I remember waking up one morning and feeling more tired than before I went to bed. My alarm seemed the enemy, my coffee a crutch and no matter what time I went to sleep, I couldn’t seem to drag myself through the day without feeling like a walking zombie. It wasn’t just a physical tiredness; it was mental, emotional and existential. I’d reassure myself, It’s just a “busy season.” But that season turned into months. It was at that point when I began to study how to beat fatigue, and not only by sleeping more hours, but actually RESTORING my energy from the inside out.
The reality, however, is that a lack of sleep is by no means the only form of tiredness. It’s a message. Your body is — at times literally (ahem) shouting — whispering that something is out of balance. It might be stress, or dehydration, or poor nutrition, lack of movement or too much emotion. Whatever the reason, you’re not supposed to just push through here; you only benefit from listening — and in some cases resetting — so that you can rebuild your energy stores properly.
When I started this adventure, I attempted to list things I could do to alleviate exhaustion like an itemized to-do list. I jotted down everything I could think of — hydrate more, get a good eight hours’ sleep, healthier eating habits, vitamins. But none of it was any good until I figured out what was making me so tired. Fatigue has layers. Sometimes it’s the wear and tear on your body; other times, it’s exhaustion of the mind. Healing means addressing both.
And so when you ask yourself why am I always tired, the answer starts with awareness. Begin to do this by engaging in simple but effective questions:
Am I feeding my body what it needs?
Am I really sleeping, or am I just crashing into my bed, mind racing?
Do I get my body in motion every day, even a little?
When was the last time I refused to do something that sucked an ounce of energy or creativity from me?
When I finally began answering those questions honestly, I found myself with small little habits that were systematically siphoning my energy away — skipping breakfast, abusing caffeine, scrolling way past bedtime, ignoring my body’s need for rest.
That’s when I switched to learning how to beat tiredness naturally. Instead of searching for trick solutions, I began concentrating on incremental, sustainable shifts. The first was focusing on improving my sleep hygiene. I started instituting a regular bedtime and dimming the lights an hour before bed, as well as banning screens. Within a week or so, I could tell the difference — both in how I was sleeping, and how I felt when I woke up.
Next came hydration. It sounds elementary, but a lack of hydration is one of the sneakiest contributors to fatigue. I began carrying a water bottle everywhere and added lemon or cucumber slices to my water to make it more inviting. Not only did my energy increase, but so did my skin, digestion and focus.
Food was another turning point. I made the connection between what I ate and my energy level. Highly processed foods and sugar were giving me quick spikes of energy followed by crashing lows. Whole, nutrient-rich foods — leafy greens, whole grains, nuts and lean proteins — provided me with a constant source of energy throughout the day. If you’re wondering how to stop feeling tired all the time, treat food as fuel not filler.
Movement was harder. When you’re tired, the last thing you feel like doing is exercising. But what I found is that, for me at least, gentle movement — even just a small walk outside or a few minutes of stretching — creates energy. It gets the oxygen moving and makes us feel better, lifts our spirits.” And it breaks the circular rhythm of uselessness. Once in a while, I would go outside for a 10-minute walk in the sun and feel more invigorated than if Id had a full cup of coffee.
The more I wrote about how to get rid of fatigue, the more I understood that a lot of it was mental and emotional as well. Stress is one of the most depleting uses of energy in our body. When your brain is always on “fight or flight,” it uses up adrenaline and cortisol and leaves you depleted. Mindfulness became my medicine. Spending five silent minutes in the morning either breathing deeply or journaling seemed to quiet my nervous system and declutter my mind.
Another powerful though often neglected step has been learning to rest without shame. I used to think resting was lazy, particularly when our society worships the god of perpetual productivity. But real rest isn’t time wasted — it’s an investment in energy. Now, when I want to break, I take a full one. I unplug from screens, get outside or sit in silence. This pause allows my mind to reset and my body to recover.
Supplements and natural remedies also played a role in my journey to how I overcame fatigue naturally. I discussed my low levels of iron and vitamin D with my doctor — two frequent deficiencies that contribute to chronic fatigue. As soon as I fixed those up, it was a lot easier for my energy to come back. “Pick-me-up” herbal teas such as ginseng and ashwagandha helped regulate my stress response and maintain an even keel of energy during the day.
There’s a second kind of fatigue, however, that many people overlook — emotional exhaustion. If you find yourself always pouring without a decent reset and recharge, no amount of sleep will cure the tiredness. This is where practicing self-compassion comes in. Getting comfortable with boundaries, learning how to say no when it’s necessary, and surrounding yourself with positive influences can change your energy landscape entirely.
Find an identity outside of work When you’re learning how to stop feeling tired all the time, keep in mind that it’s not just about doing more — it’s about doing things differently. Fatigue is also frequently a sign that your current habits aren’t working for you anymore. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and burnout doesn’t make you more productive; it makes you disconnected.
One of the most important changes for me has been reframing how I value rest and energy. I stopped thinking, “I have to earn rest” and began to believe, “I deserve to feel well.” That mindset shift changed everything. No longer was I pushing through my exhaustion to hit a standard that had become unrealistic. I redesigned my days for balance — bursts of focused work interspersed with rest. That equilibrium was my new normal.
If you are having a difficult time figuring out how to battle fatigue, begin by taking small, kind steps. Have a nourishing breakfast, go out in the fresh air, have a drink of water, stretch, breathe deeply and most importantly – allow yourself to slow down. Healing fatigue doesn’t mean hustling harder; it means recognizing your body’s need for rhythm and rest.
Energy isn’t something you find. It’s something you build, brick by brick, but also moment by moment, choice by choice. You are patient and consistent with your body, it will reward you with clarity, focus, and energy. And that’s when life starts to feel light again — not because the weight is lighter but because you are now strong enough to support it easily.
Top comments (0)