Do You Find Yourself Tired All the Time?
Are you struggling to sleep or do you feel that you are not coping at work?
You are experiencing fatigue.
Fatigue is the feeling of exhaustion from doing seemingly effortless tasks. Feeling exhausted is becoming common in our busy day-to-day as we often don’t take the time to take breaks. Common results of fatigue include loss of motivation, having a slower reaction time, a reduced ability to process information, memory lapses, absent-mindedness, decreased awareness, lack of attention, underestimation of risk, reduced coordination etc. Fatigue can lead to errors and accidents, illness, injury and reduced productivity. It is often a root cause of major accidents. Studies have also shown that drowsy driving is impaired driving. The National Safety Council has gathered research that shows people are three times more likely to be in a car crash if they are fatigued. Losing even two hours of sleep is similar to the effect of having three beers.
Staying awake for 24 hours straight has a major impact on your health and could lead to negative health outcomes, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and obesity. Researchers at the University of Birmingham and the University of Oxford have shown that the willingness to work is not static and depends upon the fluctuating rhythms of fatigue.
Recognising the connection between burnout and fatigue is crucial for creating a healthier work and home environment and leading a healthy yet productive life.
As Arianna Huffington, Founder of the Huffington Post, used to say:
Burnout is not the price you have to pay for success; it’s what happens when you forget to take care of yourself.
