You are used to running through your day with the same amount of energy, so feeling run down and out of sorts can be a shock to the system. If you find yourself tuckering out after normal, day-to-day activities, you may be suffering from something beyond normal fatigue. Suppose you wake up in the morning and you are tired, even though you were able to achieve a solid 7-8 hours of sleep. At this point in the day, you haven’t even started and you are already reaching for an extra cup (or pot) of coffee. Many people also use cannabis, in several different forms and dosages, to get more energy on days they need an extra “boost”.
Sometimes, you get into a routine where you are taking on too much and your body is exhausted all the time. You have work, a family, social life, school, as well as a lot of other things to think about every day. If you are experiencing fatigue all the time, however, it may be indicative of something bigger at play. It may behoove you to figure out what that is so you can be on the path to feeling better.
Why do we lose energy and feel fatigued?
There is no one better than you to tell if your energy level is too low or not enough. If you feel like you don’t have the energy you used to have every day, you should start looking into why you feel tired.
Some of the most common causes of fatigue and energy loss are:
1. Physical inactivity
If you work at a desk, you’re likely to spend 8-10 hours a day sitting down. Some things in your body aren’t tired after a long day, such as your mind. You can be mentally and physically tired at the same time. It doesn’t matter how tired your mind is, because your body hasn’t worked out enough yet.
Recent research has shown that sitting for large periods throughout the day without breaks can induce similar chronic illnesses, diseases, and health concerns as would smoking or eating an unhealthy diet. Due to this, it has been highly recommended to around for a few minutes every half hour, ditching the office chair for a yoga ball, or investing in a standing desk (which would allow for an adjustable sit/stand height work station). Ideally, you should use a combination of these options whenever you need to so that your natural endorphins can kick into gear and help you feel better.
Have you heard of the phenomenon called “runners high” before? It is a feeling of euphoria that occurs after you have completed a challenging exercise session successfully. Endorphins are a type of chemical that is released when you are physically active, and they are the ones who make you feel happy.
An office setting, or working remotely at home, can also be costly due to lack of natural sunlight. If you don’t get outside to get some organic Vitamin D, and you don’t move around much, you will start to feel tired. Having too much time each day where you are sedentary, or moving very little, can be costly to your general health in the long run.
2. Deficiencies in nutrition
If you’re like most Americans, you’re not getting your blood & vitamin levels tested each year, so you may not even realize that you aren’t getting enough nutrients from your food. This can make you more susceptible to common illnesses such as cold or flu, or create unwanted side effects such as fatigue or anemia. The most common vitamin deficiencies include vitamin D, B6 and B12, and folic acid. But that’s not all; most people are also egregiously deficient in iron, iodine, magnesium, and calcium.
It is very important to have enough vitamin D in your body. Low vitamin D will make you feel sluggish and tired, so make sure you get enough sun or supplement accordingly. Vitamin D is very different from other vitamins in how it works. You can think of it as a group of cells and a hormone in your body that has receptors for it which are already built-in.
Another name for this vitamin is the “sunshine vitamin” because it is made from cholesterol when your body gets a lot of sun. If you want to get enough vitamin D, you should eat foods like pasteurized milk and fish that are rich in the naturally occurring nutrient. People who don’t get enough vitamin D start to feel tired and drowsy without it. A similar statement can be made about vitamin B12, something that your body requires to transport oxygen between cells. Vitamin B12 can be found in foods like eggs, fish, and meat.
If you haven’t been getting enough nutrients for a long period of time, you may not observe the changes immediately once you start to supplement and seek out nutrient-dense foods. Although your body has been accustomed to experiencing fatigue and dealing with it, incremental changes will begin to take place in your general health as well as your daily habits. The most common way to get more energy and alertness is to eat more carbs (sugars) or drink more caffeine. This is only a temporary fix, however, and is followed immediately by a ‘crash’ some few hours later, is what this usually does. Gradually making small choices which positively effect your diet will lead to a more sustainable and impenetrable source of energy.
3. Insomnia
You’ve probably overheard people making jokes about sleeplessness, usually after a bad night’s sleep. Chronic insomnia, also known as a sleep disorder, is a far more serious medical condition. It can have a lot of negative effects on your health, including an increased risk for heart attacks, seizures, obesity, and inflammation.
There have been a lot of recent studies in the United States about sleep disorders. According to some estimates, up to 70 million people in the United States suffer from sleep disorders. Short-term insomnia affects about 30% of Americans. According to The Sleep Foundation, 10% of people may suffer from chronic insomnia, and scientists suspect a larger portion go untreated and therefore undiagnosed.
People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be angry, have gastrointestinal issues, and lack motivation. It can have an effect on your brain, including memory loss and poor concentration or focus. Anxiety from not being able to sleep will also lead to depression. It is nearly impossible to have perfect coordination while sleep deprived, which leads to errors and accidents during work or school. When you don’t get enough good sleep, your immune system is constantly at risk.
4. Prescription Medications
Some over-the-counter and prescription medicines used to treat long-term illnesses may also make you tired. Prescription allergy, heart medications, blood pressure, and seizure medications all have adverse reactions which can prove to be very unpleasant. Some are more noticeable than others. Some common symptoms are diarrhea, dry mouth, dizziness, photosensitivity, nausea and vomiting, rash, and of course, drowsiness and fatigue.
You may be able to handle a prescription medication for a long period of time without experiencing any side effects, and then suddenly experience them. It could make you tired all the time, which may or may not outweigh the positive benefits of taking the medication. It would be ideal to consult about any and all symptoms with your doctor, and decide with them wether or not to continue taking it. Prescription drugs and supplements that you take should be routinely checked for any contraindications. This will also help you make sure that none of your prescription drugs are incompatible (incompatible) with each other, which can be dangerous.
5. Mental Illness & Depression
Depression is a common cause of tiredness. You may already know that, but do you know why and how depression makes you tired and unable to get up in the morning or stay awake at night?
Chemicals in the brain change when someone is depressed, and this can make them feel better or even worse. Dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are three of the most common neurotransmitters that cause people to feel bad. These transmitters control how much energy you have, how well you sleep, how motivated you are, and how much pleasure you can feel.
How do you determine whether your lack of energy is related to depression? Although this is difficult to determine, your doctor can assist you in completing certain tests. Usually, they are exams or questions that are used to figure out if someone has depression.
To figure out whether you have chronic fatigue or extreme tiredness because of depression, one of the most simple ways is to look at your body. You want to be a part of the activities. Likely, you don’t have depression if you still want to do things you enjoy. But if you are tired and sluggish, and have no desire to do fun things, what will happen? You may be suffering from depression, in which case you should consult a physician.
6. Chronic Illnesses
Some types of long-term illnesses can really take a toll on your energy. People with long-term illnesses may have been informed that fatigue is one of the signs. In fact, many individuals in the United States don’t know they have a long-term illness, which is usually referred to as “underlying”. Because of this, undiagnosed chronic illnesses put a person at even higher risk of adverse effects and consequences.
Diabetes is one of the long-term illnesses that can make you tired. A diabetic person can be drowsy and slow when they have low blood glucose, rendering them hypoglycemic. Other health problems, such as an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism, can also make you tired.
Several other common causes of chronic health problems that make a contribution to fatigue include the following:
Anemia
COPD and Heart Disease
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Depression
Fibromyalgia
HIV/AIDs
Kidney Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Sleep Apnea
Stress and Anxiety
TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)
It’s important to tell your doctor about any big changes in your symptoms. Even if you already have a health problem, it may be an indication of something else going on as well. Although there are many ways to treat drowsiness and lethargy, you shouldn’t have to continue living with abnormal fatigue because there are so many ways to get energy back and restore your quality of life!
Are Cannabis Energy Boosts Effective?
You may have heard that some individuals choose particular strains of cannabis to aid in energy enhancement. Both depressants and stimulants can be found in marijuana, which is why it is called both. You have to think about a lot of different things to see how it works for you.
To begin, you must select a strain. Sativa marijuana is your best option if you want to increase your levels of energy during the day. Most Sativa’s have a moderate to severe euphoric effect, but some are stronger. That means that if you ingest a “happy” Sativa strain, you’ll be able to relax but stay alert and functional.
When you ingest Sativa, some strains can make you feel very alert and excited at the same time, which can be bad depending on your preferred balance of energy. Using Sativa cannabis can also make you feel paranoid, which isn’t what you want. When the strain you are using has a lot of THC, this can make you feel sick, and have a lot of jitters. You would also be more susceptible to cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome which causes vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, and dehydration.
Cannabis strains that are classified as indica, on the other hand, have the reverse effect. Furthermore, they will not provide you with the marijuana energy boost that you seek. The “indica” strain is sometimes referred to “in da couch” because of this, meaning that ingesting it leads to couch-lock. That’s the theme for most Indica cannabis strains, and it’s also the typical result of smoking or consuming them. It will be more sedative the stronger it is.
Patients who are tired all the time or have low energy may want to use medicinal marijuana as a way to get more energy. It could help you fall asleep faster if you take some Indica cannabis before going to bed, and help you get a good night’s sleep, so you can get the rest you need.
During the moments when you don’t feel like you have as much energy as you should, you can try taking a relatively low-THC Sativa to start giving you a little extra energy. Then, look for a strain that has a high amount of cannabidiol (CBD) in it as well. It is especially important to note that cannabigerol (CBG) ratios are known to make people drowsy, so stay away from strains that have a high potency of CBG. Consult a doctor about adding a cannabis boost of energy to your treatment plan to help you get more energy when you are tired, and you are likely to benefit dramatically in several avenues of life.
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