Why do I feel so tired all the time?
Everyone feels tired every now and then - whether it’s a few too many late nights, a busy time at work or a big life change. But if you are constantly feeling tired over a period of weeks or months and you’re not sure why, you may be experiencing fatigue. Fatigue is a state of constant tiredness that impacts your ability to live your life.
Common Symptoms of Fatigue
Common symptoms to look out for include:
Feeling tired despite adequate sleep
Lacking motivation to perform basic tasks
Problems concentrating and remembering things
Low mood
Slow reaction times
Identifying the Causes of Fatigue
Identifying the causes of fatigue can sometimes be tricky, as it can be the result of lifestyle factors and/or physical and mental health conditions. It is first worth thinking about if there are any simple lifestyle changes you could make to combat your tiredness.
Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Fatigue
Consider if you could make any of the following lifestyle changes to improve your energy levels. A few might stand out as areas you could start with.
Eating a healthy diet
Incorporating exercise into your routine - here’s some tips if you’re finding it difficult to get started
Getting good quality sleep - check out our blog post on improving your sleep quality
Reducing stress
Drinking less caffeine and alcohol
Drinking more water
Therapy or counselling - fatigue can be the result of underlying mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety
Bear in mind that fatigue is also a common temporary symptom experienced after a viral infection, such as Covid-19.
Pinpoint the cause of your fatigue with a blood test
However, if you have been feeling fatigued for 4 weeks or more and you cannot identify an obvious cause, make an appointment with your GP. One of the ways that they might investigate the causes of your fatigue is through a simple blood test. A blood test can detect several common causes of fatigue including:
Iron deficiency anaemia
Vitamin deficiencies
Hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid gland)
At the Orchard, we offer a specific blood test profile to investigate tiredness and fatigue. The appointment only takes around 15 minutes, and you’ll get your results in around 48 hours. The good news is, many of the most common causes of fatigue are normally easily treatable.