There are many reasons behind feeling fatigued. A main reason that the National Safety Council found was that almost 43% of workers are sleep-deprived, and those most at risk work the night shift, long shifts or irregular shifts. Over 60% of individuals who work the night shift complain about sleep loss or feeling tired throughout their entire shift. This can lead to more frequent accidents and the lack of motivation can cost a company thousands of dollars a year in productivity. Here are a few things you can do to combat that fatigue.
Get Moving- When you are tired, exercise is probably one of the last things you feel like doing, but it can really help your body get moving again. You can go for a walk up or down a flight of stairs when you get the chance or you can do something as simple as stretching at your desk. A little bit of movement can really help you get back on the right track. Be careful not to spend too much time doing that while you’re on the clock, but little things can go a long way.
Drink More Water- Dehydration plays a big part in your energy levels. It can cause your body and mind to be less alert and make it a lot harder to concentrate. Studies show that you should take in around 2 liters of water a day to help keep your body hydrated.
Get More Sleep- Lack of sleep is one of the main causes of work related accidents. Most adults need around 7-9 hours of sleep at night to feel rested during the next day. It is also important that you try not to switch up your sleep schedule. People who have inconsistent shift schedules at work usually struggle with fatigue because your body wants to maintain a sleep pattern and if you’re constantly switching up the pattern your body can never fully adjust.
Eat More Often- If you have a job where you sit a lot, most people feel like they need to eat less so you don’t gain a lot of weight, but it is perfectly okay to eat several small meals or healthy snacks throughout your day to help boost your metabolism and your energy levels.
Reduce Stress- This can be a hard thing to do for some people, but stress takes up a lot of your energy so try incorporating relaxing methods into your daily routine. This can include deep breathing exercises, listening to music/reading your favorite book, or maybe taking a Tai Chi/Yoga class like we have here at WellBound. Anything to help bring you to a more calm state of mind will help.
The problem for most people is not just one of these issues, but many people have some combination of all of these going on everyday. It’s not easy to make changes to your everyday life, but by working on these 5 steps it will help keep the fatigue away.
-Thank you for listening
Anthony