5 ways to combat tiredness

So anyone who is a parent will know what it feels like to be truly tired. In fact, exhausted. It’s like a whole new level of tired when your baby doesn’t sleep. I’m into month 13 now of broken sleep – a three hour chunk without disturbance is good for me…oh how I long for 6 hours!

But it’s not just parents that feel tired, there are many reasons why at any given time, 1 in 5 people feel tired and 1 in 10 have prolonged fatigue (according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists). It could be stress, overwork, home-life, work-life, worry, a significant event like moving house or getting married, illness….the list goes on.

Sometimes it isn’t always possible to increase the hours you sleep, but there are ways you can help combat that feeling of exhaustion (even if just a little bit). I am by no means an expert, so these are only tips that I’ve personally found have helped and are there to offer some advice. If you are seriously struggling, it is always best to see your GP first and foremost.  So here are my 5 ways to combat tiredness…

1. Eat well 
2. Exercise
3. Unwind / Meditate
4. Drink plenty of water
5. Go to bed early

1. Eating well has such a large impact on so many things and we all kind of know it now don’t we? But we don’t always follow guidelines and eat little and often, a variety of foods and pack in our fruit and veg. Cutting out the bad fats and sugars, like crisps, chocolate and take-aways and upping your intake of fresh veg, will have you feeling more energised and less sluggish.

2. Exercising, although hard to get the motivation when you’re feeling knackered, is so great for sleep. Giving your body and brain a work-out will help massively when it’s time to go to bed. And of course it burns calories and keeps you fit. So basically, yeh, we should all be exercising more (I’m guilty of not!).

3. Unwind or meditate. I find that if you struggle to sleep or can’t sleep enough, being truly relaxed is the next best thing. You know like when you get to just lie there and do nothing, it actually helps you rest, even if you’re not sleeping? Well I find that a bit of self-meditation really helps me feel less tired. I’ve got an app that takes just 10 minutes out of your day and takes me to another place. I often feel relaxed afterwards, rather than tired.

4. Drink plenty of water. This goes with with points 1 and 2. Water is so crucial to how we feel and de-hydration can sometimes be the reason we feel tired.

5. Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? But going to bed early can really help how you sleep and the quality of sleep you’re getting. Sticking to a routine and going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday can also really help.

So, as I say, I am no expert or doctor, but the above tips have helped me in the past and although I can’t magic-up extra hours in the night with a waking baby, I can do eat well, drinks lots of water and exercise when I can. These all help to make me feel a little better and energised when I’m tackling that daily energy slump.

So what are your top ways of combating tiredness?