Fatigue Coping Strategies for Healthy Blood and Immunity

Staying at one place for a long duration of time is not the most ideal for social beings like us, humans. Migrating all of the activities we used to do outside of our home certainly added more stress to already very uncertain times. Given the new normal setup stress, you may have experienced some symptoms of fatigue.

Fatigue is a sensation of constant weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy for physical and/or mental activities. It is a symptom caused by a combination of lifestyle, social, psychological and general wellbeing factors. 1 Department of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire stated the department’s concern in a Laging Handa public briefing, “After so many months of being quarantined, people feel restless; people feel anxious; they’re irritable.” She expressed that people need to develop a coping mechanism and accept the fact that things will not go back to the way it used to be and start to transition to the new normal. 2

Altering your current lifestyle may sound easier said than done, but these 4 easy and yet effective coping strategies might be what you need to keep a healthy blood and immunity.

1. Taking Short Walks/Light Exercises

It sounds counterintuitive to go on a walk or do light exercises when you’re already feeling tired for most of the day, but mobility is actually an important component in maintaining a healthy wellbeing as an adult.

Scientists found in a study that exercise boosts your energy level, increases strength and endurance. 3  Light exercises and short walks also stimulate the production of endorphins — the chemical that reduces pain and relieves stress. Not only does this improve your mobility, but it also boosts your immunity.

2. Having the Right Amount of Sleep

Practicing a healthy sleeping schedule is vital so the body can recharge. 4 Your body follows an “internal body clock” known as circadian rhythms which dictate your cycle of sleep, wakefulness, and alertness. This is influenced by external factors like long working hours, shift work, eating habits, and sleep deprivation. 5

It’s helpful to establish a bedtime routine to achieve the right amount of sleep. Simple cues like putting on pajamas, brushing your teeth, and reading a book helps the body adjust and learn that it’s time to sleep and drift off. Stimulants like caffeine, tobacco, alcohol, and gadgets should be avoided before bedtime. 6

       1.“Fatigue.” Medline Plus, a service of the National Library of Medicine National Institutes of  Health. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003088.htm

      2.“DOH cites ways to avoid ‘quarantine fatigue’” Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1118873

      3.“Effects of chronic exercise on feelings of energy and fatigue: A quantitative synthesis.” Psychological Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.6.866

      4.“How much sleep do we really need?” Sleep Foundation. sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need.

       5.“Circadian Rhythms.” National Institute of General Medical Sciences. https://www.nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms.aspx

       6.“Sleep hygiene tips.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html

The recommended amount of sleep for adults is at least seven hours and no more than eight hours. Try to limit the difference in your sleeping schedule so your body is consistent with its sleep-wake cycle. 7 Your body is programmed to function through habits. By consistent efforts these can greatly help alleviate the feeling of fatigue.

• Cutting Down on Caffeine and Alcohol

Alcohol raises the body’s level of epinephrine, a stress hormone that generally stimulates the body, which can keep you up at night even when you’re supposed to rest. Your body might also urinate more than you usually do when you consume alcohol, which can disrupt your sleeping pattern. 8 Meanwhile for caffeinated drinks, it’s best to consume those with less to no sugar content. When sugar is processed by the body, it can cause a rapid rise in your blood sugar. The sudden spike and succeeding instant fall can make you feel exhausted and tired .9

Dietary changes are a necessary step to address fatigue since your body runs on the energy that you feed it. If you have a habit of consuming caffeinated drinks or alcohol, you might want to slow down to feel less fatigued.

• Take Multivitamins + Minerals (Sangobion IRON+) Your Health Blood Ally, With Proper Nutrition and Exercise

Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms in people who are experiencing iron deficiency anemia — which happens when the blood has a lower amount of red blood cells or hemoglobin than normal. It causes the body to feel weak, tired, dizzy, look pale, and experience headaches. 10

When unnoticed, iron deficiency anemia can feel like nothing. But as time progresses, the body becomes more deficient of iron, putting immunity and blood health at stake — which intensifies the symptoms and signs of iron deficiency anemia.

Multivitamins + Minerals (Sangobion IRON+) is an iron supplement with vitamins and minerals that helps to replenish iron stores and increases red blood cell levels in the body for those experiencing iron deficiency anemia. It has ferrous gluconate, a type of iron salt which allows better absorption of iron in the body, Folic acid, and vitamin B12 which are vital for production of red blood cells and during pregnancy.

It also contains Vitamin C which helps improve iron absorption, and Copper sulphate and manganese sulphate that help in the metabolic processes of blood cell production. 11 With proper nutrition, ample exercise, and by taking Multivitamins + Minerals (Sangobion IRON+), you can maintain immunity and keep your blood health at its peak.

      7.“Sleep deprivation and deficiency.” National Heart, Lung, and Blood

       Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd

       8.”Pre-sleep drinking disrupts sleep.” ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/01/150117104306.htm

       9.“The effect of the interaction between glucose tolerance and breakfasts varying in carbohydrate and fibre on mood and cognition.” National Library of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1080/10284150600955099

     10 “Iron-Deficiency Anemia.” National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/iron-deficiency-anemia.

     11 “About-Sangobion.” Sangobion, https://www.sangobion.sg/about-sangobion

Recommended intake is one to two capsules daily, during or after meals, or as prescribed by your doctor.

The new normal has brought endless challenges and difficult hurdles. As advised by the DOH, we have to accept the reality of the new normal and incorporate healthy coping mechanisms for the security of our wellbeing and immunity. Remember to keep your health in check and practice these coping techniques to lessen the possibility of experiencing fatigue. Keep your blood healthy through proper nutrition, exercise and take Multivitamins + Minerals (Sangobion IRON+).

If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.