I hear this statement all the time, “I am tired of being tired”. Do you know that the number one complaint to doctors today is, that people are always so tired. If you haven’t read my story, stop a minute, and check out the pages on the left side navigation bar about my Diet Coke addiction for nearly 10 years and the side effects I experienced, then come back and read this post.
There are many things that can cause a person to be tired, some are medical, some are personal. I am not a doctor and if you struggle with constant fatigue, the first step is to seek medical advice, you may have something that can be treated and managed. What I want to focus on are the personal choices that can cause our bodies to be constantly tired each and every day. Lets look at just a few:
Diet (specifically food choices)
Lack of exercise
Jobs (stress)
Lack of sleep or sleep pattern
Personal worries (finances, family, friends)
Bad Habit (like mine, addicted to Diet Coke)
This is only a short list of the many reasons a person can experience fatigue and tiredness throughout the day. Today’s fast paced lifestyle has changed the scope of how things are done in the world. We are constantly asked to do more with less, take on more without giving up other things and all of this can take a toll on our bodies and mind if left unchecked. How many times have you heard from your parents or grandparents, “Life was not this complicated when I was your age”. Typically, that is the crux, life can be complicated for most of us. That fast paced complication can lead to poor eating habits, stress on the job, lack of sleep or lack of good sleep, addictions to unhealthy products, worries and ultimately fatigue.
I share in my story that one of the side effects I struggled with was extreme fatigue. I have a stressful job, I have a wife and three teenagers (that alone can cause stress), I don’t always eat the way I should and many times I skipped exercising because I was always tired and run down. We can’t always change the world or even our own situation at times, but what we can do, is take control over the things that make the most difference. When I broke my Diet Coke addiction, although it was by accident, my body responded in a positive way. As my energy increased, so did my desire to choose healthier foods, to exercise more regularly, and to take time out each day to focus on myself instead of the stresses of life. I don’t feel tired anymore. I don’t fight fatigue like I used to, I know now what it takes to manage my lifestyle around the faced paced world we live in, and do it on my timetable.
If you are ready to break that diet drink addiction, email me, wittmc@msn.com if you have any questions, I’d be glad to help out.
Thanks for all the comments and support,
Mike W.
Iowa