Fatigue: The Potential Reasons Why You Always Feel Tired

Do you find it strange that you sleep for eight hours or more only to wake up still tired? Everyone gets tired from time to time. But, feeling drained to the point that your daily life is interrupted is not normal. Other than extreme sleepiness and lethargy, fatigue can also manifest as trouble in concentrating, anxiety and/or muscle weakness.

If you are looking to understand why you are not as alert as you should, you may wish to visit our Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinics to find out the underlying cause.

Types of Fatigue

First, there are different types of fatigue that you should look out for, and they are:

• Physical fatigue – this happens when a person has difficulty doing their daily routine. For instance, they no longer have the energy to commute to work because they feel physical weakness or pain when moving.
• Mental fatigue – trouble concentrating, lack of motivation, anxiety, irritability and headaches are some of its common signs. Practitioners from TCM clinics believe that this is commonly caused by a lack of Qi (vital energy). Thus, they find it difficult to finish a task because they are either feeling sleepy or fighting to stay fully awake.

Reasons for Fatigue According to TCM

TCM clinics in Singapore see many people seeking help for chronic fatigue. This is likely due to the fast-paced and stressful lifestyle that many leads.

According to TCM, fatigue is commonly seen as a symptom of Qi Deficiency where the body is lacking sufficient energy to function at its optimum. However, other patterns such as Kidney Yang deficiency, Liver Qi stagnation and Damp Retention may also attribute to the cause of fatigue.

To find out the root cause, TCM Physicians in Singapore commonly check your pulse, tongue, complexion and other symptoms. Once the underlying imbalance is identified, the corresponding treatment plan will then be tailored for individuals.

Here are possible reasons why you always feel tired:

1. Imbalanced Yang Energy
   When your Yang Energy is deficient, it may cause symptoms such as mental listlessness, bloated stomach, loose stools, or cold extremities. On the contrary, if your Yang Energy is relatively in excess, the heat may cause symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, hot flashes, or joint pain. To restore balance in Yang Energy, getting acupuncture in Singapore from a TCM clinic is recommended.
2. Eating Wrongly For Your Body Type
   According to TCM, diet plays a key role in the yin and yang energy. The digestive system is the centre of your body’s Qi production, thus you should be cautious of what you eat. Our TCM physicians will recommend you to eat according to your body’s constitution as this will help to replenish the required Qi and blood to recover from fatigue.
3. Wrong Supplementation or Medication
   When fatigue becomes a problem, your initial reaction may be to take a supplement or self-medicate. However, TCM physicians believe in finding the root cause of fatigue by looking at different aspects of your health such as medical condition, diet, lifestyle, work stress, and emotional health. Then, they will prescribe a treatment plan accordingly that aims to reduce your fatigue and increase your energy.
4. Being Under Or Overly-Active
   Your energy should be enhanced to prevent your body from succumbing to fatigue. This is possible by doing more movement in your daily life. Consistency is key, so it is important that you find a physical activity you enjoy so that you will continue it regularly. You can try simple Ba Duan Jin exercises to help you stay active and reduce fatigue. On the other hand, if you are overly active but undernourished, this may cause fatigue. Thus, listen to your body and remember to rest and recover first.
5. Not Rested Properly
   Many Singaporeans take rest for granted. TCM advocates in getting sufficient every day. This can be achieved by practising good sleep habits (about 7 hours of sleep a day, sleeping before midnight, and not using electronics before bed), meditation, quiet reading, or just taking time to appreciate nature.

TCM Treatment To Combat Fatigue

TCM physicians believe that there is always a root cause of all symptoms. The ways to overcome body’s deficiency include improving sleep, managing emotions, and focusing on invigorating Kidney Essence and Spleen Qi.

Drinking energy drinks, coffee, or increasing dosage of sleeping pills may help you now but they only act as a band-aid and do not solve the real issue. Therefore, let our TCM physicians help you take approaches of mindfulness, dietary changes, rest, and acupuncture to solve your fatigue issues!

Want to regain your yin and yang balance that was disrupted by fatigue? Speak to our trusted team of TCM Physicians today.