OCD and I'm SO TIRED!

I am guilty of using the phrase “I’M SO TIRED!” There are many reasons why people say this. It could be the symptom of a physical ailment or a food allergy. Perhaps it is the weather, lack of proper sleep- maybe you are overwhelmed by emotional issues that drain energy such as anxiety or anger over a no-win situation that you can’t see the way out of.

At some point, fatigue affects everyone. For some people, it is an occasional annoyance, but for others, it is a chronic affliction. People with OCD seem to feel tired a lot. The stress of the disorder just adds to general feelings of exhaustion and exacerbates them. I have spent many days just dragging myself through the undeniable urge to retreat into bed. I wonder how much money fatigue causes the work force to lose on a daily basis? It must be exorbitant.

I came across this interesting article by Catherine Pratt that may be of help to those who deal with fatigue often…

"I'm So Tired. What Your Brain Might Be Trying to Tell You.

by Catherine Pratt
www.Life-With-Confidence.com

"I'm so tired today"
How many times during the day do you hear people say this? Often just hearing someone say those four words will suddenly make you feel tired too even if you weren’t just a few minutes before. The thought of being so tired has now entered your mind. One way to prevent this it to just become aware of what’s influencing you. In this case, you could counteract it with the thought of “I feel full of energy today”.

Thoughts like the one above can influence how you feel but your brain may also be trying to tell you something. If you’re not listening, the mind may try to make you slow down or even stop what you’re doing by making you feel more and more tired. If you feel exhausted all the time, it makes it really tough to feel confident about yourself and to do the activities that increase your self esteem. It’s important to figure out why you’re feeling the way you do.

Here are some reasons why you might be feeling so tired:

• Are you bored?
If you’re bored with your job or your personal life, you’re going to feel tired. It's amazing how much your attitude towards life will affect how you feel.

 

Here’s an example, you come home from work and just collapse on the couch because you're so tired. You have no desire to move and don’t want to do anything. The phone rings. It’s your best friend and he’s just won backstage tickets to a band that you love. How do you feel now? Five minutes ago you were dead tired. Now that you’re getting the chance to do something exciting and new, you’re full of energy again. You don’t even think about being tired anymore. The difference is that you have something exciting and fun to look forwards to now.

Here’s an example, you come home from work and just collapse on the couch because you're so tired. You have no desire to move and don’t want to do anything. The phone rings. It’s your best friend and he’s just won backstage tickets to a band that you love. How do you feel now? Five minutes ago you were dead tired. Now that you’re getting the chance to do something exciting and new, you’re full of energy again. You don’t even think about being tired anymore. The difference is that you have something exciting and fun to look forwards to now.

So, take a good look at what’s happening in your life. Do you feel like you’re trapped doing the same thing every day with no hope for escape? I used to feel like my whole life was “get up, go to work, come home, make dinner, do a few chores, go to bed, repeat again tomorrow”. When I came home I would just be so tired. Once I realized what was happening and changed it, it was absolutely amazing how much energy I suddenly had. Life is way too short to spend it bored out of your mind. So, what’s happening in your life? Is it time to look for a new job? Do you need to try something new?

• Are you frustrated?
Just like the previous point, if you’re frustrated with what’s happening in your life or with the world in general, you can end up feeling tired all the time. Especially, if you’re at the point where you feel like you don’t have any options. You feel like you're a victim and that there's nothing you can do. The truth is that you always have options and different choices you can make. You just need to figure out what they are. Ask yourself, what are you feeling and why?

• Are there medical issues? (thyroid, etc.)
Sometimes there really could be a medical reason as to why you’re not functioning at full potential. Could be a good opportunity just to get checked out by your physician.

• Do you have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)?
SAD is estimated to affect 6 out of every 100 people in North America during the winter months. If you’re feeling constantly tired and are craving carbohydrates and sweet foods, you might have SAD which is caused by a lack of sunlight. You can read about my personal experience with SAD here: Why am I so tired?

• Are you eating well?
Sugar and caffeine can give us a temporary feeling of energy but you’ll find that you’re even more tired a few hours later. Plus, the next day you're also going to be tired from what you ate the day before. Check out my review of the Schwarzbein Principle. She really explains well the principles of proper nutrition and how what you eat may be affecting how you think and feel.

You may also simply be dehydrated, be sure to read "Another Reason For Feeling Tired - Dehydration". Or you may be deficient in certain nutrients like Vitamin D.

• Are you doing too much, staying up too late?
We all need some downtime but today’s society runs at full speed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and it’s very easy to get caught up in it. Also, I know all the best tv shows seem to be on way past my bedtime. Burning yourself out from doing too much or not getting enough sleep is eventually going to catch up with you.

• Are you around negative people?
Negative people can be like black holes which just suck all your energy out of you because they're emotionally draining to be around. Be careful of allowing negative people to steal your energy. Here are 10 tips on "How To Deal With Negative People".

I'm So Tired Summary

Feeling tired is one of the most common complaints that physicians hear. It's also not an easy one to diagnose as it could be caused by so many different ailments. The suggestions above are just a few reasons of why you might be feeling so tired. The important thing is that if you are feeling tired all the time, take the time to listen and see if your mind and body are trying to tell you something. There could be a quick and easy fix to your situation and it could also end up changing your life."