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| Image by Zaytsev Artem via Creative Commons |
Anyone who is a teacher understands the shock that happens during the transition from summer to fall. It happens every year. Usually, I try to keep pieces of my summer schedule once classes start up again. I have learned to stay home during Labor Day weekend so that I can adjust my back-to-school schedule to be more realistic. It's hard to let go of numerous exercise classes, lots of reading, working in the garden, and having lunch with gal pals. Nevertheless, some of that needs to be trimmed back.
I found that this year, I had more fatigue than usual. Is my age a factor?
Note: This post should not be used as medical advice. It is only meant to raise awareness. If you have any questions about being tired, sleepy, or fatigued, you should see a licensed medical professional.
These types of habits help me combat fatigue, which I think are good for people of all ages:
- Drinking water often helps boost my energy levels.
- Avoiding simple carbohydrates, especially on an empty stomach, helps me fight fatigue.
- Eating foods that are rich in protein, fiber, folate, B12, iron, and vitamin D give me energy.
- Avoiding stimulants (caffeine, chocolate, sugar) after 2 pm improves my quality of sleep.
- Following my biorhythms helps me maximize energy. I work best from 5 am to 2 pm.
- Taking a brief siesta (no more than 30 minutes) in the mid afternoon helps recharge me.
- Eating less at night helps me sleep better.
- Limiting my screen time helps me sleep better.
- Avoiding emotionally challenging conversations after 7 pm helps me sleep better.
- Getting moderate cardiovascular exercise 3 to 5 days a week increases my endurance.
- Working on strength training 2 to 3 days a week gives me muscle mass to function.
While there are some evidence-based universals about diet, exercise, sleep hygiene, and stress management, each person needs to listen to their body and find what works the best.
It is vital to discuss issues of fatigue with a licensed medical professional to rule out issues such as sleep apnea, anemia, heart trouble, or other medical problems.
You can also consult some organizations dedicated to supporting older adults in the aging process. Here are a few posts about how to address fatigue:
- The National Institutes of Health has a post "Fatigue in Older Adults" that provides a short overview with links to related content. I like their acknowledgement that "Emotional stresses . . . can take a toll on your energy."
- The Mayo Clinic has a post "Why You're Always Tired: Home Remedies for Fatigue" that fights ageism by emphasizing that people across the lifespan can have energy to stay out of bed and off the couch. However, underlying medical issues need to be excluded. "Research has shown that up to 74% of older adults with a chronic illness report fatigue." Preventing, delaying, and managing chronic diseases is an important element of self-care. This post lists lifestyle habits to adopt.
- WebMD has a post "9 Ways to Get Your Energy Back" that repeats some of the information from the two posts above. However, they have a lot of links that elaborate on the lifestyle choices. They also explain the benefits of Omega-3: "Volunteers who took a fish oil capsule for 21 days demonstrated faster mental reaction times. They also reported feeling more vigorous."
- The Cleveland Clinic in their post "Why Older Adults Should Pay Attention to Fatigue" repeats some of the information above. However, they include a paragraph about hormones. "Age-related hormone changes can wreak havoc on your energy levels." They refer to thyroid issues as well as estrogen / testosterone. Also from the Cleveland Clinic, their post "Fatigue" puts more focus on how diseases, disorders, and nutritional deficiencies can cause fatigue and the importance of seeing a licensed medical professional to determine the root cause of this symptom. Again, this post has several links that take a closer look at medical / health issues related to fatigue.
- AARP has several posts about fatigue. This post "7 Reasons You Are Always Tired" was published as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting to wane, which may explain why this alert is included: "When COVID-19 symptoms linger long after a person's initial illness, fatigue is the most common complaint."
- Healthline has a post "What Causes Sudden Extreme Exhaustion" that emphasizes the need for concern if the fatigue comes on suddenly. Chronic diseases are of a concern, but an acute medical event (such as a stroke or a heart attack) needs immediate attention. They have a good list of symptoms that should sound off alarms if they are in conjunction with the fatigue.
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