Regain Energy with Healthy Habits

A full 85% of the people I saw in clinical practice shared the same complaint: fatigue. People feel tired. What are the reasons for the epidemic of fatigue? What are some strategies for coping with low energy? What mindset may help us change the course of relentless fatigue before it is too late?
The message of fatigue
Feeling tired is a communication sent by our body to our consciousness telling us we need to rest – just as hunger is the feeling we get when we need to eat. Learning to listen to these messages will help us achieve and maintain optimum health. Listening to fatigue by resting is at the heart of Essential #3: Sleep Peacefully. Typically, a good night’s sleep will erase fatigue (it may take several nights). Cultivating the habit of sleeping 7 ½ to 9 hours every night – depending on our level of fatigue – will ensure that we feel fresh at almost any time and also help us have a healthier immune system.
We especially need rest:
If our immune system is fighting an infection or trying to balance itself in an autoimmune condition
After an injury or exposure to a toxin from outside or inside our body
If we have deficiencies of water, oxygen or certain nutrients such as Vitamin B-12
When experiencing the overwhelming tiredness that comes with emotional distress We experience chronic fatigue when resting doesn’t relieve our feelings of exhaustion. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is diagnosed when symptoms persist for more than six months. CFS is often a sign that we have pushed ourselves too hard for too long: we have been so deficient, so toxic and so stressed that we have collapsed our ability to cope with even daily demands. Our immune system and our nervous system are so damaged in CFS that they may take years to repair – if healing is even possible.
Coping strategiesWe have a marvelous function inside us called homeostasis. This interesting word describes the struggle of maintaining balance. Just as an acrobat on the high wire appears to be still or motionless (stasis), our internal chemistry appears to be balanced every single moment of every single day with amazing consistency. We can’t see the effort the acrobat must contribute to maintain balance but we know intuitively that it must be extreme. Now, imagine the extra stress of wind, temperature, humidity, air quality, light and noise from the outside world. Next, imagine the added stress of low oxygen, dehydration, poor sleep, incomplete nutrition and lack of appropriate fitness. There are many, many elements trying to pull the acrobat off the wire just as there are many, many elements pulling you down as well. Homeostasis describes the extreme effort of your body, mind and spirit every moment to keep you balanced. Fatigue is a sign of failure of the homeostasis mechanism. It is the message to stop what you are doing and attend to yourself for fear of falling off the high wire, so to speak.
The 10 Essentials for Health and Wellness are the tools that put you back in balance. They combat fatigue and help you develop a rhythm of energy that can be sustained every day. Set a pace in life that can be maintained indefinitely. Nourish and nurture yourself with the 10 Essentials to support homeostasis and erase fatigue.
Change your mindset
The era we live in is called “post-industrial revolution.” It describes a cadence in life that is more appropriate for machines, not for humans. Machines don’t get tired – people do! If we are to hear the message of fatigue and respond appropriately, we simply must learn to listen as humans, not machines. We need to resist many of the stresses of modern life. We need to embrace the mindset that people are more important than things. People matter! Learn the rules of nourishment and nurturing that govern human health and place these as a priority in your daily life. Make sure you are cared for first and then you will be in a position to care for all of your duties, responsibilities, obligations and commitments. Learn to listen to the message of fatigue before you run out of energy. Value the amazing gift of homeostasis by living a life of balance. This change of mindset is the first step to erasing fatigue.