fatigue or tiredness, and what to do

I know "fatigue" can be a fuzzy kind of word, so how would you draw the line between fatigue and just being tired from a day's work? I ask because I usually get to the end of the afternoon, 5 or 6 pm, and still have a lot of stuff I want to do (cook a healthy dinner and exercise being top of the list) but just feel SO heavy and tired. I can usually do some of the things if I put my mind to it but then I am just WIPED OUT and need to sit or go to bed. I don't do much physical work in a normal day other than biking to and from campus (20 to 30 minutes) and whatever time I spend exercising (30 to 60 minutes a few days a week) and I spend a lot of the day sitting.

Do I need to exercise more? Is this what a doctor would call "Fatigue" or is this just how everyone feels after a full day?

have you gotten checked for mono? you sound like you're pretty busy, and it's not really normal to be wiped out at 5 or 6 unless your job is like lifting boxes all day or something.

You should have the energy to keep going until bedtime, really.  You may find it helps to see your doctor and ask for a physical check.  In the meantime, check things like the iron & vitamin C content of your diet.  Low iron stores are a very common reason for fatigue in young women and consuming more iron-rich foods (pulses, red meat, whole eggs, dark green vegetables) together with vitamin C rich foods (oranges, kiwifruit) can be enough to make you feel better.

Also check the energy content of your diet and make sure you're eating regularly and well.  Start the day with a good breakfast and if you find you're flagging at any time then have a light snack such as a piece of fruit.

Finally.  I'am ALWAYS tired.  Only If I drink coffee in the morning im "Okay" but still tired.  But If I don't I practically fall asleep in class, and im only 17 and a half.  When I get back from school im practically dying I can barely walk I NEED to lie down ad just sleep, It feels as though forever.  And when I do sleep when I wake up I feel even MORE tired.  Only when I drink coffee it helps-Somewhat.  But on all days everyday im SO tired, and It really ruins my concentration as well.  I also am starting to think that this "Tired" feeling is Not normal at all.  It's torture.

Being that fatigued isn't normal.  Do go to see your doctor and ask for their advice.  You may also benefit from the advice above.  Do you get many iron-rich foods in your diet, for example?  And are you eating enough in total?.... 2000+ cals a day?

I don't think it's mono because it's been going on since high school. thebledx3 what you describe sounds like me in high school on a normal to bad day, back then I felt like I could sleep forever. I'm sorry you are so tired too- sounds like maybe a doctor's visit would be a good idea.

I visited my doctor a few times in high school, who checked my thyroid TSH levels and said I was fine. My depression complicated matters, but now it is pretty much under control and I am STILL tired. I am going in tomorrow to the health clinic to get some more tests done, to see if there is something else. But I don't have any other symptoms so it is hard to know what to look for.

 

gi jane, thanks for the advice. I am and have been for years a vegetarian, so iron occured to me as well but I take multivitamins, love spinach and lentils, and have always been able to donate blood without a problem. Am I wrong or don't they check blood iron levels when you donate? Anyways I will bring it up with my doctor. In the meantime I am going to finish this cup of tea and get my caffeine start to the day :)

I think they check for anaemia but you don't have to be anaemic to have low iron stores.  Supplements have to be taken with vitamin C to be useful.  BTW... caffeine limits the absorption of iron into the bloodstream. 

Do what you can but don't push it.

And keep an eye out on your health.  A few years ago I got very tired.  And then I found out I had a rare autoimmune disease.  Tiredness and fatigue and general feeling of get kinda 'sick' can be really serious. 

i dont know how else to describe it but i just feel lazy...i guess you can say lethargic...but i just dont feel like doing anything lol. I can get through an 8 hour day, and still hit the gym and get a good workout in but my energy level just feels low. Its allot better than how it used to be since i changed my diet and excercise. Its like i have the energy and stregth to do things but i just dont feel like doing it lol, all i feel like doin is sleeping. I guess since i been like that all my life i gotta work my way out of that lazy mindset.

nuevaburro:

i am the exactly same way.  i get up at 6, go to work, and i am "ok" at work, a little groggy in the afternoon usually.  then i get home and just get extremely tired.  i want to go shopping, make dinner, go for a walk, clean, whatever, but i end up sitting on my couch complaining about how tired i am. i have been trying to figure it out for a while now.  a few months ago i started taking iron supplements because i was getting hardly any in my diet.  i noticed that helped a little bit.  but then i ran out and didn't get more.  the past few weeks i have just been a zombie.

please let me know if you find out anything else.  i am also getting tested for low iron and/or tsh levels.  i would really like to know how to get that energy back!!

On the days you are tired, and make yourself get some exercise anyway... how do you feel afterwards?  If you feel good after a 30 minute walk... then yes you need to continue to get exerciese.  If you come home and crash anyway... then it may be better to see your doctor. 

I cannot function during the day at all.  But put me on a swing or night shift... and I'm 100%       High school was horrible for me.  I was named the queen of sleep because I'd sleep 12-16 hours before getting up and feeling rested.    If I get up at 6am no matter how much sleep I've gotten, I have a mild case of heartburn within a few hours. And by 4pm   I'm gone!!!    I'm a night owl and there is no getting around it.    

Good luck!