Monday, April 21, 2014

5 Reasons You Might Be Tired and Depressed




So you want to make a fresh start but you are constantly tired and just can't seem to get motivated? You need a good physical foundation to provide the energy and clear thinking you need to achieve success. Before you decide being your best self is unattainable see if any of these things could be undermining your best efforts.

1. An irregular sleep schedule. Sleep deprivation is used as a torture technique. So basically when you aren't taking care to get enough shut eye you are treating yourself like a POW. Of course you know staying up late and watching just one more episode of Walking Dead will make you feel like a zombie the next day but research shows you may also be making any depression you are suffering from, worse. Don't believe me? Read The Effects of Sleep Loss On Mood.

2.  Junk food and in particular: sugar.  And refined and processed. The Paleo people may be onto something. Try cleaning up your diet for a week and see if you don't feel better. Read more about it at You Beauty: Junk Fo0d Makes us Tired and Lazy. 

3.  Lack of exercise. Your body is made to move. A walk is a great way to improve your mood. Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel better. Research shows that just 5 minutes into exercise you get the mood enhancement effect.

4. Too much time indoors. Ever gone outside to get some fresh air after a stressful meeting? Turns out there is a reason you instinctively know to do that. Because up until the industrial revolution humans spent vast amounts of time outdoors. Something in our brains is hardwired to.  Studies show that just being in nature wards off exhaustion and improves mood. Read about what the University of Rochester learned about it in this Science Daily article.

5. The usual suspects. There may be a physical reason you could be depressed or lethargic. If you suspect there is something wrong see your doctor. All the evidence shows that a lack of social connection very unhealthy for our minds and bodies. You need to make time for socializing. Go ahead and call that friend for coffee! Toxic relationships. You may already know the underlying reason and just not be willing to deal with it yet. These plus any of the big life stressers like divorce, moving, or changing careers can be a source of feeling physically exhausted and/or sad. 

Fix the first 4 things on this list for a week or so, and then see how you feel. If you can't find the source of your lethargy, see your doctor.

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