Do you ever feel so tired that you are unable to put your thoughts into words? Or maybe you are unable to think at all? Your body just refuses to act in the way it usually does when it is full of energy. And you find yourself either sleeping too much or you don’t sleep at all.
That is fatigue. It is a kind of extreme tiredness or exhaustion that shuts you down both mentally and physically. It can happen to anyone and one person’s symptoms might vary from the other’s.
Depending on these symptoms, there can be 5 types of fatigue:
1. Emotional fatigue
Do you ever feel a sudden burst of sadness, anger, and an unwillingness to participate in anything? Maybe in these times you cry a lot or you don’t feel anything at all. While you feel too many emotions, you do not react to them anymore. Maybe your body is too tired to even let you vent out your emotions.
While it is one of those invisible emotions that only you are feeling, talking about it can help. You can also try distracting yourself for a short while by doing something you usually enjoy and that doesn’t require much effort.
2. Physical fatigue
Simple tasks like taking a bath, eating your food, or just listening to someone talk can make you feel exhausted. Your muscles may be unable to perform optimally but it is only temporary. Physical fatigue gradually happens due to overwork and the lack of sleep.
If you don’t feel like moving or taking up tasks which are physically demanding, don’t force yourself to do so. Occupy yourself with things that can be easily done and remember to always take breaks.
3. Mental fatigue
A big part of our day depends on our mental capability to retain and carry out tasks. But when the mind is exhausted, you might experience a brain fog – where you are unable to retain information or think as clearly as you otherwise would. Your brain chooses to switch itself off and not overload with any new details.
In this situation, try to avoid anything that makes you mentally drained. It is okay to not meet with a few people if you think that you have to put in too much effort. It is okay to not answer those calls. Just be with yourself for a while.
4. Illness fatigue
Majority of us have experienced this right after recovering from an illness. It can be due to fever, heavy cough and cold, or any kind of illness which requires you to be in bed for days. When your body begins to recover, it tries to regain its energy which might take several days after recovery.
Take it easy on days when you are recovering. Ask for help when you need it. Lie down if you have to. Don’t exert too much pressure on yourself. It is okay to take time.
5. Period fatigue
A symptom of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), period fatigue is experienced by most women shortly before or during periods. You might feel a sudden change in your appetite and sleeping patterns. Sometimes if you have a heavy flow, your body will experience a deficiency in iron that can cause extreme tiredness.
At Nua, we are constantly looking for solutions that can make periods a little easier for you.
We are soon launching a solution that helps with period fatigue, among other period symptoms.
To find out more, watch this space!
