We’ve all experienced it; coming into work feeling exhausted. Every hour seems like a fight as we ask ourselves, “Why am I so tired?” Fatigue during work is uncomfortable and unproductive. While there is no 100% method to ensure you will never experience a hard day at work, there are many changes you can make to reduce how often it happens. Here are some ideas to try:
Take a 15-minute break:
Really, just fifteen minutes can make a huge difference. If the best you can do is slip away to the bathroom and play your favorite song on ear buds, let yourself slip away from your demands for just a little while. Better yet, play a 10-minute mindfulness meditation, go for a walk, or share a joke with a colleague. When we take even a quarter hour to allow our brain to relax, this refreshes us and allows us to return with new energy. Our brain works much like a muscle. If we don’t allow it to rest between sets, we will greatly underfunction.
Eat light meals:
Try grazing on several light food items throughout the day instead of eating one full lunch. Also, avoid too many high-density foods such as bread, soda, sugar, and meat. These slow down the metabolism and divert blood flow to the gut and away from our brain and body. I’m not saying become a vegetarian, but consider adding an apple to your lunch bag and using two slices of meat instead of four.
Get proper rest:
I know this goes without saying, but if you are not getting enough sleep, you are probably feeling fatigued at work, moody at home, and unhappy with yourself. If you struggle with insomnia, read this blog on skills to improve sleep.
Live a balanced lifestyle:
This section deserves several blogs of its own. The idea I want to impress is that sometimes chronic fatigue at work can be an indicator that we are not living a balanced lifestyle. I know it is a lot of plates to spin, but in addition to work, we need time with friends and family, as well as time to have a relationship with ourselves. If you are working too much, or if you don’t spend your free time beneficially, work chronic fatigue may be a result.
Again, aiming to have a life 100% free from fatigue may be unrealistic. However, with a few adjustments and good habits, you will set yourself up to have more consistent energy at work.
