Am I Always Tired Because I am Sick Physically or Mentally?

Yawning in the middle of a class or an important meeting, dozing off at the desk, sitting around on the couch all day and moving just to go to bed? Thinking why does this happen to you?  Well honey, look around, it’s all of us. There is something about this generation and if not then definitely something about this modern day world. But have you ever thought about the depth to this tiredness?

Before declaring yourself as a lazy ass, first figure out what could be the cause behind this apparent laziness and bounce back from it while you can. Here is a checklist you can definitely relate to if you feel tired all the time:

It’s okay if you get bored every now and then and find yourself yawing, whether be at the movies or a boring dinner. But constantly? That is not a good sign. You will often find yourself yawning even after hours of good sleep, this is because your body is still tired or it’s the mind that needs rest.

Probably the hardest task of the day, getting out of bed. That is completely okay but when this gets chronic and starts interfering with your routine, then that should be taken into notice. If you find yourself lying around in bed all day even when it’s not bedtime, then it’s about time to change your habits for the greater good. If this gets out of hands, it might ruin your studies or your job.

That weird tired and fatigued feeling in your eyes that only you can tell is definitely a sign to look out for. You might think that this feeling would go away if you sleep a little more but trust me, it stays there till you find the root cause for it.

Your loved ones, colleagues and even random people asking you about your health every now and then, that means it’s written all over your face that you’re tired. Your body language, the way you speak, your tone and even your voice, all things give away your body’s state.

There is a lot about your own body that you might not know. But the thing is, it’s only you who can actually identify the cause behind all the fatigue and the tiredness and it’s only you who can put an end to it.

You must be quite familiar with this word but there is still need to properly understand what it does to your body. So fatigue can be defined as lack of energy and motivation. And the point to be noted is that Fatigue is not a disease but a symptom itself. So simply considering yourself tired and saying you’re fatigued and not paying much attention to it, is wrong. What if there’s a whole systemic issue underlying? And yes, fatigue is not only physical and the way your body looks like, it is also psychological, which is a major problem that we should try not to get into.

These six symptoms can tell if you’re physically fatigued especially you have four or more combined, that might indicate chronic fatigue if you have these for more than six months:

Drowsiness itself defines the desire for sleep and is one of the main symptoms of fatigue. This means that you’re always trying to find a place to rest your head and close your eyes and hope that you fall asleep. And you do too. Sleeping a lot is not really healthy, the more you sleep the more you’ll feel tired.

Your body keeps giving you signs to remind you of your health. Body aches are one of those. If you ever feel pain in your muscles and your joints even though you haven’t been through any sort of trauma, then it’s definitely fatigue. That’s your body telling you to take a break and get some help. After all, the human body is not a machine.

Headaches are the worst, they ruin everything, the mood, the work, and you cannot focus on anything. There can be so many reasons behind a headache. And often people take it lightly but if you have headaches very frequently, you need to take it seriously and get it checked as soon as possible.

This happens many times when you get a sore throat after a week of hectic work or back to back assignments where you get very little sleep but you’re always on the go all day and night. Your body starts getting tired and you can also get a little fever-ish.

This is a symptom that you might miss and need regular check-ups from a physician to identify it. There are also ways to self-examine yourself for swollen lymph nodes, or if you get pain in certain areas of the body like, neck, axilla and groin, etc. then you should pay attention to it.

When you’re tired, all your systems start showing certain signs to get your attention. The stomach starts getting upset without any evident cause, you feel a change in your appetite sometimes, or even random nausea or growling sounds. These symptoms are to be taken into notice.

There is only so much your brain can take, after a while it needs a break and some relaxation too. Here are some mental problems that can happen when your brain has reached its limit:

Having trouble remembering where you just put your phone, forgetting an important meeting, a date or simply replying to a text. After some time, these little things start messing with your daily life, your friends and family keep getting annoyed. But you should know that all this is your mind getting way tired, mostly due to lack of sleep and rest.

It’s quite obvious when you’re tired so much, you feel like cutting off from the world. Even just going out the door to pick up the mail seems like a bother. Laziness takes over your whole life, your hygiene, your house chores, talking to people etc.

All the negative things in your mind start to get heightened as your mind reaches that certain threshold for stress. People with severe fatigue are usually irritable, anxious, and moody. There’s always caution around such people.  

Imagine there are so many unsorted files and papers on a desk, there is no room for anything else. Just like when you open too many tabs on your browser, it will slow down eventually. Similarly, fatigue overloads our brain with so many unsorted and tiresome things that it gets hard to focus on something new or even the most basic of skills.

Being clumsy is something else but mental confusion is a serious one. If you ask people to keep repeating what they said or it gets hard for you to process a situation at work, then pay attention to your mind, it needs a little help.

Of course there is a lot you can change about your routine and lifestyle in general, but here are some really quick and helpful natural remedies that will get you back up on your feet, fatigue-less and feeling fresh.

Now, this little herb is a game-changer for people who have trouble getting a good night’s sleep. When you have a good rest for at least one whole night, you can feel the energy and positivity the following day instantly. Here’s a recipe for Valerian Tea you can follow:

• 2 parts chamomile flowers
• 1 part valerian root
• 1 part hops flowers
• 1 part passionflower
• 1 part skullcap
• 1 part lemon balm
• 1 part peppermint leaf

Combine 1-2 Tbsp. herb mixture to 8-12 oz. boiling hot water. Allow to steep for 5-15 minutes before straining and drinking. The longer you steep the tea, the more potent it will be.

Siberian ginseng is known to reduce bodily stress and counter inflammation as well. Try a routinely recipe of Lemon Siberian Ginseng Ginger tea to your day and see the benefits for yourself.

• 1 cup dried ginger root
• 3/4 cup dried Siberian ginseng
• 1/4 cup dried lemon peel
• Honey or maple syrup optional

• Mix all herbs together in a bowl until well mixed
• Simmer 1/4 cup of mixture per quart of water in a covered pan for 15 minutes, but do not boil.
• Pour into cups. Add honey or maple syrup for taste. Enjoy.

These cute berries have such a major energizing role for the consumer, it vanishes away the fatigue in no time. You can try and make Schisandra Berry syrup at home and use this tasty recipe any way you like, either with pancakes, waffles or simple toast.

• 3 cups cold water
• 1 1/2 cup schisandra berries or replace 1/2 cup with elderberries if you desire
• 1-2 organic cinnamon sticks
• ¾ to 1 cup raw local honey
• 1.5 ounces brandy (optional)

• Combine herbs with cold water in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow herbs to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove from heat and mash the berries in the liquid mixture. Strain the herbs through cheesecloth and squeeze out the juice.
• Measure the liquid and add an equal amount of honey. Gently heat the honey and juice for a few minutes until well combined. Do not boil!
• Stir in brandy and bottle in sterilized glass.
• Label and keep refrigerated for up to 6 months.

Also known as Rhodiola rosea, Golden Root has been tested to improve your mental tiredness along with bodily stress. Around 50 to 100 milligrams twice or thrice a day can help a lot.

It’s okay to pause your busy life for a moment, as this will only help you and make you more focused for the future. It’s just like taking out the mind trash and closing all the tabs in the browser.