Hidden Causes of Fatigue

From Rodale Publishing:

Ever have a day when you feel exhausted for no reason? Well, there are a few hidden causes of fatigue that can sap your energy. Here are the facts:

The first hidden cause of fatigue: Fear and loathing. When you’re anxious, you tense your muscles, which tires you out just as if you were chopping wood. Psychologist Timothy Smith points out that fear also makes you hold your breath, and oxygen deprivation makes you tired, too. The fix: Try this visualization exercise from the University of Utah: Simply visualize yourself someplace restful, like on a beach, a sailboat, or a trek through the woods. Studies show that “vacation visualization” refocuses your attention, and reduces tension and fatigue.

Hidden fatigue cause #2: Noisy co-workers. Researchers studied workers in a noisy textile mill. For one week, employees wore earplugs – the next week, they went without. The result: Workers without ear protection had much higher levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. They were also more cranky and tired. The fix: Ask your co-workers to turn down their phone ringers, and take the chit-chat to the break room. Then, shut your door, if you have one. Or get yourself some earplugs.

One final hidden cause of fatigue: Depressing colors. Color affects mood, and surrounding yourself with nothing but somber colors can make you fatigued and depressed. For example, when officials repainted London’s black bridges with blue paint, bridge-related suicides dropped by half! That’s because blue triggers the production of a brain chemical that helps you relax. However, you don’t want to be too relaxed at work. So the Pantone Color Institute suggests adding warm colors to your surroundings, like yellow, orange, and red, which increase energy. Sure, it sounds like interior-decorator babble, but hard science backs it up. We’re programmed to respond to red; it automatically raises your blood pressure, and increases your pulse rate – which fights fatigue.