Why am I feeling so tired?

If you are feeling tired and sluggish, and finding it hard to motivate yourself to work or keep active, you are not alone!

Last week, The Times highlighted a study published by UCL, which found that we have reached a state of peak demotivation. The UCL Covid-19 Social Study has been following 70,000 people over the past 44 weeks and found that, compared to the first lockdown, most are exercising less and spending less time on enjoyable activities.

In the article, a psychologist explained that this overwhelming feeling of fatigue is a normal reaction to abnormal circumstances.

What can I do about it?

We know we have given similar advice many times before, but following some of these steps may help you to feel better.

1 – Don’t be hard on yourself! As we mentioned earlier, you are not alone in feeling this way. Everyone is feeling the effects of the pandemic in some way or another, so be kind to yourself.

2 – Try to avoid day-dreaming about life before lockdown. Reminiscing about good times you were having before the pandemic can make you feel low in mood, which in turn will reduce your energy levels. Now that some lockdown restrictions are starting to ease, think of your recovery plan – what do you have to look forward to? Meeting up with friends and family, getting your hair cut, picnics in the park – lots to get excited about!

3 – Eat healthy and stay active – we’ve heard it time and time again, but eating junk food and taking no exercise can make us feel extremely tired. Try to limit the amount of comfort food and reset your eating habits. Now the weather is improving, take a daily walk around the block or in your local park.

4 – Put your work away! If you’re working from home, make sure you’re working within your usual working hours. This gives you a structure to your day and sets the boundary between work time and relaxation time.

Additional support

If you are struggling with low mood, anxiety or depression and you feel you need something to change, take a look at the Community Living Well services. Our wellbeing services offer a range of different programmes that may help, depending on your situation.

Find out more about how we can help.

Author: Stewart Gillespie
Posted on: 16th March 2021