Are you the kind of person who when feeling tired will keep pushing through? I know I am, actually I mean was. I've always been the kind of gal who when their body says "You know Renae, I'm a little bit tired now how about stopping for a rest?" I would reply "Pfft. Body what would you know. We've got heaps of work left to be done and we won't be stopping until I am satisfied that it's done."
Now you can manage to go on like this for a while but in the end if you're not allowing your body to get the rest that it needs it will eventually slow you down whether you like it or not. For some it's falling asleep at the wheel and having an accident, for some it's stress related heart conditions, for many including myself this weird little phenomenon called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome comes and takes over your body.
No-one seems to know what actually causes CFS as it is simply a medical term for the patient having persistent tiredness not caused by over exertion, medical conditions or relieved by rest. It is believed to be often caused by a post-virus fatigue as the illness often begins as strong flu like symptoms which then lead into the fatigue and many, many other symptoms.
For me I was just completing my final assessments for my fitness qualifications, was actively looking for work, looking after 2 very active children under 4, training vigorously usually twice a day, training as an SES crew member and moving house when illness struck. In fact it struck the very weekend we were moving house and as my husband was busy painting the interior of our new home I moved every single box from one house to the other while barely able to stand.
As was to be expected (but not by me at that stage) I didn't recover very well from my illness and the next week while completing a running prac for my final assessments I was barely able to get around a track that I would normally have been able to do 25 laps of without breaking a sweat. Did this slow me down? No way, straight after this I went a completed another prac at Cross Fit.
You're probably thinking this chick is pretty slow but the fact was that I was just stubborn and refused to admit that while the mind was strong, the flesh was unable. After this I began working in the fitness industry doing sometimes seven shifts a week, teaching classes, showing clients how to lift weights and completing my own training. I also had the sole care of my children for 40 hours a week and the lion's share of the housework and cooking.
I was getting home from work some nights at 9pm and would be backing out my driveway again at 5.30am. Guess what? I got so tired that I would fall asleep sitting in a chair in the middle of the day. I would wake up after 8 hours sleep feeling as though I hadn't slept a wink 9 days out of 10. I refused to listen to my doctor that it was my highly active children causing my tiredness as they had always been active but I hadn't always been chronically exhausted. I finally sought the advice of a naturopath who through analysis of my lifestyle, symptoms and some diagnostic tools was of the belief that I was suffering from adrenal fatigue.
While I don't want to get too much into this, adrenal fatigue is basically when you keep your body in "fight or flight" mode for too long and your adrenal glands are no longer able to produce the adrenaline needed to get through life with the energy it requires.
Fast forward to now and through falling pregnant with baby #3 and leaving work to become a stay at home mum I have finally learnt that my body does have limitations and failing to recognise this is not tough, it's not courageous, it's stupid. I have now learnt to listen to what my body needs and have found the following things:
- While pregnant I need a minimum of 9hrs sleep to function well
- Exercising more than a brisk walk or some vigorous yoga or a light weights session causes excessive fatigue.
- If I feel tired, stop. Sit down and take 10 minutes to have a cup of tea, read a book or cuddle the kids. If I don't, I end up down for a whole day. Better to take 10 minutes now.
- Going to be at 9.30pm and rising at 6.30am gives me about 30% more energy then going to bed and waking up at alternative times.
- Not to feel guilty, like a failure or weak because I cannot function at the level I used to as this was what caused this predicament in the first place.
- That when I respect my body's needs that I feel much better in general and much less tired meaning that I am still able to achieve plenty in my day.
I have also found that by being more selective in the things that I spend my time and energy on and cutting out the stuff that has no real importance I am able to not only conserve energy but I am able to focus better on those things that I do meaning that I do them better.
My advice to you so that you don't need to learn things that hard way is to listen to that body of yours. Rest when you need to rest, get the amount of sleep that your body needs, exercise at an intensity that leaves you invigorated not constantly exhausted and don't function on the belief that you must be busy to be productive. Respect your body and it will be everything you need it to be.
