Yawning so much, you can barely finish a sentence, as every thought lay on the tip of your tongue. And a gait so unsteady you could walk into walls, as you attempt to negotiate your daily activities.
Fatigue . We have all experienced it in many forms. It runs (more likely, crawls) the gamut from occasional weariness to a seriously debilitating condition known as, “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” During the course of a week’s activities, it is common to experience feeling tired. However, when people become so tired that they are unable to lead productive lives, “fatigue” becomes a serious problem. In order to give your life an energy boost it is important to examine the sources and intensities of your fatigue.

• 1- Stress. The last decade has become a sort of incubator for cultivating stress. High tech industry that has brought new changes, demands and expectations; families blending and ex- tending, competition, social peer pressure, the cost of living, all have contributed to this condition, which often produces fatigue. The stressors which underlie fatigue may be controlled with some form of therapy including, biofeedback, hypnosis and meditation. Additionally, altering your routine in some productive way can be refreshing. For example, if you feel stressed (and consequently, fatigued) from boredom– which is to say, having too few choices available from which to choose– take a class or learn a new skill.
• 2- Unpleasant emotions. While love and passion fill the body with energy-creating chemicals called, endorphins, rage, fear, frustration, depression and so forth drain your energy and produce fatigue. Combat these emotions by considering an experience from your personal history in which you have felt rewarded, satisfied, accomplished. Think of a place you can visit that will associate positively (pleasantly) with such an experience. Is there a piece of music, a book, film or show that adds to this feeling?
• 3- Sleep disturbance. The leading source of fatigue, this general condition affects approximately 30% of adults. There are several types of sleep disorders, some of which include: Insomnia, narcolepsy (the tendency to fall asleep uncontrollably), apnea (associated with heavy snoring, it involves breathing difficulties) Be aware that sleeping pills, though a tempting “quick-fix”, can often cause more problems than they solve. They are frequently highly addictive, meaning that in order to continue producing the desired effect, they must be taken in increasingly larger doses.
• 4- Smoking. People who smoke often experience increased fatigue as carbon monoxide and other toxins in tobacco smoke interfere with the oxygen-carrying ability of red blood cells. Moreover, smoking also causes an accumulation of mucus in the windpipe and bronchial tubes and constricts blood vessels, thereby further reducing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the cells and increasing fatigue. Furthermore, there is an interaction between nicotine dependence and depression, which can further reduce energy levels. A curious aside, one aspect of smoking that seems resilient to fatigue is the smoker’s ability to pay whatever is demanded for a pack of cigarettes. He (she) may protest increased taxes for education, transportation and safety…but at the cigarette counter, he is nothing less than conciliatory. In this regard, eliminating smoking can only add energy to your reservoir…and cash to your pocketbook.
• 5- Alcohol consumption. Although there is increasing evidence that some alcohol (for example, red wine) in small doses may enhance certain aspects of your health, alcohol is a depressant. As such, in larger doses, it is a major contributor to chronic fatigue. It neutralizes essential body nutrients such as thiamine, contributes to the “free radicals” in your body in part responsible for aging, impairs coordination, often leads to depression and constricts your ability to think clearly.
• 6- Insufficient exercise. Fitness training often combats fatigue, improves circulation and reduces the amount of work needed for the heart to perform its functions.