It's Not Normal To Feel Tired All the Time
Fatigue is so common that it’s become normalized- especially among women and particularly moms.
And it’s so universally experienced that many don’t even recognize it anymore, they just accept it as part of life. Sometimes it even seems like feeling tired is celebrated- as if it’s a badge of honor.
You only need to scroll through social media to see the memes about living on coffee, the ads for t-shirts that display one is “tired as a mother” or “tired AF” and the commiserating posts about having no energy to deal with life to realize just how common this struggle is.
But what I want women to understand- especially those who absolutely require energy to tackle the demands of motherhood- is that feeling tired all the time is not normal.
Fatigue is a symptom and like other symptoms, it’s communication from the body. It’s a sign of deeper imbalance and dysfunction and ultimately, a cue to make a change.
Sure, feeling tired is natural at certain times, but being exhausted on a regular basis is not. For example, it’s normal to feel tired by the end of the day, but not to wake up exhausted in the mornings or experience a 3pm crash daily.
You may naturally feel more tired right before and during your period, at points during pregnancy, after giving birth and postpartum when you’re not sleeping, even during a more stressful time or after a daylight savings time change. Our bodies go through natural ebbs and flows, plus certain seasons of life that are simply more demanding!
But living your life tired, not having energy to get through the day, becoming exhausted after you work out, feeling drained by any little stressor you face? We need to stop normalizing this.
Because our bodies are actually designed to be naturally energized.
We have systems in place to produce energy and regulate it- adapting our production and usage in the context of maintaining balance inside our bodies. Our metabolisms convert the food we eat into energy to fuel all the processes in our body (which requires the right amount of calories and nutrients to work efficiently).
In fact, vibrant energy is an important health marker- a sign of a happy metabolism and hormones especially.
Why is everyone so tired?
When we look to what’s going on in the body, some of the most common root causes of fatigue are:
Chronic stress which burns though important minerals, leads to overactive and eventually, depleted adrenals, and can cause us our nervous systems to become dysregulated, “stuck” in protective states we’re not meant to live in all the time.
Hormonal imbalances like high estrogen, low progesterone, and increased androgens like testosterone which disrupt our natural rhythms and can place extra stress on our endocrine system and liver.
Nutrient depletion from things like under-eating, highly processed diets, prolonged stress, hormonal birth control, and even pregnancy and postpartum which means our metabolisms don’t have the raw materials they need to function properly.
Blood sugar dysregulation caused by factors like imbalanced diet, depleted adrenals, or overburdened liver can cause major drops and spikes, putting us on an energy roller coaster and making it more difficult to sustain our energy.
Digestive dysfunction which can lead to decreased nutrient absorption, heightened inflammation and immune activity, and even overgrowth of pathogens like yeast and parasites.
But why are all of these things happening in the first place? What are the true root causes?
Well for one, our modern, productivity-obsessed society plays a big role, especially in the shaping of our thoughts and beliefs. We’ve been getting constant messages from a young age that we’re never doing enough, and as a result, many of us have been conditioned to believe being exhausted and burnt out is a sign of our productivity and worth. We’ve been taught that rest can wait- even that we need to earn it.
And so even when we’re exhausted, we struggle to even take it- feeling lazy or guilty and thinking about all the other things we “should” be doing instead- and as a result, not actually getting any restorative benefits. This only deepens our fatigue.
There’s also the widespread nutrition misinformation and a general lack of education around nourishing our bodies properly. There’s a huge failure to honor women’s natural hormonal rhythms and the demanding seasons of pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood. There’s diet culture, which is in our faces everywhere we go telling us to eat less, restrict ourselves, and push harder to shrink our bodies and fit whatever mold is deemed beautiful at the time. There’s pressure to bounce back after having babies and expectations to be “supermoms” and make it all look easy (with so very little help in the form of paid leave or the now almost mythical villages we’re supposed to live within). So surely, all of this and more is going to impact our physical and especially mental energy!
We’re also exposed to more stressors, more toxins, and more artificial light than humans have evolved to experience- a highly processed and refined food supply, chemical-laden personal care and cleaning products, pesticides, increasing screen-time.
As a result, we’re experiencing a huge lack of resilience- our bodies are struggling to handle what’s thrown our way. We’re overwhelmed, overburdened, and unsupported and as a result, much more easily and quickly depleted of our energy at a cellular level.
There’s also a major lack of understanding around the concept of energy from a physiological standpoint (i.e. how our bodies produce and manage energy), and in general, what the body needs to function optimally. This permeates throughout society and trickles down into healthcare, government-directed nutrition initiatives, the food industry, education, media, and more.
None of this is normal. Modern life has moved so far away from the way humans have evolved to live and thrive.
I could go on here… but you get the point, right? Plus, you’re here to know how to make it better- let’s get to that.
How can you restore your energy?
Like so many aspects of healing, it starts with learning the truth (and also unlearning the myths) about how your body functions. This is information that will empower you not only to make positive changes, but also trust and believe in your body’s abilities to heal and thrive in order to truly embody your most vibrant health.
It’s also going to require going against the grain- actually tuning into fatigue and other symptoms without judgement, doing what truly supports your body (like eating enough food, getting sufficient sleep, and moving your body regularly) rather than following popular health and wellness trends, and staying open-minded in the process as you utilize tools to holistically support yourself. You can work toward lessening fatigue and re-energizing your body, but you’ll need to learn when to lean into it, too.
Head to part 2 of this series to learn specific strategies and tools for properly supporting yourself when you’re feeling tired and holistically improving your energy.
The number one foundation for energy is a body that’s fully nourished. Not sure how to do that? Grab my free guide to Nourishing Yourself Fully and learn the key areas to focus on to fuel and nourish your body and support your physical and mental health. You’ll also get my go-to nourishing foods list and suggestions for simple balanced and delicious meals and snacks!