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The hardest part of any race is always towards the finish line and that is exactly how many feel towards the end of every year. People start to feel more tired, overwhelmed, irritable and burnt out as the year draws to a close, which is a real phenomenon known as year-end fatigue. Fatigue is a feeling of extreme weariness, tiredness, or lack of energy, and after spending the most of year studying or working, people tend to experience this in the last quarter.

Feeling fatigued can negatively affect how well you execute your duties, how you perform at work and how you experience your day-to-day life. It is also a known risk factor in car and workplace accidents, and you need to seek medical assistance if you find yourself experiencing extreme tiredness on a regular basis.

There are also many behaviours you can practice to minimise your chances of feeling fatigued and make sure you’re in the best position to deal with year-end fatigue when you start to feel it creeping in. We have put together a list of helpful tips for you below:

Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Regular exercise is not only good for your physical health, but for your mental health as well. Exercise has been proven to release endorphins that help improve your mood and reduce stress levels, making you feel happier and more energetic. Eating a balanced diet will also ensure that your body is well nourished and able to perform at its best, which may help you work or study better.

Take regular time off

Many people put pressure on themselves to work throughout the year and only take a break during the festive season. This is one of the main causes of burnout as you are not allowing yourself to rest and your body eventually crashes. You need to take regular time off throughout the year, making sure you allow yourself enough time to rest and recharge so you never get to feel burnt out.

Get enough sleep

An underrated but important part of taking care of yourself is getting enough sleep. Not getting enough sleep can make you wearier, affect your focus, alertness and productivity. Getting enough sleep is crucial to brain rejuvenation and helps you to wake up refreshed, focused and energised every day.   

Get professional assistance

If you’re feeling extremely fatigued and nothing you try seems to be helping, it is important to consider getting assistance from a medical professional. Sometimes, chronic fatigue can be a symptom of underlying conditions and, therefore, it is crucial that you be medically assessed should you start experiencing symptoms. If your fatigue is accompanied by symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, sore or aching muscles, muscle weakness, slowed reflexes and responses, impaired hand-to-eye coordination, appetite loss, blurry vision, hallucinations and short-term memory problems, then you need to immediately seek medical attention.

Remember, fatigue is a symptom and not a medical condition or disease. To help reduce your fatigue, you need to understand what the underlying causes are and work towards fixing those first. There is no medication or remedy that can immediately cure or stop fatigue. Fortunately, for most people, fatigue will get better over time with some simple and practical lifestyle changes, so just listen to your body and don’t ignore any changes when they start to happen.

Sources:

Fatigue: Better Health Chanel – https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/fatigue

Fatigue: Medline Plus – https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003088.htm

Overcome End-of-Year Fatigue with These 4 Tips: Psychreg – https://www.psychreg.org/overcome-end-year-fatigue/

Tips for students on how to beat year-end fatigue: IOL – https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/health/mind/tips-for-students-on-how-to-beat-year-end-fatigue

What causes fatigue, and how can I treat it: Medical News Today – https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248002