Why Do I Have Such Low Energy? Here’s Your Answer
Dr. Ben Connolly
NATUROPATHIC DOCTOR
Low Energy or Fatigue
Low energy or fatigue is one of the most common complaints we all can have from time to time. However, when that complaint begins to be a daily occurrence it is a warning sign that something in the body is not working correctly.
Get Some Blood Work
The first things that need to be ruled out can be done via a simple blood test. Making sure your iron levels are adequate, your vitamin B12 levels as well as hemoglobin and a number of thyroid markers (though these are often off if you are burnt out). If these come back as optimal (very different than “within range”) then the reason you are tired is that you are starting to burn out.
Burnout
Burnout has a significant effect on your energy level. At first, when you’re under periods of stress the hormone cortisol, which is released when you’re under stress, actually increases our energy by telling our body to release more sugar into our bloodstream so that you have the increased fuel necessary to take care of the situation which is causing the increased stress. The problem is that for a lot of us, that stress never goes away, we move from one deadline to another and another and another. Then, if you’re like most of us, we go on vacation and our vacation has to be epic and we have to do all the things while on vacation. Then we return home to our regular routine all the while feeling we need a vacation from our vacation. By never slowing down we are not allowing our cortisol levels to return to a normal level, and though at first, this increases our energy eventually it starts to have the opposite effect.
If we are not able to let our cortisol levels return to normal, the chronic high levels of cortisol start to negatively affect our energy level. One of the most common pathways in the body which cortisol negatively effects our energy level is that cortisol can hinder our thyroid function. Thus, if you are under stress for long periods of time it is very common for hypothyroid symptoms to begin to occur. So if you’re feeling tired day in and day out and you can’t seem to be able to slow the pace of your life down, then the most common cause for your fatigue is due to your burnout which is stopping your thyroid from working optimally.
Are You Burning Out?
