The busy modern person has a lot to do and a lot to worry about every day. Many of us work long hours and get little to sleep. The occurrence of three meals a day at set times is increasingly rare. Various pressures of life strain the body and mind, and problems such as insomnia, memory loss, anxiety, fear, and depression are becoming more and more common. In a word, it is fatigue.
Many people think that more sleep and rest is the answer to all these ailments, but in reality, this is not the answer to fatigue, as we learned from Dr. Wu Kuo-Pin, director of the Taiwan Hsinyitang Chinese Medicine Clinic.
But isn’t sleep the panacea we were led to believe?
“There are many causes of fatigue. We need to understand what kind of fatigue we have so we can prescribe the right remedy for the best results,” said Dr. Wu.
physiological fatigue
Physiological fatigue is physical fatigue, which is caused by the body being overworked and the inability to properly handle the metabolites produced by hard work.
“The more waste that accumulates in the body, the more muscle pain,” Dr. Wu said. “The lack of adequate supply of nutrients to the tissues and organs will lead to weakness and tiredness in the extremities.”
This type of physical fatigue is usually an occupational disease, which can be caused by maintaining a certain posture or performing a certain type of action for a long time, the doctor explained. “Therefore, to improve physiological fatigue, we must pay attention to whether there are deviations or excesses in posture or movement, and do some stretching exercises to loosen and prevent and relieve physiological fatigue.”
Mental fatigue
The main cause of mental fatigue is prolonged mental stress. Just resting or sleeping is not very effective in relieving this type of tiredness.
“Holistic solutions of both the body and the mind are required to release pressure or pent-up emotions,” said Dr. Wu. This is why many people seek out therapists.
“In other words, we must take the weight off our minds and fully resolve and let go of the disturbance in order to truly eliminate mental fatigue and restore health.”
brain fatigue
Brain fatigue is due to long hours of thinking or concentrating on something, which generates the feeling of exhaustion.
“Overuse of the brain will cause the brain to consume too much oxygen, leading to a lack of oxygen supply to the brain. Therefore, carbon dioxide cannot be metabolized smoothly, and brain fatigue will occur, sometimes accompanied by dizziness, headache, nausea, memory loss and other symptoms,” said Dr. Wu.
In these cases, sometimes the simple solution of breathing exercises can give great results.
“When this fatigue occurs, you can stand up and do chest expansion and deep breathing exercises to inhale a lot of oxygen into your lungs,” Dr. Wu instructed.
“Then move the cervical spine and comb the hair so that blood flows quickly and smoothly to the brain, eliminating brain fatigue.”
But these are short-term and immediate remedies, not lasting ones.
“However, the best way is to readjust the pace of life, review workload and rest time, and strike a balance between the two,” added Dr. Wu.
subjective fatigue
Subjective fatigue can be described as “exhaustion,” a state of feeling powerless over oneself or anything else. Subjective fatigue is usually caused by personal emotions.
“The common situation is that you are very committed to your work for a period of time, but that your efforts are not rewarded or recognized. After a period of time, their enthusiasm and motivation gradually wear off,” said Dr. Wu. This differs from mental fatigue, which may have more to do with being overwhelmed, as subjective fatigue results more in a loss of motivation than a state of anxiety.
“Enthusiasm needs to be rekindled. Try to shift some of your attention to other activities, or change your work style and learning methods,” said Dr. Wu, adding that it is a time to learn the importance of “letting go” of things.
“Don’t worry too much about what others might think of you, and follow your own lifestyle to really get rid of this pain.”
Fatigue caused by an unbalanced diet
This fatigue is caused by a long-term preference for certain types of food or not eating certain types of food, resulting in nutritional imbalance and health problems. Large percentages of Americans today have nutritional deficiencies in many essential vitamins and minerals.
Dr. Wu explained an ancient view of a balanced diet. “An ancient Chinese medicine book, Huangdi Neijing (literally meaning “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine”), talks about the importance of a balanced diet and how to combine different types of food in a balanced way.”
The book says: “The five grains are the main sources for growth; the five fruits provide complementary food; the five livestock are the main sources of energy; and the five vegetables are the main sources of supplement. The intake of them combined in a balanced way will help the body to stay healthy and energetic”.
Modern research has also shown that variety is essential for a healthy gut microbiome.
“Huangdi Neijing embodies ancient Chinese wisdom and understanding of the universe and its relationship with the human being. It is the most important ancient text of Chinese medicine, as well as an important book on Taoist theory and lifestyle,” explained Dr. Wu.
“Following ancient Chinese wisdom, we need to eat a balanced diet according to each individual’s physique to relieve fatigue and stay healthy.”
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