I am constantly tired, feel burnt out and powerless.
As if someone had pulled the plug on me.
This is one of the most common descriptions I come across every day in my practice.
According to a recent study by the consulting agency Auctority, 55.7 per cent of Germans feel exhausted - women more often than men, single people more than married people, parents more than childless people. And the trend is rising.
The psychologist and head of the study, Dr Christina Guthier, issues an urgent warning:
„Exhaustion on this scale is not only likely to cause short-term symptoms of failure, but also longer-term damage. People's health, productivity and general confidence are at risk of suffering.“
Feel we only feel exhausted or are we actually do it?
What can we do to regain our strength?
And when do we need professional help?
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Step 1 - Self-analysis
How exhausted do you feel?
Exhaustion is initially a subjective feeling for which there is no objective „measurement“ based on a single parameter. I therefore recommend first carrying out a personal assessment of the intensity.
On a scale of 0-10, how high would you rate your average energy level over the past three months? 0 is the minimum and 10 is the maximum.
This scaling helps us to quantify the extent of the current feeling of exhaustion and to assess future developments.
Where do you feel your exhaustion?
This question relates to the manifestation of your symptoms:
- With a somatic Exhaustion you feel the weakening in your body, are in need of sleep, often short of breath, muscularly weak, less resilient and physically flat after a hard day's work.
- With a psychological Exhaustion lacks drive and motivation, you feel emotionally exhausted, often coupled with stressful thoughts and feelings about your past and future.
How long has this feeling existed?
It is very important to distinguish between acute and chronic fatigue and thus recognise the need for action.
The acute Exhaustion is a normal state after performance and the subsequent endeavour to recover - it can be regenerated quickly and our stress reaction process can be controlled.
Are you able to relax and recharge your batteries on days off or on holiday?
If recovery is not sufficient, the transition to a chronic Exhaustion possible with consequences of withdrawal, social isolation, increase in partnership conflicts and decrease in professional performance. Our stress response processes become uncontrollable, associated with the risk of decompensation, immunosuppression and illness.
I am often asked how long it takes for exhaustion to be categorised as chronic. There is no generalised answer here, as the ability to compensate varies greatly from person to person. Some people can function under high stress for years, while others suffer after just six months of overload.
What is draining your energy at the moment?
Ten common energy robbers that I experience in my work are: Lack of sleep, time pressure, lack of focus, overeating, „indulgence“ abuse, mental inactivity, overwhelm, chronic worry, social conflict and a sense of meaninglessness.
Feel into the ten factors and rate them again on a scale from 0 (does not apply at all) to 10 (applies to the maximum).
- Which influences intensify and which alleviate your symptoms?
- So which of your daily habits continue to have an exhausting effect?
- What have you already changed and with what results?
Even though we usually associate exhaustion with a feeling of deficiency, holistic systems such as Ayurveda teach us that abundance can also contribute to weakness. Examples of this are overeating, maldigestion, metabolic residues and obesity. If we reduce these excesses, the energy returns.
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Step 2 - Self-help
With these eight pillars, many of those affected find more energy on their own:
- Nutrition | This is about the balance of optimal nutrition, digestion and metabolism as well as the balance of energy intake and consumption. Two to three meals a day, consisting of freshly cooked food, are usually beneficial.
- Breathing | This source of energy is often underestimated. Slow, deep breathing in the abdomen and chest can regulate tension and activate the regenerative power of our parasympathetic nervous system.
- Movement | Without energy, we move less and without exercise our energy levels drop even further. To break this vicious circle, we recommend a load-appropriate training plan to increase strength, endurance and flexibility.
- Experience nature | Nature heals and promotes inner calm, peace and a sense of connection. Spend at least one hour a day in the forest, in the mountains, by the water or simply in the countryside.
- Voltage regulation | Inner tension robs us of energy. In addition to conscious breathing and exercise, there are many options such as autogenic training, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga or QiGong.
- Supplements | Dietary supplements to boost energy include micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, fatty and amino acids) and adaptogenic plants such as ashvagandha, ginseng, brahmi and taiga root. Get expert advice on this.
- Value orientation | According to the study mentioned at the beginning of this article, one of the main stress factors is work - and in particular activities that feel pointless. If we become aware of our core values and realise them in our work and leisure time, our energy levels will increase.
- Meditation | In my opinion, no other method is as effective for achieving a healthy distance from external and internal stressors as daily meditation practice. Get to know it without ideology.
If you have already implemented these eight measures and are still not experiencing a sustainable increase in energy, you should seek professional help.
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Step 3 - Professional diagnostics and therapy
The professional differential diagnosis of fatigue must include medical and psychological analyses.
In addition to a detailed medical history, I attach great importance to detailed laboratory analyses in order to rule out deficiencies, metabolic, hormonal and immunological imbalances as causes.
Psychological analyses include questionnaires, anamnesis interviews and psychosomatic examination methods.
Holistic therapy is then based on an understanding of the underlying causes and aggravating factors. This can take place on an outpatient or inpatient basis. Ayurvedic regeneration cures (not Panchakarma!) can be a valuable support here.
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Take your exhaustion seriously, because it is not „complaining on a high level“, but usually a warning sign.
Slogans of perseverance are just as out of place here as catastrophising the seemingly threatening future.
The connections between health, work, leisure and relationships behind chronic fatigue are complex and require a keen sense and analytical skills from all sides.
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