12 Surprising Things That Are Making You Tired
By Stacey Colino, Redbook Magazine
If you feel like you're suffering a personal energy shortage, join the club: "Fatigue is the most common complaint women bring to their doctors," says New York City internist Erika Schwartz, M.D., who specializes in treating fatigue. "Being tired isn't just annoying — it's your body's cry for help. If you don't pay attention and correct what's making you tired, you will get sick."
Granted, energy isn't a constant in our lives. It ebbs and flows according to daily, monthly and seasonal rhythms that are highly individual, explains Ken Goodrick, Ph.D., a psychologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. When you constantly feel drained, however, lifestyle habits are usually to blame. You're probably all too aware of the big-deal drains like taxes, toddlers and finding a parking spot, but you may not realize that sneaky factors could be robbing you of energy and filling you with fatigue. Click on the energy busters below to find out how they sap your drive — and learn how to re-energize your life.
1. Energy Buster: All Work, No Play
Acting like a serious, responsible adult is darned exhausting. All those routines, dripping with sameness, can get tedious. And your body registers boredom as tiredness. "The 24/7 push to be efficient and productive can wear you out physically and emotionally. Your brain needs downtime," explains Alice Domar, Ph.D., director of The Mind-Body Center for Women's Health at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Energy Booster: Be Serious About Fun
Build in pleasure throughout your day — open all email jokes and pass them on, flip through a magazine, call a friend, daydream, waste time, play Twister with your kids, buy a CD and play it while you're car pooling. Instead of bogging you down, mini-breaks will buoy you and make your routine a little less routine.
2. Energy Buster: Shunning the Sun
"If there's not enough natural light, the body goes into sleep mode," Goodrick says. In a recent study involving more than 600 adults, researchers at the University of Massachusetts found that feelings of depression, hostility, anger, irritability and anxiety were highest in the winter and lowest in the summer. "Light exposure, diet and exercise, which all tend to vary with the seasons, may partially explain such mood differences," says coauthor of the study Morton Harmatz, Ph.D., a professor of psychology.
Energy Booster: Lighten Up
Sneak out for a 10-minute walk outside at least once during the day or when you're most tired — bright light has a caffeine-like power to make you more alert, says Goodrick. Get out even if it's cloudy; you'll get a lot more light exposure than you do in your office. If you just can't get out the door, spending a few minutes in a room that's drenched with natural light may also help.
3. Energy Buster: Barely Breathing
When you breathe shallowly (as you do most of the time), you aren't taking in enough oxygen; as a result, you're likely to have lower levels of oxygen and higher levels of carbon monoxide in your blood, which can make you tired, says Domar. Plus, when you don't get as much oxygen in your blood, your heart rate and blood pressure go up. That's taxing to your body.
Energy Booster: Belly-Breathing
Practice breathing from your diaphragm several times each day — when you're feeling tired or you're about to go into an energy-draining situation like a laborious meeting: Put your hand over your belly button. As you inhale, focus on making your stomach and chest move. This will automatically expand your lower lungs so you take in more air with each breath.
4. Energy Buster: Being a Desk Potato or a Sofa Spud
Sitting in one position for long periods of time can sap your energy, Schwartz says. Your body equates that stillness with going to sleep. Also, if you're staring at a screen (computer or TV), you tend to blink less frequently, leading to dry eyes and eyestrain. This can put you in the mood for shut-eye.
Energy Booster: Moving More
Stretch. Walk. Yawn (with your whole body). Stride to the bathroom. Frequent breaks will keep your body alert. Relieve eyestrain by focusing on something distant every 30 minutes or during commerical breaks, advises Margit L. Bleecker, M.D., director of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Neurology in Baltimore.
5. Energy Buster: Sleep Inconsistency
Your body's internal clock craves consistency, so if you spend your weekends staying up late and then sleeping in the next morning, you're giving yourself jet lag without even leaving town, says Margaret Moline, Ph.D., director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. An erratic schedule can have a hangover effect, causing you to feel foggy long after you awaken. A study conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that even if you sleep for enough hours, you're more likely to be irritable or downbeat if you wake up at a time other than what you're used to.
Energy Booster: Regular Sleep
Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up time, and try not to stray from it, even on the weekends. If you want to get more sleep on a particular night, go to bed 20 to 30 minutes earlier — it will be less jarring to you, says Lauren Broch, Ph.D., director of education and training at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center.
6. Energy Buster: Mild Dehydration
A lot of people are walking around in a mild state of dehydration," says Susan Kleiner, a registered dietician in Mercer Island, Washington. "When you feel thirsty, you've already lost 2 to 3 percent of your body fluid." Even this mild dehydration can make you feel tired or lethargic: Your blood volume lowers, which means you don't get as much blood to your brain and your heart has to pump harder.
Energy Booster: Drinking More Water
Think about when you're going to drink just like you'd plan your meals. Try toting a water bottle around with you. Aim for at least nine cups of H2O per day if you're mainly sedentary and closer to 12 if you're active. To make plain water more appealing, add lemon or orange wedges or make a Thermos of herbal (noncaffeinated) tea. Increase your water intake by eating more soup, fresh fruits and vegetables.
7. Energy Buster: Bright Lights at Night
Normal levels of indoor lighting can be enough to disrupt your brain's notion of night and day. Bright lights can reset your body's internal clock, making it hard for you to nod off when you want to and wake up on time, Moline says. According to research from Brigham and Women's Hospital, brightly lit settings seem to reduce and delay the secretion of sleep-inducing melatonin.
Energy Booster: Dim Lights
Dim the overhead lights in your living room or bedroom a few hours before bedtime; turn on a reading lamp instead.
8. Energy Buster: The Vitamins-Plus-Coffee Breakfast
This common meal substitute is actually a vitality drainer. "Vitamins are not a source of energy," says Nancy Clark, R.D., author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook. Skipping breakfast altogether is another dead end: If you start the day without taking in calories, your metabolic rate and other functions slow in order to preserve energy. As a result, you wind up feeling droopy. "Putting breakfast in your body will give you more sustained energy through the morning," says Clark. Not hungry in the morning? You probably ate too much the night before.
Energy Booster: A Good Breakfast
To get a steady release of energy all morning long, eat a meal that combines protein and carbohydrates: peanut butter on a bagel, leftover cheese pizza, an energy bar, cereal or an egg with whole-wheat toast. You'll burn the carbs quickly — you'll feel a surge of energy in a short period of time. And protein, which stays in your stomach longer, gives you staying power, explains Chris Rosenbloom, R.D., associate professor of nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
9. Energy Buster: Overdoing Exercise
Working out every day may not be a good energy strategy, especially if you're a beginner or trying to get back in shape. "The body needs time to recover after exercise, to replenish energy stores and repair muscles," says Richard Cotton, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise in San Diego.
Energy Booster: Take a Day Off
To figure out if you deserve a break today, start taking your pulse first thing in the morning before you get out of bed: If it's more than five beats above normal the morning after you've exercised vigorously, either exercise lightly that day or take the day off, Cotton advises. Or you could get in the habit of working out every other day. (Just don't take off more than two days in a row, because you may fall out of the exercise habit.)
10. Energy Buster: Toting Around Extra Pounds
Gaining as little as five pounds can cause fatigue. "If your body's carrying extra weight, it's exhausting," says Schwartz. "It also puts extra strain on your heart, which can make you tired."
Energy Booster: Dropping Them
You know the drill: Stop filling up on junk food, high-fat treats or large quantities of sweets and get back to the basics of healthy eating. Start exercising portion control — you may be surprised at how much you've actually been eating. With each pound of weight you lose, you'll feel a rise in energy.
11. Energy Buster: Slouching
Poor posture doesn't just make you look tired, it creates the feeling as well. "When the joints aren't aligned properly, the whole body has to work so much harder," says Sherry Brourman, a physical therapist in West Los Angeles and author of Walk Yourself Well. Poor posture places excess strain on your back and hips, which can make you feel tired and achy.
Energy Booster: Good Posture
How to tell if your posture is correct? While gazing down — without craning your neck — you should be able to see the tops of your shoes, Brourman says. Another quick alignment check: Whether you're moving, sitting or standing still, your head should be lined up over — not sticking out in front of — your body, so your ears are directly over your shoulders.
12. Energy Buster: Too Much Noise
Noise is stress. "It compromises your quality of life and has damaging physiological effects," says Arline Bronzaft, Ph.D., former professor of psychology at Lehman College at the City University of New York. "Your pulse rate and blood pressure increase, your adrenaline surges; anything that puts added stress on the nervous system eventually depletes your energy." Noise is also a stressor because you are not always in control of it. During the day, you may be able to tune out a certain amount of noise, "but you have to work harder to complete tasks because you're actively working to try to ignore the sound," explains Bronzaft. Ultimately, that's physically exhausting.
Energy Booster: Lowering the Decibel Level
Tell your coworkers (or kids) to tone it down. If noise is preventing you from getting a good night's sleep, consider buying some earplugs or cancelling out unwanted sounds with a white-noise machine. (Even the constant whir of an electric fan muffles noise.) Decrease noise from the street by sealing or weather-stripping windows and doors. Heavy drapes, upholstery and plush carpeting can also absorb sound.
Instant Energizers
Four quick and quirky ways to fire up your energy anytime, anywhere:
1. Take a whiff of peppermint.
It has been found to increase alertness — even in tired drivers.
2. Visualize your energy.
Think of a time when you felt highly energized — during an exhilarating tennis match, for example — and try to recapture that feeling, suggests Shane Murphy, Ph.D., a sports psychologist in Trumbull, Connecticut.
3. Drink something cold.
"It sort of shocks you into alertness," Domar says. The same is true of splashing your face with cold water.
4. See red.
Focusing your eyes on a vibrant shade of red has an energy-boosting effect on the body, explains Leatrice Eisman, a color psychologist and author of Colors for Your Every Mood: Discover Your True Decorating Colors. "Red is the fight-or-flight color because it denotes fire or bloodshed. So it spurs you to action."
Foods That Fuel You — or Make You Fizzle
The goal: Use food to your energy advantage. Here's how:
1. Eat like a kid. "If you eat when you're hungry and stop when you're content, you'll have plenty of energy," says Nancy Clark, R.D., a nutrition counselor at SportsMedicine Brookline near Boston. On the other hand, if you don't heed your body's signal that it's time to refuel, your energy will flag. Don't be afraid to tinker with your eating pattern: Most people get hungry every four hours, Clark notes. Is it better to eat three square meals a day or six minimeals? Try one, then the other. You'll know within two days if a new eating pattern suits you.
2. Avoid large, high-fat meals. "Fats stay in the stomach longer, diverting blood away from your brain, muscles and other tissues, which can make you feel sluggish for up to six hours," notes Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
3. Break the bread-first habit. Swig down some milk or bite into that salmon — protein primes the brain to produce dopamine, a chemical that keeps you alert. Carbs, on the other hand, cause the body to release serotonin, a calming brain chemical.
4. Have at least one iron-rich food per day. "Iron helps transport oxygen to your tissues," Rosenbloom explains. Good sources include red meats, the dark meat of chicken or turkey, oysters, clams, iron-enriched breads and cereals, raisins, dried apricots and legumes.
5. Watch your intake of alcohol and coffee. While alcohol is a sedative that can also dehydrate you, coffee can pep you up in the short term but drop you like a ton of bricks later. Counter every glass of alcohol or coffee with one glass of water.
6. Don't eat too little. "Many women deserve far more calories than they think they do," Clark says. Most active women can maintain their weight with 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day.
The Top Five Reasons Women Are Tired
In a recent online poll, REDBOOK asked women to report the reasons they're so fatigued.
The five most common causes:
The Mind-Body Connection: How Three Emotions Can Make You Tired
Your energy level is a reflection of your state of mind," says Erika Schwartz, M.D., a New York City internist who specializes in treating fatigue. "If you're thrilled with your life, you'll have a lot of energy. If you're depressed, anxious or unhappy, you won't." In addition, the following emotional habits can drain your energy:
Worrying
"Fearing that something might or might not happen in the future doesn't solve the problem and it fritters away your energy," Schwartz says. A better tactic: Set worry hours — say, half an hour in the late afternoon — and worry your heart out about everything you can think of. Try to think of positive solutions, then put the worries out of your mind. Or schedule that dental appointment for first thing in the morning so you don't spend all day fretting about it.
Feeling guilty
"Constantly questioning what you're doing is draining," says Alice Domar, Ph.D., coauthor of Self-Nurture: Learning to Care for Yourself as Effectively as You Care for Everyone Else. How to get rid of guilt? Listen to what you're telling yourself and think of where it came from, she suggests. Did someone say this to you once? Or is this your fear speaking? Then ask yourself if it's true. If not, the guilt is likely to vanish; if it is, you can do something about it.
Not asking for help
"So many women are running around, doing so many things for others and feeling like their needs aren't being met," Domar says. "Ironically, many women don't even know what their needs are." Rx: Think about what you really want and need. Then figure out which needs your partner can meet, which your friends can meet, which your job or church can meet and which you can meet yourself. "Doing stuff for yourself isn't selfish," Domar says. "It's self-care."
By Stacey Colino, Redbook Magazine
If you feel like you're suffering a personal energy shortage, join the club: "Fatigue is the most common complaint women bring to their doctors," says New York City internist Erika Schwartz, M.D., who specializes in treating fatigue. "Being tired isn't just annoying — it's your body's cry for help. If you don't pay attention and correct what's making you tired, you will get sick."
Granted, energy isn't a constant in our lives. It ebbs and flows according to daily, monthly and seasonal rhythms that are highly individual, explains Ken Goodrick, Ph.D., a psychologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. When you constantly feel drained, however, lifestyle habits are usually to blame. You're probably all too aware of the big-deal drains like taxes, toddlers and finding a parking spot, but you may not realize that sneaky factors could be robbing you of energy and filling you with fatigue. Click on the energy busters below to find out how they sap your drive — and learn how to re-energize your life.
1. Energy Buster: All Work, No Play
Acting like a serious, responsible adult is darned exhausting. All those routines, dripping with sameness, can get tedious. And your body registers boredom as tiredness. "The 24/7 push to be efficient and productive can wear you out physically and emotionally. Your brain needs downtime," explains Alice Domar, Ph.D., director of The Mind-Body Center for Women's Health at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.
Energy Booster: Be Serious About Fun
Build in pleasure throughout your day — open all email jokes and pass them on, flip through a magazine, call a friend, daydream, waste time, play Twister with your kids, buy a CD and play it while you're car pooling. Instead of bogging you down, mini-breaks will buoy you and make your routine a little less routine.
2. Energy Buster: Shunning the Sun
"If there's not enough natural light, the body goes into sleep mode," Goodrick says. In a recent study involving more than 600 adults, researchers at the University of Massachusetts found that feelings of depression, hostility, anger, irritability and anxiety were highest in the winter and lowest in the summer. "Light exposure, diet and exercise, which all tend to vary with the seasons, may partially explain such mood differences," says coauthor of the study Morton Harmatz, Ph.D., a professor of psychology.
Energy Booster: Lighten Up
Sneak out for a 10-minute walk outside at least once during the day or when you're most tired — bright light has a caffeine-like power to make you more alert, says Goodrick. Get out even if it's cloudy; you'll get a lot more light exposure than you do in your office. If you just can't get out the door, spending a few minutes in a room that's drenched with natural light may also help.
3. Energy Buster: Barely Breathing
When you breathe shallowly (as you do most of the time), you aren't taking in enough oxygen; as a result, you're likely to have lower levels of oxygen and higher levels of carbon monoxide in your blood, which can make you tired, says Domar. Plus, when you don't get as much oxygen in your blood, your heart rate and blood pressure go up. That's taxing to your body.
Energy Booster: Belly-Breathing
Practice breathing from your diaphragm several times each day — when you're feeling tired or you're about to go into an energy-draining situation like a laborious meeting: Put your hand over your belly button. As you inhale, focus on making your stomach and chest move. This will automatically expand your lower lungs so you take in more air with each breath.
4. Energy Buster: Being a Desk Potato or a Sofa Spud
Sitting in one position for long periods of time can sap your energy, Schwartz says. Your body equates that stillness with going to sleep. Also, if you're staring at a screen (computer or TV), you tend to blink less frequently, leading to dry eyes and eyestrain. This can put you in the mood for shut-eye.
Energy Booster: Moving More
Stretch. Walk. Yawn (with your whole body). Stride to the bathroom. Frequent breaks will keep your body alert. Relieve eyestrain by focusing on something distant every 30 minutes or during commerical breaks, advises Margit L. Bleecker, M.D., director of the Center for Occupational and Environmental Neurology in Baltimore.
5. Energy Buster: Sleep Inconsistency
Your body's internal clock craves consistency, so if you spend your weekends staying up late and then sleeping in the next morning, you're giving yourself jet lag without even leaving town, says Margaret Moline, Ph.D., director of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. An erratic schedule can have a hangover effect, causing you to feel foggy long after you awaken. A study conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that even if you sleep for enough hours, you're more likely to be irritable or downbeat if you wake up at a time other than what you're used to.
Energy Booster: Regular Sleep
Establish a regular bedtime and wake-up time, and try not to stray from it, even on the weekends. If you want to get more sleep on a particular night, go to bed 20 to 30 minutes earlier — it will be less jarring to you, says Lauren Broch, Ph.D., director of education and training at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center.
6. Energy Buster: Mild Dehydration
A lot of people are walking around in a mild state of dehydration," says Susan Kleiner, a registered dietician in Mercer Island, Washington. "When you feel thirsty, you've already lost 2 to 3 percent of your body fluid." Even this mild dehydration can make you feel tired or lethargic: Your blood volume lowers, which means you don't get as much blood to your brain and your heart has to pump harder.
Energy Booster: Drinking More Water
Think about when you're going to drink just like you'd plan your meals. Try toting a water bottle around with you. Aim for at least nine cups of H2O per day if you're mainly sedentary and closer to 12 if you're active. To make plain water more appealing, add lemon or orange wedges or make a Thermos of herbal (noncaffeinated) tea. Increase your water intake by eating more soup, fresh fruits and vegetables.
7. Energy Buster: Bright Lights at Night
Normal levels of indoor lighting can be enough to disrupt your brain's notion of night and day. Bright lights can reset your body's internal clock, making it hard for you to nod off when you want to and wake up on time, Moline says. According to research from Brigham and Women's Hospital, brightly lit settings seem to reduce and delay the secretion of sleep-inducing melatonin.
Energy Booster: Dim Lights
Dim the overhead lights in your living room or bedroom a few hours before bedtime; turn on a reading lamp instead.
8. Energy Buster: The Vitamins-Plus-Coffee Breakfast
This common meal substitute is actually a vitality drainer. "Vitamins are not a source of energy," says Nancy Clark, R.D., author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook. Skipping breakfast altogether is another dead end: If you start the day without taking in calories, your metabolic rate and other functions slow in order to preserve energy. As a result, you wind up feeling droopy. "Putting breakfast in your body will give you more sustained energy through the morning," says Clark. Not hungry in the morning? You probably ate too much the night before.
Energy Booster: A Good Breakfast
To get a steady release of energy all morning long, eat a meal that combines protein and carbohydrates: peanut butter on a bagel, leftover cheese pizza, an energy bar, cereal or an egg with whole-wheat toast. You'll burn the carbs quickly — you'll feel a surge of energy in a short period of time. And protein, which stays in your stomach longer, gives you staying power, explains Chris Rosenbloom, R.D., associate professor of nutrition at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
9. Energy Buster: Overdoing Exercise
Working out every day may not be a good energy strategy, especially if you're a beginner or trying to get back in shape. "The body needs time to recover after exercise, to replenish energy stores and repair muscles," says Richard Cotton, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise in San Diego.
Energy Booster: Take a Day Off
To figure out if you deserve a break today, start taking your pulse first thing in the morning before you get out of bed: If it's more than five beats above normal the morning after you've exercised vigorously, either exercise lightly that day or take the day off, Cotton advises. Or you could get in the habit of working out every other day. (Just don't take off more than two days in a row, because you may fall out of the exercise habit.)
10. Energy Buster: Toting Around Extra Pounds
Gaining as little as five pounds can cause fatigue. "If your body's carrying extra weight, it's exhausting," says Schwartz. "It also puts extra strain on your heart, which can make you tired."
Energy Booster: Dropping Them
You know the drill: Stop filling up on junk food, high-fat treats or large quantities of sweets and get back to the basics of healthy eating. Start exercising portion control — you may be surprised at how much you've actually been eating. With each pound of weight you lose, you'll feel a rise in energy.
11. Energy Buster: Slouching
Poor posture doesn't just make you look tired, it creates the feeling as well. "When the joints aren't aligned properly, the whole body has to work so much harder," says Sherry Brourman, a physical therapist in West Los Angeles and author of Walk Yourself Well. Poor posture places excess strain on your back and hips, which can make you feel tired and achy.
Energy Booster: Good Posture
How to tell if your posture is correct? While gazing down — without craning your neck — you should be able to see the tops of your shoes, Brourman says. Another quick alignment check: Whether you're moving, sitting or standing still, your head should be lined up over — not sticking out in front of — your body, so your ears are directly over your shoulders.
12. Energy Buster: Too Much Noise
Noise is stress. "It compromises your quality of life and has damaging physiological effects," says Arline Bronzaft, Ph.D., former professor of psychology at Lehman College at the City University of New York. "Your pulse rate and blood pressure increase, your adrenaline surges; anything that puts added stress on the nervous system eventually depletes your energy." Noise is also a stressor because you are not always in control of it. During the day, you may be able to tune out a certain amount of noise, "but you have to work harder to complete tasks because you're actively working to try to ignore the sound," explains Bronzaft. Ultimately, that's physically exhausting.
Energy Booster: Lowering the Decibel Level
Tell your coworkers (or kids) to tone it down. If noise is preventing you from getting a good night's sleep, consider buying some earplugs or cancelling out unwanted sounds with a white-noise machine. (Even the constant whir of an electric fan muffles noise.) Decrease noise from the street by sealing or weather-stripping windows and doors. Heavy drapes, upholstery and plush carpeting can also absorb sound.
Instant Energizers
Four quick and quirky ways to fire up your energy anytime, anywhere:
1. Take a whiff of peppermint.
It has been found to increase alertness — even in tired drivers.
2. Visualize your energy.
Think of a time when you felt highly energized — during an exhilarating tennis match, for example — and try to recapture that feeling, suggests Shane Murphy, Ph.D., a sports psychologist in Trumbull, Connecticut.
3. Drink something cold.
"It sort of shocks you into alertness," Domar says. The same is true of splashing your face with cold water.
4. See red.
Focusing your eyes on a vibrant shade of red has an energy-boosting effect on the body, explains Leatrice Eisman, a color psychologist and author of Colors for Your Every Mood: Discover Your True Decorating Colors. "Red is the fight-or-flight color because it denotes fire or bloodshed. So it spurs you to action."
Foods That Fuel You — or Make You Fizzle
The goal: Use food to your energy advantage. Here's how:
1. Eat like a kid. "If you eat when you're hungry and stop when you're content, you'll have plenty of energy," says Nancy Clark, R.D., a nutrition counselor at SportsMedicine Brookline near Boston. On the other hand, if you don't heed your body's signal that it's time to refuel, your energy will flag. Don't be afraid to tinker with your eating pattern: Most people get hungry every four hours, Clark notes. Is it better to eat three square meals a day or six minimeals? Try one, then the other. You'll know within two days if a new eating pattern suits you.
2. Avoid large, high-fat meals. "Fats stay in the stomach longer, diverting blood away from your brain, muscles and other tissues, which can make you feel sluggish for up to six hours," notes Chris Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
3. Break the bread-first habit. Swig down some milk or bite into that salmon — protein primes the brain to produce dopamine, a chemical that keeps you alert. Carbs, on the other hand, cause the body to release serotonin, a calming brain chemical.
4. Have at least one iron-rich food per day. "Iron helps transport oxygen to your tissues," Rosenbloom explains. Good sources include red meats, the dark meat of chicken or turkey, oysters, clams, iron-enriched breads and cereals, raisins, dried apricots and legumes.
5. Watch your intake of alcohol and coffee. While alcohol is a sedative that can also dehydrate you, coffee can pep you up in the short term but drop you like a ton of bricks later. Counter every glass of alcohol or coffee with one glass of water.
6. Don't eat too little. "Many women deserve far more calories than they think they do," Clark says. Most active women can maintain their weight with 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day.
The Top Five Reasons Women Are Tired
In a recent online poll, REDBOOK asked women to report the reasons they're so fatigued.
The five most common causes:
- Stress
- Too much to do all the time
- Not getting enough sleep
- Lack of exercise
- No time for themselves
The Mind-Body Connection: How Three Emotions Can Make You Tired
Your energy level is a reflection of your state of mind," says Erika Schwartz, M.D., a New York City internist who specializes in treating fatigue. "If you're thrilled with your life, you'll have a lot of energy. If you're depressed, anxious or unhappy, you won't." In addition, the following emotional habits can drain your energy:
Worrying
"Fearing that something might or might not happen in the future doesn't solve the problem and it fritters away your energy," Schwartz says. A better tactic: Set worry hours — say, half an hour in the late afternoon — and worry your heart out about everything you can think of. Try to think of positive solutions, then put the worries out of your mind. Or schedule that dental appointment for first thing in the morning so you don't spend all day fretting about it.
Feeling guilty
"Constantly questioning what you're doing is draining," says Alice Domar, Ph.D., coauthor of Self-Nurture: Learning to Care for Yourself as Effectively as You Care for Everyone Else. How to get rid of guilt? Listen to what you're telling yourself and think of where it came from, she suggests. Did someone say this to you once? Or is this your fear speaking? Then ask yourself if it's true. If not, the guilt is likely to vanish; if it is, you can do something about it.
Not asking for help
"So many women are running around, doing so many things for others and feeling like their needs aren't being met," Domar says. "Ironically, many women don't even know what their needs are." Rx: Think about what you really want and need. Then figure out which needs your partner can meet, which your friends can meet, which your job or church can meet and which you can meet yourself. "Doing stuff for yourself isn't selfish," Domar says. "It's self-care."
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