Tiredness

[askignquestions]

I dont know exactly what I want to say here...bear with me.

 I'm back at work after taking a month off for anxiety, but I can only work (which is doing my PhD) for about 6 hours a day (any more and I get real depressed/anxious that night and the next day).  Then I go to the gym for an hour and go home to relax.  But I'm exhausted every day.  I've started noticing the physical symptoms of exhaustion too.  I remember when I used to stay up all night when I was doing my Masters, my chest would get sort of prickly or fluttery when I was up for too long.  Nevermind the mental confusion, not being able to make decisions, and not being able to read.

 All the mental stuff has been there since I got acutely sick, and now the physical is here too.  Is this normal?  I can go and do physical things almost on autopilot.  I'm slowly getting my mental abilities back, but this past week its like I hit a new phase.  I sleep normal hours, so I know that isn't it.  But I have noticed that when I want to sleep during the day, I can't.  Even falling asleep at night takes hours.  

I was just wondering if other people have dealt with exhaustion from anxiety or if this might be something more.

Valerie

[HA1]

Hi Valerie

I don't know if you have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety, but I can assure you exhaustion/tiredness is extremely common.  But having said that, having completed your Masters and now working 6 hours a day on your PHD, you are doing very well indeed.  Especially if you are battling a diagnosed mental health issue. 

Wanting to sleep is familiar territory for me also. Most psychs will tell you not to lie down during the day, but I do.  If I am tired I do what my body tells me; I may not sleep, but I am resting.

If you are concerned see your GP.

Take care

K

[White_Rose]

Dear Valerie

Wow! You can only work six hours a day.  I would love to be able to work six hours a day. How productive do you feel at the end of the day?

There are several things here. As Hideaway said, mental illness of any kind can be exhausting. My psychologist's constant mantra to me is "Listen to your body". And he's right. Pushing yourself beyond your ability (no offence) will cause this tiredness. The body reacts to mental stress in the same way as physical stress and it will let you know.

The other thing is that though writing and researching is mainly done sitting down, it too is exhausting. The brain can be quite lazy and easily tired. And this translates to the body. I know the stereotype of people doing manual work all day get more exercise and becomes more tired than someone sitting at a desk.

This is not entirely true. Certainly the manual worker gets more physical exercise and for that reason stops for rest naturally. The desk jockey uses as much energy but it does not register in the body in the same way. Muscles become tense,eyes get sore and dry, the back, stuck in the same position, starts to protest. The body craves a sugar fix, which does not last long, But constant fixes have a bad effect on the body.

Do you take breaks during the day? Work for a couple of hours, have a break away from the computer or books. Sit outside if possible and smell the roses, then go back to work. Fifteen minute break minimum, preferably 30 minutes. Do something completely different. A quick walk around the garden, some stretching exercises, practice looking into the distance and focussing there for 30 seconds, then look at something very close for 30 seconds. Repeat 10 times. Do this several times a day. It helps to keep the eye muscles in good order and relieve tension.

When you go back to work you will feel more refreshed and able to tackle the next task. DO NOT fall into the trap of "just finishing this bit". It always takes much longer than than you think, mainly because you are getting tired.

In my previous life I was a WH&S officer. What you describe was so common. Bad posture at the computer, monitor screen at the wrong height, chair not adjusted properly. Five minutes may be OK but not hours at a time. If you use a laptop consider buying a laptop stand which puts the machine at an angle making it more ergonomically user friendly for both wrists and eye level screen. Put computer ergonomics into your search engine.

Having laid down the law I will leave

Mary

[Neil_1]

Hi Valerie

Welcome to Beyond Blue.

I’m intrigued that a lot of this appears to revolve around your sleep pattern.  You’ve said that you have normal sleep hours, which is excellent, but then you go on to say that you’ve noticed that when you want to sleep during the day, you can’t.   And then, even falling asleep at night takes hours.  So I’m a bit confused about what’s happening there.

But I’d think that unless you were a shift worker, then a sleep during the day is probably not the best thing, as it would make for getting to sleep at night a whole lot more difficult.

I think the other thing to concentrate and make sure is, that you are only doing your 6 hours a day for work – perhaps if possible, even slightly less, would be even better.

Going to the gym is a great thing, so keep up with that.

I just wonder also, as I’m kind of heavily into fitness and the like, whether you are drinking enough water each day?  Dehydration or even part-dehydration can certainly play its part to make mental illnesses more excessive than what they might otherwise be.

I do hope you can post again.

Neil

[askignquestions]

Hi, thanks for getting back guys.

I have been diagnosed with anxiety/depression/OCD.  I've been trying to listen to my body, by not going to the gym on days I feel extra tired or trying to go to bed early.  Early is 9:30 or so, but I don't fall asleep until 11pm ish.  And I can't nap during the day, it just doesn't happen even if I try.  So I end up sleeping normal hours, I just feel like I need more and I can't get them.  Sorry if that was super unclear.  

During the day I get up a lot from my computer to either walk outside, get tea, just get out.  About water...I drink a lot of tea.  And about a liter of water after the gym.  So not too much plain water.  I can try to up the water intake.  

I've tried taking it slow by taking days off or not going to the gym.  Also I've tried doing more, in case I was doing too little and got tired from sitting on my bed all day.  I have noticed that when I relax all day, I am more tired.  But I don't know if I'm just letting myself feel tired and the other days I'm just pushing through.

Thanks, and I'm glad to know its somewhat normal to be tired.  I've just never been this tired for this long before, even though I've dealt with my mental health issues for almost 10 years now.

[Neil_1]

Hi Valerie

Great to hear back from you.

“Now” I’m hearing you with the sleep thing – and can I say that you are not on your own with the way you feel.  For me, each morning is a struggle, finding myself so tired of a morning, but then as the day clicks into the afternoon, I seem to lift and feel then ok.  But of a morning, I could and would go back to bed if I had the chance too.  Trouble is there is a nasty four letter word that begins with the letter ‘w’ and rhymes with irk that one has to attend and from past experience they don’t take too kindly to anyone popping down under their desk to get an hour or so’s kip of a mid-morning.

I must say that with what you’ve written, you are going about things in a really great fashion.  I think not near enough of us do get up from our computer to move around a bit, so mega kudos to you for that.

Now, with your fluid intake – that is all awesome.   Drinking tea, drinking water – all excellent stuff and from what you’ve described, there’s no real need to up your intake;  I think you’ve got that nailed nicely.  You know, I’d love to do a survey though of mega amounts of people – just to see how much fluid they do take in of a day?   I think it’d be really interesting.

Again, great chatting to you and hope to hear from you again.

Kind regards

Neil

[White_Rose]

Dear Valerie

Well you certainly have the computer routine nailed. Fantastic. Did I sound as though I was teaching my grandmother to suck eggs? Sorry about that.

The part about the mental exhaustion translating to physical exhaustion is something to be aware of however. There is an enormous link.

Just a thought here. Do you take any medication? I ask because tiredness can be a side effect of some medication. Put your medication into your search engine and look at potential side effects. I retired from work because of constant tiredness only to discover it was my blood pressure medication that was causing the exhaustion. Worth checking out.

Exercise is great as Neil has commented. I was attending an exercise class twice a week until recently. Just had surgery so I cannot go there for a short time. I found that even f I was tired it was good to keep up my routine. Maybe not exercise as hard as usual but still go. It is really amazing how it can pick you up.

Sleeping during the day is not a necessity unless you really feel you need it. As you say it tends to reduce your sleep at night. If you are getting 6-8 hours per night that's about right. My doc tells me that too much sleep is also not a good thing.

Do you sleep through the night. Classic depression symptom is to wake in the small hours and find it difficult to get back to sleep. But it seems you are not doing this.

If you are still concerned, a visit to your GP would be in order. There are many reasons for feeling tired and your doc can track this down.

Mary

[askignquestions]

Hey,

So I spoke to my doctor.  She offered a bunch of reasons why I'm tired, including being so anxious, or being sick, or the depression kicking up or meds being out of whack.  So she ordered a blood test and decreased my meds a little (one that I am on was prescribed by another doctor and was ridiculously high- we are slowly cutting back, and it might have been time to cut back more).  So I find out Monday/Tuesday about the blood test to see if something isn't right. 

My problem with getting up in the morning is that I dont have a set time I need to be into work/school.  Its all my own schedule.  So this week thats been tricky.  I've been sleeping in a bit.

As for sleeping through the night- once I fall asleep I am ok, until 2am.  Then I have to get up and use the bathroom, but I fall back asleep right away.  So I'm not worried about that.

I have taken some people up on advice to start yoga/breathing practice.  I am terrified about people watching me breathe and move...so that is something I have to get over.  But there is someone who is willing to do one-on-one yoga/breathing with me at a reduced rate.  Part of me can't let this opportunity pass, but the other part is terrified. But I decided to do it.

Hope you have a good day

Valerie

[White_Rose]

Dear Valerie

What an upbeat and chirpy post you have written. Congratulations. So pleased you consulted your doc. Will you let us know the outcome of the blood tests?

Love to hear from you again.

Mary

[askignquestions]

Hey,

So my iron is a little low, but the other things that depend on iron aren't low.  So either the iron just dropped or it isn't low enough to have an effect.  I talk to my doctor tomorrow (it was the GP today) and see what she says.

I did try the yoga/breathing practice today.  It was hard.  I was doing really well all day keeping busy so I didn't think about it.  Then I walked in the door, sat down and had to hold back tears because I was anxious.  I barely remember what happened at that point- I wasn't breathing hardly at all, I couldn't remember what the first part of the instructor's sentence was and she was asking me questions, and I could barely get words out.  

With time, it got better.  She offered to sit next to me instead of facing me to try the breathing.  Then when we did a couple off stretches, she was in front of me, back towards me.  She is really nice, its not her fault.  It was just very overwhelming and scary.  By the end I could even take a slightly deeper than normal breath.  And that made me feel super lightheaded.  She is very accommodating and wants to work with me where I am, rather than force me to move right from the start.  

Now the anxiety of a doctors appointment tomorrow.  I like this doctor, I really do, but I can't help but get real anxious every meeting (like rocking my body and fluttery stomach).

Valerie