help you restore your energy back to its normal place.
Medications
Have you started taking a new medicine recently? Maybe it’s just your over-the-counter antihistamine to combat allergy season, or maybe it’s a new antidepressant.
Adding medications to our body can sometimes create fatigue as a side effect. If your body doesn’t adjust over time, or if the side effects are severe, speak with your healthcare provider about some alternatives.
Mental health
Whether you’ve been properly diagnosed by a clinician or not, mental health conditions can manifest in all kinds of ways. It can certainly impact our energy.
Conditions such as depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders can lead to ongoing fatigue. They may impact sleep patterns as well, throwing off your natural ability to rest and restore. Be sure to seek the help of a healthcare professional (or even a trusted friend who can help you find the right care) so you can get treatment.
Chronic illnesses
Some chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and autoimmune disorders, can leave you feeling particularly tired.
If you have a pre-existing medical condition (or have just been diagnosed with one), it’s important to speak with your healthcare professional to find a plan to help combat the fatigue that comes with it. Don’t beat yourself up—it’s not your fault, and some days you may need to simply rest and recover.
RELATED: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): Not Your Regular PMS
Pre-menstrual syndrome or PMDD
Sometimes, right before getting your period, you can feel a wave of symptoms—including fatigue. While this is normal, sometimes it can get to an extreme, where you may also be feeling depressed, anxious, and other draining effects.
If you feel like your PMS is a little more intense than you’d like, talk to your mental health professional or doctor. You could be dealing with Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which is a more intense version of typical PMS. You might address it by working with your doctor to get treatment with medication or finding a plan to help prepare your body for this each cycle.
Fatigue can have various, multiple underlying causes. It can be daunting trying to identify the specific reason for your fatigue, and sometimes you need the help of a healthcare professional to help pinpoint it. Working with your healthcare team and monitoring your fatigue, sleep patterns, and overall well-being can be helpful when it comes to finding a solution.