Is Your Fatigue Due to Stress, or Is It Something More?

Stress has always been a part of everyday human life. At some point in life, you’re bound to get stressed out by something, either due to the work-life, personal problems, or anything else. It’s common to end up feeling fatigued and weary due to all of the worldly worries; however, sometimes, the reason for fatigue is actually due to other factors.

Is your Fatigue due to Stress

Here in this article, we’ll discuss if your fatigue is linked to stress or other factors.

What Exactly Does It Mean By Being Fatigued?

To understand the causes of fatigue, it’s important to realize what it means. It’s a symptom that sometimes people face, which includes the constant feeling of tiredness and exhaustion. Fatigue can affect you mentally, physically, or both at the same time, depending on the severity of the issue. If it lasts for a longer period of time, then it could be due to any underlying medical condition; hence it’s essential to know the difference between stress-related fatigue and other medical causes.

The Symptoms of Fatigue

Fatigue can have an effect on your overall mental and physical health and lead to other signs and symptoms such as:

Constant tiredness and dizziness
Feeling the need to sleep all the time
Weakness and muscle soreness
Mood swings
Loss of appetite
Short term memory problems
Lack of concentration and motivation
GI issues like bloating, constipation/diarrhea

The Causes of Fatigue

Psychological factors

In this type of fatigue, you do feel all the associated symptoms such as lack of energy, weakness, etc., but it’s generally due to external factors. This includes the stress of daily life issues, which plays a huge role in the feeling of fatigue. Your stress could be due to the extra workload, shifting houses, exams, getting married, and much more, which can tire you out. The higher the stress, the more your symptoms will be exaggerated. Having anxiety or emotional burnout can also lead to the feeling of constant tiredness.

Lifestyle factors

If you haven’t been getting sleep, your body automatically gets drained out and makes you feel worn out. The feeling of fatigue can also occur at extremes, such as if you’re living a sedentary lifestyle or if you overwork yourself a lot, e.g., excessive exercise. Your habits have a direct effect on your health, so if you’re someone who stays up late at night, drinks too many caffeinated drinks, or consumes junk food, then it can all lead to the reason you’re feeling fatigued.

The important thing to recognize is that fatigue due to stress or any other external factors can be treated by just removing the source of stress. Even though you’ll be fatigued, you’ll still manage to get out of bed to start your day. You’ll feel better once you’ve rested up or by changing your habits that put a strain on your mental or physical health.

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Fatigue caused by illness

If you’ve taken out the source of stress, are getting enough sleep and etc., but you still feel drained out, then it may be due to a medical condition. Some of the conditions that can cause fatigue include:

Anemia
Obesity
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Fibromyalgia
Diabetes
Infections
Arthritis

When you have an underlying condition, no amount of sleep will help in fixing your fatigue. The tiredness tends to be chronic in this scenario which gradually worsens. The symptoms are typically more severe in this case as well. This is why it’s crucial to keep an eye out for your fatigue, especially if it’s getting worse each day.

When Should You Consult a Doctor for Feeling Fatigued?

If your fatigue was sudden in onset
Or if you have fatigue that doesn’t get better after you remove the stress factors along with adequate sleep.
If your fatigue is associated with fainting and any other symptoms such as weight loss, fever, migraines, etc.
If your fatigue is chronic or it is getting progressively worsened.
Falling asleep unintentionally and randomly, along with lack of concentration.

Treatment for Fatigue

Most of the time, fatigue is due to stress and eventually gets better on its own as you improve the quality of your life. Fixing your habits that are a cause of your tiredness, such as exercising in a moderate amount, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, etc., can take away your lack of energy. However, if your fatigue is getting difficult to manage, it’s important to go to a doctor to see what the cause is, as you’ll be prescribed a treatment accordingly.

Most of the time, the fatigue is easy to treat and doesn’t last long if you take prompt action. However, you know about your physical and mental health more than anyone else, so if you’re feeling extremely tired and it doesn’t go away no matter what you do, then it’s best to see a doctor.

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Josh Dudick

Josh is the owner and lead writer at Daily Wisely. His career has taken him from finance to blogging, and now shares his insights with readers of Daily Wisely.

Josh's work and authoritative advice have appeared in major publications like Nasdaq, Forbes, The Sun, Yahoo! Finance, CBS News, Fortune, The Street, MSN Money, and Go Banking Rates. Josh has over 15 years of experience on Wall Street, and currently shares his financial expertise in investing, wealth management, markets, taxes, real estate, and personal finance on his other website, Top Dollar Investor.

Josh graduated from Cornell University with a degree from the Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management at the SC Johnson College of Business.