Although tiredness and fatigue may seem like the same thing, they are totally different issues. It’s normal to feel tired after work, physical activity, or a bad night’s sleep. This kind of tiredness can usually be solved with rest.
Fatigue, on the other hand, is extreme exhaustion that may not go away even if you’re getting lots of regular rest [1]. Fatigue can be caused by a variety of things, even things you may think/feel are simple and don’t take much energy. This kind of consistent fatigue is usually caused by an underlying issue like brain injury. In fact, it’s one of the most common (and challenging) symptoms people have after a brain injury [2].
Physical fatigue vs. mental/psychological fatigue
There are two types of fatigue we’re focusing on in this issue of Connections–physical and mental/psychological fatigue.
Physical fatigue is that extreme tiredness you feel in your body. You may not even have the energy to move sometimes. This can come from muscle weakness as your body needs to work harder to do things that were easy before your brain injury[3].
Mental/psychological fatigue is when your mind feels extremely tired. This impacts your thoughts and emotions and can even trigger physical fatigue. This can come from the extra effort it takes to think after your brain is injured. Common tasks take much more concentration than they did before. Working harder to think and stay focused can make you extremely mentally tired. It can also come from your emotional state, including anxiety and stress [3].
What causes fatigue?
The effects you’re experiencing from your brain injury like headaches, sleep problems, and stress can cause fatigue. Pre-existing conditions like depression, hypothyroidism, and anemia can also be causes. Lastly, lifestyle changes like new medications, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition can also contribute to fatigue [3].
What are some examples of fatigue?
You might feel extremely tired after doing what feels like “simple tasks,” like brushing your teeth or getting dressed. Before your injury, these tasks didn’t take as much energy–you probably didn’t even notice. Post-injury, these tasks can take so much energy, that it’s hard to do anything else for the rest of the day.
You might also feel fatigued after [1]:
- Looking at a screen for too long
- Concentrating on a conversation in a noisy environment
- Reading for a long period
- Driving or catching a bus
- How do I know if I’m fatigued?
It’s important to know the signs of fatigue, so you can dial back or stop what you’re doing to rest. Ignoring signs can lead to several days of extreme fatigue because your brain is overspent [4]. Signs of fatigue can include:
- Withdrawal, short answers, dull tone of voice
- Loss of appetite
- Shortness of breath
- Slower movement and speech
- Irritability, anxiety, and crying episodes
- Increased forgetfulness
- Lack of motivation and interest
- Sleepiness during the day
- Losing concentration/attention
- Eyes feeling heavy or eyesight blurring
- Head feeling ‘fuzzy’
- Limbs feeling heavy
- Stomach feeling sick
To find out what your triggers are, rate how you feel before and after doing something on a scale of 1-10. If you know what triggers your fatigue, you’ll be able to plan those activities better to avoid it. If reading for 20 minutes triggers your fatigue, you can try reading for 10 minutes instead [1].
Tips to manage fatigue
It’s important to learn ways to manage your fatigue so that not only do you feel better, but other effects of your brain injury aren’t impacted by it. A few tips to try include:
- Adjust your environment: bright lights and loud noises could be contributing to your fatigue.
- Break down activities into smaller tasks to make them more manageable.
- Create a healthy routine: eat well, exercise, go to sleep early, and avoid alcohol, drugs, and caffeine.
- Make time for rest between activities.
- Plan activities around the hours you feel your best.
- Say no to people and plans if you are passed your limits or notice signs of fatigue coming on.
- Talk about it with others: unfortunately, people who don’t understand fatigue can mistake it for laziness. In reality, individuals struggling with it have motivation but lack the energy to keep up with daily demands [1].
- Talk to health care professionals about the symptoms you’re experiencing: an occupational therapist can give you advice on how to conserve energy on your day-to-day tasks.
Fatigue is an incredibly frustrating effect of brain injury. Unfortunately, no one knows how long it can last. Understanding your limits, signs of fatigue, and learning strategies to manage it is the best way to cope with it and take control of your life.
What methods have helped you so far? Join the conversation on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn to find tips and help other people with brain injury!
