Assessing your Fatigue

Your personal safety, and the safety of those around you, is dependent on three factors when it comes to fatigue: recognition that you are feeling fatigued;understanding the potential consequences of an accident whilst doing the task; andtaking action to manage your fatigue. You may be able to do some tasks during times of fatigue if…

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Iron levels and fatigue

Iron is a mineral. It is necessary to make haemoglobin (an oxygen carrying molecule) in the blood. If iron is not eaten in adequate amounts in the diet; anaemia, tiredness and fatigue will result. People at greatest risk are pregnant and menstruating women, vegetarians and athletes.  If you think you may be low in blood……

Managing stress and Fatigue

Stress is something that has been with us for a long time. Even though the cause of our stress has changed, the response in the mind and body has remained the same. When stressed or in danger, the body engages its “fight or flight” response. This response evolved in ancient times when stressors were often……

What are the signs and symptoms of fatigue?

Some of the key signs to look out for are listed below. Drowsiness is an impaired awareness associated with a desire to sleep and signs include:errors in familiar tasksrepeated yawningdifficulty keeping eyes open, head nods, microsleepsirritability or impatiencememory loss or forgetfulness (e.g. not being able to remember the last 5min driving)difficulty concentrating/Dream-like thoughtsblurred visions, heavy……

Energy requirements & fatigue

Eating too much food will provide more energy than we need for metabolic and activity needs, leaving the extra energy stores as body fat (weight). The greater your body weight, the more chance you are of experiencing fatigue. The graph below shows that, as body weight increases above 86kg for an average height man, and……

Sleep & physical activity

Do I exercise or just have a sleep? It is not uncommon for people experiencing fatigue to put this down to lack of sleep, when in actual fact there are underlying physical and/or functional fitness problems. Physical or functional problems may be related to poor physical fitness, poor strength, inflexibility, injury, illness or inappropriate functional……

Top tips for management mental health

Putting it all together Depression, anxiety and stress are major risk factors of fatigue. The good news is that they are all treatable conditions and many people overcome mood disorders through proactive management. However, there is no quick fix. Treatment of mood disorders often takes time and includes a combination of techniques to manage the……

Mood & physical activity

Think about the last time you took a brisk walk. How did you feel afterwards? I bet you felt good! You don’t have to wait for the good feeling physical activity brings. It starts right away – and then gets better. Studies have shown that regular physical activity reduces stress-related symptoms and decreases the risk……

Why is fatigue a problem?

The consequences of fatigue are unpredictable. They can range in severity and should not be taken lightly. The simple act of falling asleep may result in something as harmless as lost production, but it could also cause an accident or catastrophic event, whereby you may injure or kill yourself and/or others! Fatigue typically leads to……

Top 10 sleep tips

Poor sleep habits have often been reinforced over many years. The good news is that there are some common things you can do that will improve your sleep hygiene. Different things may work for different people. The main thing is to try not to worry about not getting enough sleep. The odd poor night’s sleep……

Getting enough exercise

We’ve talked about all the benefits of physical activity, but how do we know your fitness is causing you to lack energy and feel fatigued? Ask yourself these questions: Do you breathe heavily after walking up a short flight of stairs?Do you need to take a break or rest if you walk for 1 hour?Are……