Longing for hibernation or fatigue?

Fatigue syndrome manifests itself as a persistent feeling of physical or mental exhaustion that cannot be alleviated even by plenty of sleep.

When the days get shorter, we lack light and the cold stimuli are absent due to our modern lifestyle, many of us switch to groundhog mode. Simply sleeping through until spring - that would be it! Or is there perhaps more to the permanent guest fatigue? After all, exhaustion can also occur as an accompanying symptom of numerous illnesses - because these drain our energy resources. In the case of Covid illness, "fatigue" is a common after-effect: 2-3 months after surviving the infection, 71-87% of those affected still suffer from it.

Cleaning up the energy balance

It is important to make a distinction: While tiredness can usually be dealt with by getting enough sleep, when we are tired we go to sleep exhausted and get up just as exhausted. Even everyday activities such as brushing our teeth, cooking or simple memory exercises are like immense feats of strength, after which we urgently need to rest again. In general, we feel less physically and mentally capable than before. In addition to sleep, concentration problems, anxiety and increased sensitivity to light, noise and touch are typical. So what can we do to regain our strength? While exercise is counterproductive in the rare chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), it can help with fatigue in moderation. Because excessive rest would reduce our physical performance even further. It is also advisable to stick to a regular daily routine and to clarify whether there is a nutrient deficiency. Because diet has a direct influence on our energy levels, a change or the intake of special nutritional supplements can help.