If you feel tired all the time, you’re not alone. According to the data, South African women suffer particularly from burnout. Deloitte’s 2024 survey found that half of women reported increasing stress and only 25% of those who regularly worked overtime rated their mental health as good, compared to 50% of those who did not.
Fatigue is something we are all too familiar with. Every single one of us. This feeling is particularly pronounced at this time of year. What’s not normal is feeling tired all the time. No matter what time of day, every day of the week. When someone asks how you’re feeling, your immediate response is “I’m exhausted” – and you mean it! In other cases, this is caused by an underlying medical condition, but in most cases it can be attributed to lifestyle factors that you can change. Here are some of the reasons why you might be feeling terribly tired and how you can get out of that rut.
You don’t sleep well
Not getting enough sleep is probably one of the most obvious reasons for feeling tired and exhausted throughout the day, and that’s a pretty significant reason. In addition to getting enough sleep, the quality of sleep is also important. Have you ever woken up just before your alarm went off feeling ready to take on not just the day, but the world? This is what happens when you get a good night’s sleep. In general, good sleep quality means being able to fall asleep in 30 minutes or less and sleeping soundly without waking up more than once in the middle of the night. Snoring also has a negative impact on the quality of sleep. How to help:
- Be active throughout the day
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. One study found that sleeping and waking up at the same time every day (even on weekends) made you feel less tired and sleep easier in the evening.
- Be aggressive when it comes to good sleep hygiene. Throw your phone in the fridge. Get an eye mask.
READ MORE: Sleepmaxxing is TikTok’s latest obsession – but do these sleep hacks really work?
You have an illness
While lifestyle factors are fairly common causes of constantly feeling tired, it is sometimes a condition called chronic fatigue syndrome. Typical of this condition is a feeling of severe and sometimes debilitating tiredness and exhaustion that just doesn’t get better. Fun fact: Chronic fatigue syndrome is most common in women and there is no cure for it – but it can be treated.
Conditions that can make you constantly tired
Extreme fatigue can also be caused by the following conditions:
- Sleep apnea: A stressful event for the body, disrupted adrenaline-fueled sleep caused by congested airways can deprive your body of oxygen, disrupt the restorative REM phase and leave you exhausted in the morning.
- heart disease: A weak heart means that oxygen-rich blood is not pumping adequately. The result? Your body struggles to meet the demands of your organs and muscles, depriving you of energy.
- Diabetes and insulin resistance: When your blood sugar levels are on a rollercoaster ride, your energy levels also follow. Chronic fatigue is one of the very first warning signs of diabetes or insulin resistance.
- Anemia: If your ferritin levels are low, your energy levels probably make you feel like you’re dragging yourself through wet cement every day.
- depression: Low levels of dopamine and norepinephrine can affect your energy, motivation, and attention. This makes even simple tasks feel overwhelming.
- Endometriosis: Recent South African research shows how endotherapy causes severe fatigue, which is dismissed by women who suffer from it. No longer! Talk to your doctor about lifestyle interventions.
- Thyroid disease: Hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) is incredibly common in women. If your fatigue is accompanied by unexplained weight gain, hair loss, or a constant feeling of cold, ask your doctor about a full thyroid test, not just the standard TSH test.
If this applies to you, you should consider seeing a doctor for an evaluation and possibly a diagnosis so you can begin treatment. Sound like you? Go to a doctor.
You’re not active enough
At this point, I think we all know that exercise/activity is one of the most important answers to any problem you may be facing. And this also applies to combating feelings of exhaustion. According to research, almost 50% of South African adults are not active enough. This makes us one of the most inactive countries in the world. This statistic already shows us that a sedentary lifestyle is definitely a key factor in our feeling of tiredness. What’s interesting is that another study found that fatigue was the main reason why middle-aged and older adults didn’t exercise.
Still, countless studies have highlighted the energizing benefits of exercise. Exercise has been shown to reduce fatigue not only in people without existing health problems, but also in people with conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome and cancer. And you don’t have to become a fitness influencer to reap the benefits; A little exercise will always go a long way.
READ MORE: 15 easy ways to sit less and move more – even if you have a desk job
You are not consuming enough calories
We live in a calorie-obsessed world. This is partly because so many of us are trying to lose weight, and we know that the fewer calories consumed, the less weight you gain, and the more calories burned, the greater the weight loss. The problem arises when we approach the “burning fewer calories” part a little too drastically.
The fewer calories you consume, the harder it is to meet your vitamin and mineral needs. And if you don’t get enough of these important nutrients like iron, you can experience fatigue. The recommended total daily calorie intake for adults depends on your age, weight, gender, height and physical activity. Still, the British NHS recommends that the average woman should consume 2,000 calories per day.
You’re dehydrated
It is very important to constantly drink fluids throughout the day to maintain your energy levels. There are several studies that have found that even mild dehydration can leave you feeling low in energy and tired. In fact, fatigue is one of the symptoms of dehydration, along with thirst, lightheadedness and headaches. One way to ensure you are continually hydrated is to always have water on hand and sip and refill occasionally throughout the day. And remember: If you feel thirsty, reach for water first before drinking anything else.
READ MORE: 6 scary dehydration signs you should know *before* heatwaves strike
You drink too many energy drinks
It makes sense to reach for an energy drink when you’re feeling low on energy, right? But an energy drink is not always the best solution. While it may give you a temporary boost, the slump that occurs after the bounce can leave you feeling even more tired than before.
This comes from a meta-analysis that found that the energy boost you get from energy drinks is often followed by hectic daytime sleepiness the next day. So if you consume a lot of energy drinks or other highly caffeinated drinks, try cutting back as much as possible and see if it makes a difference.
You can’t cope with your stress
Ahhhh, stress. Yes, we are sure you know all about it. Unfortunately, prolonged stress also contributes significantly to feelings of fatigue. And interestingly, one study found that avoiding stress leads to more fatigue – so our favorite strategy for dealing with stress (which says: just keep going, the stress will eventually go away on its own) isn’t the answer. If we are honest with each other, it is almost impossible to avoid situations that cause stress. The only thing we can do is make sure we have strategies in place to deal with it.
READ MORE: 11 Ways to Get More Energy When You Feel Tired
