My Top Tips For Dealing With Fatigue

If you’ve read much on my blog you’ve probably figured out I have a few fatigue causing health issues including chronic Lyme Disease and Fibromyalgia. For a more in depth view of my history you can check out my chronic fatigue issues post.

But, suffice it to say that I have fatigue issues and, fortunately, I’ve developed a few coping skills to get through those toughest of days (or weeks, months, etc.). I’m currently in the midst of a terrible fibromyalgia flare up, or “fibro flare”.

Being in such a state, I thought I’d share my “go to” bucket list of things that help me the most. If you battle fatigue, maybe you’ll read something below that will help in the battles you may encounter in the future.

Important Notes First
Medical Disclaimer: The information contained on this site is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed physician.  The information discussed is not meant to cover all possible precautions, drug interactions, circumstances or adverse effects.  You should seek prompt medical care for any health issues, including consulting with your doctor before using any alternative medicine or making a change to your regimen.

Supplement Note: Supplements, minerals, herbs, and essential oils are powerful and can interact with medications, other supplements, minerals, herbs, essential oils, foods, and health conditions.  Therefore, you should always speak with a health care professional familiar with these substances and do your own research before adding any of them to your regular regimen.

1 ~ Re-Center Yourself

My first step is usually to take a step back and get re-centered. This usually involves getting alone, laying down, praying, and soaking up some silence. As a Christian, sometimes all I need is a little intimate “Jesus & me” time.

Sometimes this is as simple as chilling out alone for thirty minutes or so. Other times it takes a little more focus and intentionality. Sitting quietly outside and soking up some nature may work one time. Then the next time I’ll need some music to help me reset.

It can be a bit of trial and error at times. So, experiment. Figure out what methods work best for you and your beliefs. The key is to slow things down internally and restore your inner peace.

2 ~ Assess My Activities

Next is to re-assess my recent activity load. Have I been letting activities and relationships dictate my life more than they should? Do I need to nip out some things from my routine? Or, am I involved in temporary endeavors that I need to simply endure until their end? Whatever it is, I need to be truthful with myself about what my body can and cannot handle at that particular time.

After taking a good look at my activities, I will eliminate what I can from all the nonessential things I’m currently involved in. The goal here is to reduce my physical load while also reducing the mental stress of keeping up with everything. Sometimes elimination is not possible, but this process also reaffirms the importance of each thing I’m participating in. That knowledge in turn gives me the motivation to stay the course and accomplish what is needed.

3 ~ Slow Down

After assessing my activities and eliminating what I can, I simply slow down. Nothing is worth getting in a rush for. I mean, when I’m fatigued and start rushing around things just seem to slip farther into the dark abyss that is the all encompassing fatigue pit. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Lol!

Seriously, rushing and pushing and becoming impatient with the slow progress of everything only makes things worse for me. Rushing. Makes. It. Worse. So, don’t. Just don’t push it.

Therefore, I don’t rush, don’t stress. I eliminate the non-essential tasks. Then proceed methodically and patiently through all the essential things I must do. Even if that is my normal full load. I will eventually complete each task. And I will be that much more ecstatic when those goals are reached.

4 ~ Clean Up My Diet and Supplements (if Necessary)

Most of the time this is not an issue because I will automatically veer away from things that give me issues. But…I’m not perfect. (Shocker! I know! Lol) Regardless, I will inadvertently screw up at times. So, periodically, I will have to re-assess what I’ve been getting myself into with my eating and supllementing habits. Aside from my food allergies and sensitivities, I know of other things which will set me off.

For instance, I know my body does not do well on high carb/low fat meals on the regular. Conversely, I crash and burn on extremely low carbohydrate intakes as well. In this area, you need to learn your own body and how it responds to foods and different macro-nutrient ratios (carb/protein/ fat ratios). This is vital for your body to function at its own specific peak.

So, I’ll clean up my eating habits. I’ll track my foods for a few days or weeks in an app, or website, like Lose It! or My Fitness Pal. Then I’ll make any necessary adjustments. This step is honestly annoying, but vitally informative. So, I highly recommend you track your food intake along with how you feel each day. Over time you’ll come to recognize what macro ratios you feel best with. And you might even discover some issue foods as well. Our food is our fuel, after all. So, we need to give our body the fuel it actually needs and does well with.

5 ~ Get More Rest

Elementary, yes. But, sometimes it’s not so obvious to us. Yet, essentially, fatigue is one of your body’s signals that something is wrong. One reason is it simply needs more recovery time between activities to refresh its energy stores. Listen to your body. It will tell you what it needs if you will simply listen to it.

And by rest, I don’t mean sleep alone. There are a variety of ways to rest. Sometimes it’s just sitting while doing other things which will add vital time for some parts of your body to rest. Be smart where you spend your energy.

For instance, sit when you can. Think of tasks that you may usually stand for but can do while sitting. Tasks like chopping during food prep, or some grooming tasks. One example is to sit during worship at church. Singing takes energy! And I really don’t think God cares what position your body is in when you’re pouring your heart out to Him in song. It truly is what’s going on inside you that He cares about the most.

Whatever your daily tasks, be creative! Find ways to include physical resting while still meeting your responsibilities. Every little adjustment makes a difference!

6 ~ Don’t Stress About Anything!

Sounds impossible, right! But, ultimately, when true fatigue sets in I will be extra, extra picky on the battles I choose to fight. In extreme fatigue, that picky list gets smaller and smaller. Sometimes it becomes nonexistent.

There definitely comes a time when no battle is worth the fight. I simply get too tired to care. Or, worse yet, is when I’m too tired to mentally focus on the battle to sufficiently defend my case. In those times I will walk away. If the battle can’t hold off, then I concede defeat and move on. Literally, move on and forget the struggle. The stress of that battle just isn’t worth it at that point.

How do I handle someone taking advantage of my weakness? Karma bites back! In the long run, it truly sucks for those who take advantage of others. Besides…My Lord is my avenger! And He does not take kindly to anyone who goes after one of His own. So, yes, I can most definitely “move on” in peace.

7 ~ Hot Detox Bath

When I’m particularly fatigued and achy, I’ll do a hot detox bath. I will run the tub with water as hot as I can stand it. (I can always add cold water later if needed.) Then I’ll prep one cup of backing soda and one cup of epsom salt in the same bowl or a large measuring cup. The amounts do not have to be exact. You can add essential oils if you’d like. I’m not that proficient with essential oils, so you’ll need to do your own research on which would be best for you. And, conversely, which would not be good for you at your time of fatigue.

When I’m ready to get in the tub, I’ll sprinkle the baking soda and epsom salt into the tub. Then I’ll settle in for a good soak. Initially, the additives will do a slight fizzy thing in the water which is quite relaxing. I try to stay in a minimum of thirty minutes. But, I prefer to soak until the water begins to feel cool. To pass the time I’ll read an ebook, catch up on social media, or watch a show on my phone. The goal is to induce a good sweat to detox while also using the heat to relax and soothe sore muscles.

Keep in mind that this is a hot detox bath. As such it can be quite draining. For this reason I’ll only do these baths just before I plan to go to bed. After soaking is complete, I’ll do a quick wash with soap, rinse, get out, and go to bed. Being drained from my detox bath I’ll generally fall asleep fairly quickly. Strangely enough, for how draining the fatigue can be and then the bath, the next morning I always wake refreshed. That alone makes a detox bath completely worth it.

8 ~ Visit My Chiropractor

Sometimes you just need a good chiropractic adjustment! The body simply works better when it’s electrical system is functioning without any hindrances. This is even more vital when fatigue issues are involved.

After the adjustment, they will do a light massage. The purpose, I believe, is to help relax muscles in an effort to keep the chiropractic adjustments in their proper alignment. But, ultimately, I enjoy the way the massage relaxes and soothes my muscles. I always joke I’m going to go to the chiropractor just for the massage. It’s totally worth it. Lol!

9 ~ Avoid Long Periods of Driving

Driving wears me out! Seriously. It took me a few years to figure it out, but its true. I also figured out the why. The why is simple. Driving a motor vehicle requires calories. Calories which add up quickly!

Story time! A few years back a family member moved to another state. It turned out to be a twelve hour drive, one way, to go for a visit. It was worth it because our relationship was very close. So, off I’d go. And I’d physically pay for it, for a couple of weeks at minimum, after each trip.

It wasn’t until I was tracking my foods and light exercises in one of those apps that I made a vital discovery. On a health forum, someone mentioned a website that gave calorie expenditures for everyday activities. (I cannot recall that site. Here is one site with calorie counts I found. But a simple Internet search may reveal similar sites.) On that website “driving” was listed as burning two calories for every one minute of driving. Doesn’t sound like much, right?

Let’s do the math. One hour of driving equals sixty minutes, which equals a hundred twenty calories burned. Three hours? Yep. That’s three hundred sixty calories burned in that three hour window. Now, that 12 hour drive to visit family? Well, since I split the driving with another person, I drove six hours requiring and extra seven hundred twenty calories. 720! Geez! That’s a whole extra meal, and then some!

So, yeah. I’ll pull back on the drive time when I’m feeling fatigued, or increase my food intake. Most of the time I can simply put off those tasks a few days. My body definitely appreciates the reprieve.

10 ~ Rinse, Repeat

Then for as long as my fatigue lasts I will continually review each category time and again. Sometimes I find the proverbial smoking gun. Sometimes I don’t. But, I will hang in there. The fatigue will lessen. I will get better. There is hope for a better day.

That’s pretty much it. Do you, or someone you know, fight fatigue? What are your recommended methods to fight fatigue? Please share in the comments. I’d love some new methods to add to my arsenal!

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As always, thanks for stopping by. Have something to add?  Let me know your thoughts! Hit the comments and share.  Talk to you soon!

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