With routines that start earlier than sunrise and go into the wee hours of midnight, it’s no surprised that most of us feel tired all the time. We’re packing in long hours at work, a fitness regimen and social gatherings, only to hit the sack with disturbed sleep. It’s time to make a correction, and simply fixing your sleeping patterns or bailing out on a friend’s birthday dinner just won’t cut it. Luke Coutinho, expert in Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine and one of Bollywood’s most trusted experts, doled out his best advice on how to fight fatigue — read on to revamp your routine:
Control your portions
“Having a heavy meal causes energy levels to go down. Ensure your meal has fruits, vegetables, nuts and cooked vegetables that are rich in Vitamin D, B3 and magnesium to retain your energy. This helps to reduce dependence on caffeine and sugar that are just crutches to help you get through the day. You can avoid craving for them by sleeping well at night, which maintains hormonal balance and controls emotional eating. A great way to satiate sugar cravings is by eating a sweet fruit or a small piece of unsweetened chocolate.”
Rework your routine
“If you’re someone who is following a diet plan and experiencing fatigue, then you might want to reconsider if the diet is right for you. Any meal plan or workout routine should help you feel energised and maybe only physically tired because you’ve worked hard on those muscles. If you’re sleeping for 2 hours after your gym session, chances are you’ve either over trained or depriving your body of nutrition.”
“Also remember, that if you’ve had a long day and are only mentally tired, a workout will boost energy levels. Same for those who have a sedentary lifestyle — you can also get tired from just sitting and doing nothing. But if you’ve just gotten out of a long flight or haven’t slept well for the past few mights, working out will release more cortisol along with endorphins and create more stress on the body and might increase the risk of injuries.”
Take some downtime
“Stress, whether it’s temporary or deep rooted, is a major contributor to fatigue. Today, we are stressed about our jobs, the food we eat and the relationships we are in and balancing all of this with our social life. It demands a lot of energy, so it’s necessary to get a good night’s sleep. Cut away from gadgets and white lights an hour before you go to bed since using them cuts production of melatonin, which is a sleep-inducing hormone. Instead, try meditating, reading a book or having sex — they produce oxytoxin and testosterone that help you fall asleep faster. You can also try slowly breathing from your left nostril while blocking the right — it works like a sleeping pill.”
Address your emotions
“Emotional stress plays a huge factor and might be helping you feel fatigued, angry and drained. Acceptance and letting go of problems is very important. Write down all your problems on a piece of paper and distinguish them in to the two groups—accept what you can and let go of what you can’t. It’s also a good idea to partake in some activity to keep yourself distracted from negative thoughts.”
