Fighting Fatigue: Strategies to Boost Mental and Physical Energy

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably felt fatigued at some point in your life. Fatigue is more than just feeling tired; it’s a persistent exhaustion that affects both your body and mind and makes it hard to enjoy daily activities or stay motivated. Whether it’s due to physical factors like lack of sleep or mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, fatigue can be incredibly challenging.

But you’re not alone in this struggle. Here, we’ll go over some practical strategies you can use to combat fatigue and restore your physical and mental energy.

What is fatigue, and why does it happen?

Most people understand fatigue to mean physical exhaustion. Individuals who experience fatigue often have such low energy they struggle to complete their daily tasks, like work.

While people can feel fatigued due to a lack of restful sleep, many continue to experience fatigue even after eight hours or more of rest each night.

While fatigue involves physical exhaustion, we must recognize that it is not just physical factors that cause it. Emotional issues and mental health problems often result in fatigue. Fatigue is considered a key feature of many different mental health disorders. People can also feel mentally fatigued and have low physical energy.

Some of the mental health causes of fatigue include:

Depression

Fatigue is such a core feature of living with depression that it is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), the book practitioners use to make mental health diagnoses, as a recognized symptom of the disorder. Many studies have found fatigue is the most commonly reported symptom of depression, with over 90% of depressed patients saying they feel fatigued^[1].

Anxiety

Living with anxiety is exhausting. If you have anxiety, you’re constantly ruminating on your worst fears. This can make it difficult to sleep properly at night, leaving you exhausted the next day. Even if you are sleeping well, battling anxiety can cause significant mental and physical fatigue.

PTSD

PTSD causes severe difficulties with sleep. Some reports show up to 90% of people with PTSD experience sleep problems like insomnia or nightmares^[2]. The lack of sleep that comes along with PTSD can cause severe fatigue. Even without sleep difficulties, it’s incredibly tiring to live with traumatic memories and flashbacks day after day.

Substance use disorder

Although fatigue isn’t a recognized symptom of substance use disorder, many people addicted to drugs or alcohol battle fatigue for different reasons. Some may be addicted to depressant substances, like alcohol, which leads to low energy.

Others may experience fatigue when coming down from the high of stimulants or psychedelics. Drugs and alcohol can also interfere with sleep, which can further exacerbate this feeling of exhaustion.

How to beat fatigue

Fatigue is one of the most frustrating parts of living with a mental health disorder like depression. It can sneak into every area of your life, and you might feel it’s preventing you from reaching your full potential.

Although dealing with fatigue can be difficult, there are strategies for overcoming it and gaining the energy to do what brings you joy.

Use behavioral activation

Behavioral activation is a technique taken from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the therapy method that’s been shown to be the most effective for treating depression and other mental health disorders^[3].

CBT is based on the principle our thoughts, feelings, and actions are interconnected. Often, CBT practitioners help you change unhelpful thinking patterns so you can feel better and overcome depression. However, you can focus more on changing your actions with behavioral activation.

Depression and other mental health disorders can get locked in a vicious cycle of fatigue. If you are experiencing depression, then you’re more likely to feel fatigued, which makes you less likely to engage in healthy habits like exercising and socializing with friends. But the less you do these things, the more depressed you’re likely to feel – and therefore, the more fatigued. You can get locked in this self-perpetuating cycle that can be difficult to break.

Behavioral activation strategies help you engage in healthier behaviors, whether or not you “feel like it.” Even when you’re feeling fatigued, you can take steps to stick to your routine and maintain a healthy schedule filled with activities that bring you joy. Monitor how you feel before and after engaging in these activities. Seeing that they help lift your depression, even temporarily, can motivate you to fight through fatigue and maintain healthy habits.

Get regular exercise

It can sound counterintuitive to fight fatigue by working out. Still, research shows that physical exercise is one of the best ways to boost your mood and increase your energy levels naturally.

Find a way to move your body every day that feels good to you. It’ll be more sustainable in the long run if you enjoy it. For example, if you hate going to the gym, think about other ways to exercise that may be more enjoyable for you – like dancing in your bedroom or playing with your dog.

Getting exercise can not only help you feel less depressed and fatigued but also help you sleep better at night, which can further lessen fatigue^[4]. Ensure you avoid intense exercise for 2 to 3 hours before bedtime, as this can worsen insomnia.

Avoid alcohol and caffeine

Many people with depression or other mental health disorders use substances like alcohol and caffeine to self-medicate their symptoms. For example, if you’re battling fatigue due to depression, you may be overusing caffeine to try to overcome your tiredness and function throughout the day.

While this is understandable, substances like caffeine and alcohol can interfere with healthy sleep and make fatigue even worse. Instead of relying on these substances to get you through the day, try other healthy habits like exercising or practicing good sleep hygiene.

Prioritize sleep

It’s often easier said than done, but if you live with fatigue – whether physical or emotional – you must prioritize getting enough restful sleep every night. Being sleep-deprived not only makes you feel more exhausted but also makes every mental health disorder worse.

Learn and practice good sleep hygiene habits. Put your phone away two hours before bedtime. When getting ready for bed, implement a relaxing routine that helps your body understand it’s time to wind down. Wake up and sleep at the same time every day, even on weekends.

Eat a healthy diet

The food you eat can either deplete your energy and cause fatigue or help you feel more vitalized. A diet high in processed foods and sugar can deplete energy and cause brain fog.

Eating a healthy diet has also been linked to better overall mental health. Try incorporating more whole foods, such as whole grains, leafy greens, and healthy fats. This type of healthy diet, especially when combined with a regular exercise routine, can help you fight fatigue and have more energy for the things you love to do.

Manage stress

Stress is a core factor that must be considered when discussing physical and mental fatigue. Even if you don’t live with a diagnosis of a mental health condition, being under high stress can drain you of all of your energy. High stress can also put you at higher risk of developing a mental health disorder, which would make fatigue worse.

If you live with chronically high levels of stress, it’s essential to find healthy ways to manage it. Sometimes, stress can be managed by implementing simple and healthy changes like getting better sleep, exercising, or using relaxation and mindfulness strategies. Other times, you may need professional mental health support to learn new ways to lower stress – and this is nothing to be ashamed of.

You may be surprised to find how much more energized you feel when your stress levels go down.

Holistic mental health support in Washington State

At The Center • A Place of HOPE, we deeply understand your physical and mental health are woven together. Mental health disorders can come with physical symptoms like fatigue, which can make dealing with them even more challenging.

Our unique Whole-Person Care approach to treatment addresses the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of wellness and the intellectual, relational, and spiritual elements of life. Your treatment team will include diverse professionals such as mental health therapists, psychologists, nutritionists, fitness trainers, and more. With our support, you can beat fatigue and regain the energy to live the life you deserve.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you and your family.

1 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3012615/
2 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5068571/
3 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2882847/
4 – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10503965/