Causes of Extreme Fatigue

3 mins to read

Fatigue is more than just feeling tired. It is an exhaustion that impairs your daily life, making it hard to concentrate or hard to wake up in the morning.

Wellbeing newsStress relief & sleep support

Fatigue is more than just feeling tired. It is a type of exhaustion that impairs your daily life. You may find it hard to concentrate or feel sleepy at work and you may find it hard to wake up in the morning even after sleeping the recommended number of hours.

Some medication and conditions can cause this overwhelming tiredness. However, there are lifestyle factors that you can modify to prevent such fatigue.

Signs of fatigue

Some of the physical, mental and emotional symptoms of fatigue include:

Irritability, moodiness, impatience
Sleepiness
Sore, aching or weak muscles
Dizziness
Headaches
Low motivation
Blurry vision
Trouble making decisions
Lack of desire in activities you once enjoyed
Trouble concentrating or focusing
Nervousness, anxiety
Tired body parts
Stiff shoulders
Boredom or lack of motivations

Causes of extreme fatigue

Fatigue can be temporary, or it can be a chronic condition, lasting six months or more. Feeling tired is normal every now and again due to the daily stresses of life, however if it is continuous and affecting your ability to carry out your daily activities and work performance, then it’s ideal to see a health professional about it.

Seeing a doctor can help you to determine the cause of your fatigue. This may involve questions about your lifestyle and medications and a physical examination. They may also conduct some tests, such as of the blood or urine.

Medical conditions

Certain medical conditions and sleep disorders can cause fatigue. If an underlying medical condition is the cause of the fatigue, it’s ideal to seek treatment from doctors to help manage it.

Poor diet

Eat a healthy diet to keep the body nourished and fuelled with the nutrients, energy and hydration it needs. Avoid skipping meals as this can cause blood sugar levels to dip and for you to feel low in energy. A healthy diet recommended by the Australian Dietary Guidelines or the Mediterranean diet can be helpful to follow. The key is to consume whole foods, in their natural state, that are less processed, low in saturated fat and low in sugar.

Also avoid overeating as this can also drain your energy. Instead eat smaller portions, eating slowly and being mindful of when you feel full.

Eating foods rich in iron can help reduce feelings of fatigue.

Too much alcohol

Alcohol can affect the quality of your deep sleep. This means you may feel tired the next day, even if you sleep for 8 hours.

Too much caffeine

Although caffeine is great to increase alertness and provide an energy boost, having too much can affect your sleep. You should have no more than 200mg of caffeine a day and not have any at least four hours before bedtime.

Poor hydration

Lack of hydration can lead to symptoms of tiredness. Replenish with water often during the day, especially after exercise when you sweat and lose fluids.

Too much stress

Learn about and invest some time in incorporating relaxation techniques into each day to help reduce and manage stress in your life before it builds to a point where it’s unmanageable.

You may even just need to take a break, whether a day or a week, to replenish and restore your energy levels. Scheduling in time off at regular intervals is important for your wellbeing.

Inadequate sleep

Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Engage in a calming pre bedtime routine and ensure your sleep space is a peaceful environment.

Too much sleep

Sleeping more than the recommended hours, such as for 11 hours per night can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness.

Sedentary lifestyle

Exercise can give you more energy. It’s about moving your body and can be as simple as a 10-minute walk or stretching at your desk to improve blood flow and boosts energy. On the other hand, exercising too much can also cause fatigue.

Healthy weight

Carrying excess weight can be exhausting and can also put extra strain on your heart. You may notice how much more energy you have when you reduce excess weight. Talk to your healthcare provider about your ideal weight and how to stay within that range.

Workplace factors

As many of us spend most of our day at work, workplace factors can be a contributor to fatigue. For example, if your job involves shift work, working in the evenings when the human body is designed to sleep during the night can confuse the circadian clock. According to Health and Safety Executive in the UK, some tips include:

Having a short sleep before your first night shift.
If coming off night shifts, have a short sleep and go to bed earlier that night.
Once you have identified a suitable sleep schedule try to keep to it.

Other factors in the workplace include long hours, stressful work environment, excessive demands, monotonous tasks or hard physical labour.

Dissatisfaction with the job role can also lead to emotional exhaustion. It could be no longer enjoying the role itself or other factors such as conflicts with colleagues or managers, bullying issues, lack of recognition. When the job role demands are so high, this can lead to employees experiencing burnout, a state of complete physical and emotional exhaustion caused by stressful work environments or too many responsibilities.

Unemployment comes with financial stress, feelings of failure and the emotional exhaustion of prolonged job hunting. It might be worth speaking to a counsellor or the HR department to help with working through any of these issues you may be experiencing.