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ThreeKindsofFatigue¡¡¡¡Fatigueisoneofthemostcommoncomplaintsbroughttodoctors,friends,andrelatives.You'dthinkinthiseraoflabor-savingdevicesandconvenienttransportationthatfewpeoplewouldhavereasontobesotired.Butprobablymorepeoplecomplainoffatiguetodaythaninthedayswhenhaywasbaledbyhandandlaundryscrubbedonawashboard.¡¡¡¡Thecausesofmodern-dayfatiguearediverseandonlyrarelyrelatedtoexcessivephysicalexertion.Therelativelyfewpeoplewhodoheavylaboralldaylongalmostnevercomplainaboutbeingtired,perhapsbecausetheyexpecttobe.Today,physiciansreport,tirednessismorelikelyaconsequenceofunder-exertionthanofwearingyourselfdownwithover-activity.Infact,increasedphysicalactivityisoftenprescribedasacureforloweringenergy.¡¡¡¡Physical.Thisisthewell-knownresultofoverworkingyourmusclestothepointwheremetabolicwasteproducts¡ªcarbondioxideandlacticacid¡ªaccumulateinourbloodandreduceyourstrength.Yourmusclescan'tcontinuetoworkefficientlyinabathofthesechemicals.Physicalfatigueisusuallyapleasanttiredness,suchasthatwhichyoumightexperienceafterplayingahardsetoftennis,choppingwood,orclimbingamountain.Thecureissimpleandfast:Yourest,givingyourbodyachancetogetridofaccumulatedwastesandrestoremusclefuel.¡¡¡¡Pathological.Herefatigueisawarningsignorconsequenceofsomeunderlyingphysicaldisorder,perhapsthecommoncoldorfluorsomethingmoreseriouslikediabetesorcancer.Usuallyothersymptomsbesidesfatiguearepresentthatsuggestthetruecause.¡¡¡¡Evenafteranillnesshaspassed,you'relikelytofeeldraggedoutforaweekormore.Takeyourfatigueasasignaltogoslowwhileyourbodyhasachancetorecoverfullyevenifallyouhadwasacold.Pushingyourselftoresumefullactivitytoosooncouldleadtoarelapse(¾É²¡¸´·¢)andalmostcertainlywillprolongourperiodoffatigue.¡¡¡¡Eventhoughillnessisnotfrequentcauseofprolongedfatigue,it'sveryimportantthatitnotbeoverlooked.Therefore,anyonewhofeelsdrainedofenergyforweeksonendshouldhaveathoroughphysicalcheck-up.Butevenifnothingshowsupasaresultofthevariousmedicaltests,thatdoesn'tmeanthere'snothingwrongwithyou.¡¡¡¡Psychological.Emotionalproblemsandconflicts,especiallydepressionandanxiety,arebyfarthemostcommoncausesofprolongedfatigue.Fatiguemayrepresentadefencemechanismthatpreventsyoufromhavingtofacethetruecauseofyourdepression,suchasthefactthatyouhateyourjob.Itisalsoyourbody'ssafetymechanismforexpressingrepressedemotionalconflicts,suchasfeelingtrappedinanungratefulroleoranunhappymarriage.Whensuchfeelingsarenotexpressedopenly,theyoftencomeoutasphysicalsymptoms,withfatigueasoneofthemostcommonmanifestations.Manypeoplewhoareextremelyfatigueddon'tevenknowthey'redepressed,Dr.Bulettesays.They'resobusydistractingthemselvesorjustworryingaboutbeingtiredthattheydon'trecognizetheirdepression.¡±Thereisagreatdealyoucandoonyourowntodealwithbothsevereprolongedfatigueandthoseperiodicwashed-outfeelings.Vitaminsandtranquilizersarealmostnevertherightanswer,sleepingpillsandalcoholarecounterproductive,andcaffeineisatbestatemporarysolutionthatcanbackfirewithabuseandcauselife-disruptingsymptomsofanxiety.Instead,youmighttry:DietIfyoueatasmallbreakfastornoneatall,you'relikelytoexperiencemid-morningfatigue,theresultofadropinbloodsugar,whichyourbodyandbraindependonforenergy.Forpeakenergyinthemorning,besuretoeataproperbreakfast,lowinsugarandfairlyhighinprotein,whichwillprovideasteadysupplyofbloodsugarthroughoutthemorning.Coffeeandadoughnutarealmostworsethannothing,providingabriefboostandthenlettingyoudownwithathud.Exercise¡¡¡¡Contrarytowhatyoumaythink,exerciseenhances,ratherthansaps,energy.Regularconditioningexercises,suchasjogging,cycling,orswimming,helpyoutoresistfatiguebyincreasingyourbody'sabilitytohandlemoreofaworkload.Yougettiredlessquicklybecauseyourcapabilityisgreater.¡¡¡¡Exercisealsohasawell-recognizedtranquilizingeffect,whichhelpsyouworkinamorerelaxedfashionandbelessdraggeddownbythetensionsofyourday.Attheendofadayexercisecanrelieveaccumulatedtensions,giveyoumoreenergyintheevening,andhelpyousleepmorerestfully.¡¡¡¡SleepIfyouknowyou'retiredbecauseyouhaven'tbeengettingenoughsleep,thesolutionissimple:Gettobedearlier.There'snorightamountofsleepforeveryone,andgenerallysleeprequirementsdeclinewithage.Findtheamountthatsuitsyoubest,andaimforit.Insomnia(ʧÃß)andothersleepdisordersshouldnotbetreatedwithsleepingpills,alcohol,ortranquilizers,whichcanactuallymaketheproblemworse.KnowyourselfTrytoscheduleyourmostdifficultjobsforthetimeofdaywhenyou'reatyourpeak.Somearemorningpeoplewhotirebymid-afternoon;othersdotheirbestworkintheevening.Don'toverextendyourself,tryingtoclimbtheladderofsuccessatarecordpaceortomeeteveryone'sdemandsorexpectations.Decidewhatyouwanttodoandwhatyoucanhandlecomfortably,andlearntosaynotoadditionalrequests.Recognizeyourenergycyclesandplanaccordingly.Manywomenhavealowpointpremenstrually,duringwhichtimeextrasleepmaybeneededanddemandingactivitiesareparticularlyexhausting.Takebreaks¡¡¡¡Nomatterhowinterestingordemandingyouwork,you'llbeabletodoitwithmorevigorifnowandagainyoustop,stretch,andchangethescenery.Insteadofcoffeeandasweetrollonyourbreak,trymeditation,yoga,callisthenics,orabriskwalk.Evenrunn