Being booked, busy and pulled in every direction seems to be a thing of celebration today. As much as it puts food on the table and secures the necessary resources required for living, we need to be cognizant of our innate need for rest. Unfortunately, technology is not making it any easier for us either. As one eases into a quiet evening before bed, with soft notes of jazz music playing in the background, a rude beep & light from the phone calls for immediate attention. Before you know it, 2 hours of unsuspected screen time have passed. This steals from our much-needed sleep. Something has to give. Our health depends on it.

The difference between tiredness and fatigue is subtle yet significant. Tiredness talks to the moment, yet fatigue talks to a pattern of progressive tiredness. Lack of sleep oftentimes accompanied by the precipitant of stress leads to what is known as accumulated ‘sleep debt’. A lack of what is known as sleep hygiene (bedtime habits that promote better, quality sleep) further steals from the already limited time for sleep. This is why it is crucial to set personal systems in place that keep you in check with your health goals. Things like having a healthy daily routine that ensures you keep to time, manage stress well, eat well, exercise, limit alcohol consumption, manage screen time and go to bed at set times. Of course, there are days when activities spill over, but that should not be a problem as long as one can get back to their normal routine. It sounds like a lot of work, but health requires intentional commitment.

Work, family, and social environments will always be demanding. If we make a habit of attending to everything, stretching ourselves thin without limits – our health will foot the bill in the long run. This is why some people resort to stimulants such as coffee, energy drinks and in worse cases, drugs to keep them going. The fast-growing industry of energy drinks capitalises on the need for supplemental energy to perform tasks at hand. This may work in the short term but over time, it is not sustainable as the cardiovascular system pays the price for it. Over the years, several young adults and adults continue to be seen in the ER with heart palpitations, feeling anxious, and ‘feeling sick’ with headaches after consuming energy drinks. 

A European study found teenagers and young adults who used energy drinks to be suffering from poor sleep, with a risk of substance use and had poor health indicators. This is a cause for concern as just a couple of months ago, there was teenage hype around a new energy drink which was deemed to be safer than conventional energy drinks surfacing globally. The normalisation of quick fixes even in the most subtle messaging is cause for concern as healthy, sustainable habits should remain foundational principles even for the next generation for healthy living.

Chronic fatigue could be related to underlying health problems than just from lack of rest. This is why it is important to consult with your GP when experiencing fatigue to rule out pathological causes. Tests will be conducted at the discretion of the doctor, to rule out dietary deficiencies or correct electrolyte imbalances. It could also be psychological problems contributing to fatigue, indicating the need for mental assessment by a professional for underlying causes such as depression or anxiety disorders for prompt treatment and support. People are different with varying factors influencing their lifestyle choices and decisions, there is never a one-size fits all approach to management, hence it is imperative to consult for personalised treatment. These cited factors are not mutually exclusive. They can coexist in one person with additional factors.

When we speak of health matters, it ends up sounding repetitive in a sense because it always boils down to the basics: consulting for basic screening and when there is a problem identified, eating a healthy balanced diet, drinking water, cutting down on alcohol, exercising as advised by your doctor, managing stress well, sleeping adequately at night, limiting phone/laptop screen time at night and keeping supportive family and friendships around who love and support your mental well-being thus propelling you into the right direction healthwise.

There is so much beauty to behold, so much life to live and so much more to give off of ourselves; but we need to strike a balance. Knowing when to pull back and recharge enables us to bounce back effectively with staying power. Our health should always rate high on our priority list. What may appear as a dormant state of being in the night, is a necessary recharge that sets you up for the rest of the day. With consistency, our immune system and DNA repair better too setting the stage for a healthier life. If needs be, take bits and chunks of it in the form of power naps. But in everything, put your health first. REST! I wish you a restful week.