Here's another journal of mine. Hope you are all doing well.
Topic : October 18, 2006 Tired of being tired....
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Created on : Wednesday, October 18, 2006, 09:42:55 am
Author : jillann50
"I want to be a chronically fatigued, frail person who feels lousy all the time and I am willing to take the steps necessary to structure my life to achieve this goal" (How do ya'll feel about that statement?)
The above statement often gets shorthanded to look like this:
"I'm tired."
"I have no energy."
"I just can't seem to get motivated."
"I don't feel like it"
"I can't do it"
"I don't want to"
"I don't know how or where to start"
"I would rather _____ (chat, journal, analyze, read...fill in your own blank) than move my butt"
Recently my Inner Twit has been telling me all the above things. And it's true...lately I have been more tired than usual. I am in one of the low energy periods we all experience for a variety of reasons. I got to thinking about this whole issue around fatigue and tiredness and that led me to do some research. Okay...I know I need a 12-step program for research junkies such as myself....but knowledge is power and when I use that power to recharge and energize myself...it's a good thing!
So here is some of what I have learned. I would love to hear what you think about this stuff.
Woman and Fatigue
Fatigue is a prevalent complaint among women and is one of the most common reasons we access health care. There are levels of fatigue and differences between fatigue and tiredness. There are also several types of fatigue...and this is where it really gets interesting in how we manage our fatigue.
Fatigue Versus Tiredness
Tiredness is defined as a lack of energy that is relieved by rest or sleep. Fatigue is defined as a systemic sense of energy deprivation affecting the whole body, often without an obvious cause, that is unrelieved by sleep or rest.
When we are not fatigued, we are in a state of low tension and high energy that allows optimism, confidence, and the stamina necessary to live life, experience success, and deal with the cards dealt.
Types of Fatigue
There are four main types of fatigue:
- Physical- caused by physical activity, not necessarily bad. In strength training we actually work to fatigue a muscle group to make it stronger. Caused by poor nutrition, lack of sleep.
- Cognitive- the kind of fatigue experienced by concentrating and pushing our brain cells to learn new things, juggling and multi-tasking, etc. "brain- tired"
- Emotional- often results from relationships and how we perceive events as stressful or not. I'm trying to decide where menopausal madness comes in...
- Spiritual- feeling spiritually bereft or disconnected
Causes of Fatigue
Fatigue can be caused by overuse, misuse, or no-use of the mind, body or spirit.
Treatment for fatigue
If you are tired...by all means lay down and have a rest. Tiredness is relieved by rest and and good quality sleep.
If you are fatigued, rest and sleep (while important parts of a healthy lifestyle) are not likely to change your level of fatigue. Spend some time determining your underlying cause of fatigue. If you are cognitively tired from too much thinking...exercise has been proven an effective brain-clearer! If you are spiritually disconnected, reaching out to people or spiritual connections is the key...and if depressed because of your disconnectedness...exercise will improve your outlook and give you the energy you need to be open to accepting spirituality! Have a medical diagnosis that causes fatigue??? Yep...you guessed it...exercise is an important component of improving how you feel. In fact, exercise is a consistent recommendation for most chronic conditions.
There is no arguing that exercise is a positive factor in maintaining health (both physical and mental) and preventing disease.
Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue is a common complaint. Chronic conditions account for a huge part of health care expenditures. Teaching people to self- manage their own conditions is a huge health care focus these days. The National Institute of Health supports the notion that exercise is an important part of self-managing chronic conditions and that exercise is safe (talk to your health care provider) for people whose chronic conditions are stable.
( http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/ExerciseGuide/chapter02.htm)
Want to Prevent Some Chronic Conditions?
According to a study by a Brigham Young University professor of exercise science Steven Aldana, "Basic changes in diet and exercise can lead to a dramatic drop in a person's risk for chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer and heart disease in as little as six weeks,
A totally new reason for me to continue my healthy lifestyle changes came from a study on womens' health and aging that concluded: "Obesity is associated with the frailty syndrome in older women in cross-sectional data. This association remains significant even when multiple conditions associated with frailty are considered."
What does all this mean to me?
When I choose not to eat well, exercise and balance my life, I am essentially saying: "I want to be a chronically fatigued, frail person who feels lousy all the time and I am willing to take the steps necessary to structure my life to achieve this goal"
I would like to strike that from the record! That is not me talking!
I have now completed my workout and I am still fatigued, but I notice that my joints are less stiff, my body feels better, and best of all...I feel good about myself. I do not want to be frail!
THE FROG IS MY FAVORITE BALLOON FROM THE ALBEQUERQUE HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA LAST WEEK!
This is a laugh. Now I look like a dot on the page. Well that is good to say the least. To make it so you can see it clear. That is another program,ha,ha. 
