Winter Hibernation: How to Control Tiredness

If you are brim over with energy then overcoming difficulties is much easier. But to maintain the energy boost is not a simple task, especially during the winter period. My goal is to help you find a new lease of life when the inner forces are running out.

Why we go into “Winter Hibernation”?

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) — a health condition in which increasing fatigue is felt, working capacity is reduced, and concentration is declined. Often headache or muscle aches start to act up or sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea (pauses in breathing or shallow breathing during sleep) begin to develop. Moreover, these “symptoms” do not disappear after having a good rest, as it is in the case of normal fatigue, when it is enough to get an eight-hour sleep or take a brief respite. The reasons for Chronic Fatigue to emerge, as a rule, are frequent long-term stress, poor sleep or lack of it, unhealthy diet, alcohol and smoking addictions and hormone disruption.

It is not easy to diagnose CFS because the symptoms’ list is too broad. However, in a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of California, San Diego, it was found that all people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have a slowed cell metabolism. In this case, all biological processes are inhibited, and the organism condition is similar to the winter hibernation of animals. The body should receive a signal that there is no more stress to exit the energy-saving regime. Such a “signal”, according to researchers, is a regular eight-hour sleep — the absence of which for a long time leads to malfunctions in the work of the nervous system and the brain.

What to eat to avoid fatigue?

The main energy source is food. If the nutrition is unbalanced (the proteins, fats and carbohydrates balance is disturbed) then decline in strength is inevitable after a while. A vivid example is a carbohydrate diet. The dietary intervention in many cases is provoking exhaustion of the body, rapid fatigue, apathy and depression. In addition, 20% of the total energy expenditure is spent on the digestion process, especially for digesting proteins. But experts note that digesting food, high in so-called xenobiotics — synthetic substances that are foreign to a living organism — forces the body to expend even more energy to ensure the removal of these harmful compounds.

I suggest diversifying the habitual food with low-fat meat, seafood, mainly green vegetables, citrus fruits, nuts, legumes, whole-grain and fermented milk products. It is useful to add fish, which contains fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6. Try to eat small portions every two, three hours. It will allow the body to regularly receive the necessary portion of energy. The cause of poor health and weakness can also be a deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the body.

Сoffee consequences

There is nothing wrong with having a cup of coffee at breakfast. Another thing is when you drink five or more cups of an invigorating drink a day. The caffeine effect is short-lived, and the cardiovascular system stimulation is significant. Common side-effects of coffee are insomnia or drowsiness, loss of strength, headache. Caffeine — a psychostimulant — stimulates energy, but slows the nervous system recovery. A person who is coffee addicted trap into a vicious loop: the recovery time is increased so the body loses energy faster and requires another portion of caffeine.

In addition, even organic coffee often contains a large dose of cadmium (this is associated with harvesting grains). This powerful psychostimulant provokes nervousness and causes addiction (it is easily confused with caffeine addiction.

To stop drinking coffee too often or give up on it altogether, experts suggest replacing the drink with chicory, cocoa, herbal tea.

How to get energy?

The non-stop physical and intellectual activity can lead to fatigue. The human body can not work as a machine, and it takes time for it to recover. Moderate regular exercises help the body to better cope with fatigue and stress. Fresh air and exercises of at least 15–30 minutes a day and airing the rooms are the ways to feel more cheerful. The lack of oxygen leads to hypoxia (air hunger), which decreases working capacity and disrupts metabolic processes.

Another option is to fill up the energy reserves — try relaxation procedures. For example, floatation is a non-contact relaxation method. During the session, people are immersed in a pool with a warm salt solution that keeps the body on the surface, creating a sense of weightlessness. This allows you to remove muscle tension, get rid of anxious thoughts, restore circadian rhythms and as a result achieve full relaxation. However, experts say that it is not enough for staying healthy. You need to act in a comprehensive manner, and most importantly, do it regularly.

How to distribute the load?

Energy storage consists of balanced nutrition, full sleep and regular physical activity. For example, regular mode sleeping and rest regime creates a sense of stability and ensures the normal functioning of the entire nervous system. The ability to correctly distribute the load helps to avoid fatigue. For example, not trying to solve all the problems at once during the working day helps avoid CFS. A lot of energy is also spent on offline and online communication with people. Do not make a big deal out of negative comments from others. Remember, haters gonna hate. Also, their inadequate reaction can be caused by health problems, family difficulties or hindrance in solving work issues.

Do not be caught up in the idea of ​​what you are doing wrong. It’s better to think how to improve the situation. The main feature of the human brain is to constantly think about bad things, so to switch to something pleasant is not easy. But if you imagine a positive emotion, it is not difficult to experience it in reality. And it’s worth practicing because long-term stress not only takes away energy but also provokes psychosomatic disorders.