This Is Why You Feel So Tired Right Now
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Sitting at home doing almost nothing all day is exhausting, isn’t it?
The key workers and parents among you might be wondering what we mean, after all, you’re busier than ever right now. But for those of us attempting to work from the sofa during lockdown, tiredness is taking over – and it’s not like we can even blame the commute!
Psychotherapist Lucy Beresford says it’s not surprising people are feeling more drained than usual, because “psychologically, we are hard-wired for growth and stimulation”.
“If we don’t provide structure or interest or even self-love to our day, time stretches painfully and we feel defeated, lethargic or even depressed,” she tells HuffPost UK. “And the less we do, the more defeated we become.”
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Chronic stress, even at a low level, can also be very emotionally draining and therefore tiring, adds Dr Roger Henderson, GP and UK medical director of Liva Healthcare. The ongoing Covid-19 situation is undoubtably a stressful one.
“The raised levels of anxiety-linked hormones such as adrenaline in the body can – although potentially helpful in acute short-lived stress – impact on the body to lower energy levels and cause both physical and mental fatigue,” he says.
The physical impacts of leading a largely sedentary lifestyle can also make us feel drowsy, Dr Henderson adds.
“It may seem counterintuitive but the less we exercise, the more tired we may feel,” he says. “Prolonged inactivity, even in fit people, can make us tired and unmotivated, and change our muscle functioning and bulk, as well as our tolerance to activity. The term ‘use it or lose it’ easily applies here.”
Exercise “positively alters...
