If you are tired all the time are you need to consider the effect of these three things on your energy. Maybe by just giving up one of these things it will help you overcome tiredness and get your energy back. You might think you are having something that will help you but it could be having the opposite effect.
Part one - "Time for a Coffee?"
Caffeine - We've all heard that coffee is a pick me up. Are you a new, sleep deprived or busy mum? Are you in a stressful work environment? Do you need a coffee to keep you going? A quick hit of caffeine can help you... can't it? It helps you to cope, to stay awake, to take a break, to help you think, doesn't it? On the downside too much caffeine can cause anxiety, overstimulation, restlessness, irritability and poor sleep. Do you drink more than five cups of coffee every day? Do you "rely" on it to keep you going? If you feel headachey and irritable on waking, too much caffeine can give you a hangover effect. Over time your tolerance to caffeine increases and you need more to experience the same "hit".
Reducing your Caffeine Intake - If you decide to reduce your intake of caffeine you need to do it slowly over a period of three to four weeks. Try replacing your coffees with decaffeinated drinks such as herbal teas and start drinking hot water with a few slices of lemon - it is refreshing and cleansing. Herbal teas are not to everyone's taste but you can educate your taste buds to like them over time. Start off with a peppermint tea or one of the fruit varieties such as a fruits of the forest flavour. You don't need to infuse them for the 2 to 3 minutes like they recommend just dip the teabag in for a few seconds and that will give you just a hint of the flavour until you get used to it. Within a few days you should feel some positive effects to overcome being tired all the time.
Withdrawal Symptons - As with many things, to get to the benefits of cutting down on your caffeine intake you may have to experience some discomfort on your journey to overcoming tiredness. These symptoms may include headaches, irritability and increased tiredness which can all add to your general feeling of being unwell but please bear with it. Your body has got used to its caffeine hit maybe even up to ten times a day or even more. It needs time to adjust to clear your body of toxins and readjust to the lower level of caffeine. Your body kept adjusting its tolerance of how much caffeine it took to feel the "hit" now it just needs time to readjust to the lower level you are giving it until you no longer feel the need to rely on it. Many of us enjoy a coffee in a social situation - meeting up with friends in a coffee shop, taking a break at work or having a coffee after a meal - most places now will have a herbal tea alternative, you've just got to get into the habit of ordering it.
If you read this and take out all the references to coffee or caffeine you'd almost think it was referring to a drug with phrases such as "getting your hit", "anxiety and irritability", "withdrawal symptoms". If it helps to kick start your battle with being tired all the time feel free to think of caffeine as just that. It's your body, caffeine, although a stimulant can end up doing the opposite of what you want it to - it can contribute to you being tired all the time. Maybe if you reduce your reliance on caffeine, it will help you overcome tiredness and get your energy back, surely it's certainly worth a month's trial to see if you feel any better, isn't it?
Please look out for Parts 2 and 3 of this series. If you need any further advice on being tired all the time visit http://www.beingtiredallthetime.com.
This article was written by Dee Brady. Visit http://www.beingtiredallthetime.com for further advice on overcoming tiredness