talk Why Everyone Should Practice Emotional Emergency
According to one of the dictionary definitions, experience is a state of mind caused by some kind of strong sensations, impressions. In fact, uttering the phrase “do not worry”, a person calls on the interlocutor not to experience emotions, to remove their feelings deeper.
But, firstly, it is very difficult to do this if a person has lost someone close, has been rejected, or has suffered a major setback. Secondly, the containment of emotions leads to bad consequences for psychological and physical health, provoking cardiovascular diseases, psychosomatic pain and depression.
If you really want to help your loved one go through a difficult moment, show your participation and support, it is better to forget the phrase “don't worry” first. There are words that will help you establish a dialogue and actually ease the experience of a dear person.
First of all, people just want to express what is bothering them, not to find a solution to the problem.
And sometimes it just doesn't exist. So the first thing to do is to make it clear that you are ready to listen. Most often, this becomes the best manifestation of support. At the same time, try not to look at your smartphone, do not fiddle with your watch and do not switch your attention to the environment.
If the frustrated person finds it difficult to start talking or gets lost, try asking leading questions:
Tell me what happened?
What's bothering you?
Why did this happen?
What caused these feelings?
Help me understand how you feel.
The monologue that you help build your interlocutor can be more effective than advice. By saying everything that worries him, your loved one can find a solution himself, understand that in reality everything is not so bad.
Or just feel better, because you no longer need to keep emotions in yourself.
But don't insist if you see that the person obviously doesn't want to talk. In this case, just let him know that you are always ready to listen if he changes his mind.
“Loneliness inflicts a deep psychological wound that distorts our perception and confuses our thinking. It makes us think that others care about us much less than they really do. It makes you afraid to turn to someone, because why subject yourself to rejection and suffering if your heart already hurts more than you can bear? There is a lot of research on loneliness, and they are all terrifying. Loneliness not only makes you unhappy, it kills. I am not kidding. Chronic loneliness increases the likelihood of early death by 14%” .
Guy Winch
Faced with the anxiety of another person, you involuntarily want to try to get him out of this state with smiles or jokes.
It may seem that his problem is nonsense and not worth the tears. But what seems insignificant to one person is really important to another. Do not underestimate the importance of sadness, anger or resentment. For everyone, these emotions are individual.
And while some allow themselves to surrender to grief completely, others are afraid to show their feelings. It seems to them that then they look weaklings or the subject of ridicule. Or that their problem does not deserve such violent emotions.
Therefore, if you see that your loved one is obviously upset about something, but tries to hide it, try to explain that their emotions are normal. You will not shame or ridicule him. Perhaps these words of support will help an upset person open up to you and ease their feelings.
This phrase must be handled very carefully.
Even if you think you've had a similar experience, it won't be exactly like the person who's seeking your support. Your pain is different. But you can share your story if you feel it's appropriate.
You must not shift the focus of the conversation to yourself. Do not say that you had worse situations, do not go into details. It is better to briefly talk about how something like this went through, and then return the attention to your loved one. If he needs to, he will ask for details.
With this phrase you tell a person that he is not alone with his pain. That there is someone nearby who has experienced similar feelings. Or maybe he will find in your story tips on how to get through his pain and overcome it.
“After failure, the mind tries to convince you of your inability to do something.
If you believe this, you will begin to feel helpless and stop trying too soon or not at all. And then you'll be even more convinced that you can't succeed. That is why so many people operate below their potential. Because somewhere along the way, a single failure convinced them that they couldn't succeed, and they believed it.
Guy Winch
When you feel that you have the strength and desire to help a person, and not just listen, ask what you can do for him.
If a frustrated person asks for your advice, first find out if they have any ideas to improve the situation. Reflect with him, sketch out a few options, but invite your loved one to evaluate them. Decisions are more likely to be made if a person comes to them on their own.
If you are in the immediate vicinity of an upset person, you can also provide them with domestic care. Make tea, offer to watch a movie, or cook something together to take your mind off things. And if the conversation takes place in the evening, advise to go to bed. Many feel better in the morning.
But sometimes an upset person is sad, not because of a particular event, but because he suffers from depression. If so, encourage him to do something other than talk, like take a walk. Overthinking can exacerbate depressive feelings. Discuss with the person his feelings, gently suggest contacting a specialist who will help alleviate his condition.
“If we are rejected, we all start thinking about our shortcomings and shortcomings, we scold ourselves. I wonder why we do this when our self-esteem is already so hurt? Why do we want to hurt her even more? If you cut your hand, you wouldn't think, "Oh, an idea: I'll take a knife and see how much deeper I can make this wound.
" But with psychological trauma, we do this all the time” .
Guy Winch
One of the most difficult things is realizing that you don't know what to say. But most of the time, frustrated people are not really looking for specific words of encouragement, but for comfort. When a person is in pain, he really needs understanding and sympathy for his pain. American psychologist John Gottman called this "evidence of the plight of a loved one."
This means that sometimes it is enough to "witness" the experiences of a loved one. To calm him down, describe what you see and feel. Recognize that someone close to you is going through a difficult time. That it's hard for you to see his pain. And yes, what happened to him is really terrible.
If you see fit, hug the person. Hugs are our unique way of coping with adversity, providing comfort and reassurance just as much as talking.
Contents
To support someone means to share his feelings, to show that a person is not alone in his experiences.
We all need support at least once in our lives. This is especially valuable at the time of experiencing loss, grief or loss.
Calls to “get together” and “hold on” have nothing to do with support, as well as advice, lamentations, lectures and intimidation (yes, this also happens) - all this only hinders and upsets those who are already having a hard time. So what to do if you want to support a loved one?
It is better to support a person once, but sincerely, than to feign sympathy, because there is no strength. Do not be ashamed: it is normal not to want, not to be able to support. Do whatever you can, but don't try to force yourself. If you yourself are experiencing difficult emotions, you have problems, there is not enough emotional resource - do not blame yourself. To help someone, you need strength, and if you don’t have them, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Instead of wondering how to support the person, ask them directly.
Be honest about wanting to help but don't know how. Ask "What can I do for you?" will be sufficient.
The main thing is not to disappear: even if you don’t find the words, be there and sincerely admit: “I don’t know what to say. But I'm with you."
Everyone experiences loss in their own way: someone wants to speak out, another wants to remain silent, and the third will ask a lot of questions. Your task is to be there and give the person what he needs. You can actively listen: nod, agree, ask clarifying questions. Or a silent hug. Or talk about extraneous topics if the person asked for it. You can reflect emotions: “I feel sad too when you talk about it”, “I understand your anger”.
If you find yourself unable to cope and feel that your loved one needs professional help, suggest contacting a psychologist.
See also
How to choose self-help literature or find a therapist A checklist of useful books, a selection of services and stop signs in choosing a specialist
A person can experience grief alone. He is free to do as he wants, even if it seems to you not the best idea. Do not impose, but make it clear that you are always ready to support. You can periodically invite a loved one to meet, talk on the phone, or just be there without words. You should not by all means distract a person from grief - let him survive it. But if you notice that a loved one is increasingly sinking into despair and sadness, then gently discuss with him the possibility of seeking help from a specialist.
Sometimes a person can assure you that he will cope with grief himself, because he does not want anyone to see him depressed or crying. Perhaps this is an internal ban on emotions.
In such a situation, you can let your loved one know that you will accept him with anyone.
In the book Accepting and Surviving Loss, Grief, Loss: How to Learn to Enjoy Life Again, psychologist Alexander Ryazantsev offers a technique called “approach”. Sit as close to the person as possible. Do not distract and do not try to "pull" him out of sadness - let your loved one behave as he wants. So you show that you are there in any of his condition.
If you want to bring a bereaved friend back to full communication, you need to learn how to calmly accept his grieving. A person should not be afraid to cry, show his feelings, talk about what happened. If he does not have fun, but sits and is sad, this should not burden you. Show that with sadness you also appreciate him, love, respect and admit that you do not expect sociability or ostentatious cheerfulness from him.
If you notice that a loved one continues to block emotions, then you can show him by your own example that it is normal to grieve.
Tell about your emotions, show them. Here is the case that Alexander Ryazantsev describes:
“In the early 2000s, a well-known consultant, working with loss at a seminar in St. Petersburg, burst into tears at the end of the session. The man was 70 or 80 years old, and, of course, this shocked our St. Petersburg therapeutic circle: a professional psychotherapist with a huge work experience - and crying. When asked: “How is it? You are a therapist and you work with a person who is going through grief. Why are you crying, but he is not?” The consultant answered very simply: “Someone had to show that crying is not scary and not dangerous, that a person will not die if he cries.” In doing so, he helped the client take the first step towards a public experience of grief.”
While supporting your loved one in his grief, be considerate of yourself as well. Keep boundaries and mindfulness: “Your grief is here, and I am here.
I'm with you, but we're not together. This is your grief, not mine, I respect it, but I am at some distance” .
It is important to maintain emotional tolerance: to empathize with a loved one, but not to “disappear” with him, to remain safe and clearly separate one’s own from that of others. This is not an easy task. If you feel that you can not cope with it, you need to contact a psychologist.
Can any emotional reaction to death be considered wrong? Psychologists say no. Any emotion that a person experiences is normal.
For example, a person may experience stupor after news of a death, accident, or other distressing situation. Some describe this state as "emptiness, when there are no tears, there are no emotions either, and you just feel like nothing." This is a defensive reaction to dull the pain. Usually a person begins to realize the loss and experience grief after a while.
And you can also feel anger - even at the one who died.
Or guilt for not having time to say or do something.
Often people hide the fact that they experience relief after the death of a loved one. It is embarrassing to admit it, because it contradicts the concept of love, but in fact this emotion is also absolutely normal. Seriously ill relatives or friends require constant care. This is very difficult and falls on the shoulders of loved ones as a heavy burden, which is not customary to talk about publicly.
The feeling of relief suggests that the difficult period is over: and your loved one has stopped suffering, and you can start living again.
Psychologists also say that joy during mourning is a useful emotion. It helps to feel gratitude towards the deceased. Bright memories, good moments that cause laughter and sentimental feelings, help to cope with grief; there is nothing abnormal about it.
If you want to support a loved one who is experiencing a loss, then say that all his emotions are normal.
And you are ready to accept without judgment and support any of his condition.
Don't give unsolicited advice, it's only annoying.
Practical help is very important, but only if asked for. Do not talk about someone else's grief, similar situations. Do not lament in the spirit of "What to do now?" - this increases the pain.
