How to Overcome End of Year Fatigue
With the end of the year closing in many clients and people I know are starting to get end of year fatigue. It’s been another tough year from the multitude of viruses, recirculation of covid and rising costs of living.
Even though the mornings are lighter and summer is on it's way, it's harder to get up and there is a lack of motivation to complete tasks and the usual daily routines can seem unending and overwhleming.
It’s brain fog central at home and at work, you’re feeling sleep deprived, your moods are a tad unstable and in general you may not feel as though you’re at your peak in your health and wellbeing.
So, how are you going to get yourself through all the end of year work and social festivities to that well deserved holiday break?
Have you heard of Nootropics?
Nootropics are substances that allow you more control over your everyday mental states, moods, motivation, cognitive performance and energy.
It’s a relatively recent term coined in 1972 by Romanian chemist Cornelio Giurgiu to describe compounds that could “turn the mind”.
In theory, a substance can be called a nootropic if it grants the user more control over their neurochemistry and the resulting behavioural outcomes. For example, melatonin allows users to intelligently regulate their normal sleep cycles by utilising a synthetic substance the brain naturally creates.
The best part is nootropics actually work at enhancing the brain's natural energy capacity, as opposed to cheaply stimulating brain energy and filling your body with adrenaline (like so called supermarket energy drinks do).
What is Brain Fatigue?
Not only can you feel physically tired at this time of year but your brain can feel tired and foggy. Psychologically, brain fatigue relates to the subjective state of feeling overwhelmed, overworked mentally and emotionally drained.
Many new mums and women going through perimenopause often comment on a feeling of brain fog and nearly two-thirds of women experience brain fog as a symptom of menopause. It may involve difficulty remembering words or names, struggling to concentrate, or the common scenario of walking into a room for a particular reason but then completely forgetting what that reason was.
The physiological side of brain fatigue may be improved by both lifestyle changes and dietary intake.
If this sounds like you, there are some things you can do get yourself re-engaged and re-energised.
Slow down. Train yourself to recognize when you’re distracted, and take a moment to breathe and refocus on the task at hand.
Manage your stress. Using mindful meditation or other stress-reduction strategies like Yoga Nidra, Shiatsu and breathing practices can also help you to relax and be more present, absorb new information and recall it more easily.
Get regular exercise. Physical activity benefits not only your body, but also your mind.
Improve your sleep habits. If you are experiencing poor sleep quality, work on strategies that can help you get more rest at night - stay off electronic devices close to bedtime and establish a regular sleep schedule.
And, yes, nootropics for brain fatigue may help.
But where does brain fatigue come from?
Generally, brain fatigue comes from three things:
Sleep Deprivation - without sufficient sleep, brain and body performance reliably suffer due to low energy recovery.
Over-Working - excess energy expenditure requires excess energy intake and recovery to maintain cognitive performance.
Stress - excess stress hormone cortisol may lead to substantial metabolic imbalances and other health issues.
Considering that the brain consumes nearly 20% of the body's total energy, cognitive impairment is to be expected under low energy conditions. When the body's energy levels decrease, mental performance also declines while the risk for age-related neurodegeneration increases.
Symptoms of Brain Fatigue
The main symptoms of brain fatigue seem to particularly include decreases in:
Task-related (working) memory
Verbal recall
Sleep quality
Multitasking
Processing mathematics
Focus and attention
Memory and learning
Mood and motivation
You may just have some of these. However, the longer that brain fatigue symptoms go unaddressed, the longer it takes to rectify them. And, potentially it can lead to an increased risk of chronic fatigue syndrome.
The Benefits of Nootropics for Brain Fatigue
Synthetic stimulants and so-called "smart pills" essentially work as go-go energy aids, amplifying mental energy and focus in quick, incredible, reliable bursts. However, stimulants don't exactly offer a long-term, viable solution for mental performance. If anything, they significantly impair cognitive function over time by depleting focus and energy-related brain chemicals through hyperactivity.
The benefit of supplementing nootropics over stimulants is that nootropics increase the natural pathways involved in better brain energy management and aren’t addictive.
While nootropics might lack the blunt, straightforward approach to increasing mental energy that synthetic stimulants have, the diverse bio-pathways taken by a well-crafted nootropic cover a wide range of bio-benefits, including:
Increased mitochondrial ATP energy output.
Decreased stress hormone-related fatigue.
Improved brain cell-to-cell communication.
Optimized blood circulation across brain and body.
Combined, these help reduce the symptoms of brain fatigue for all-around better memory, focus, attention, mood, motivation, and cognitive clarity. And the combined benefits of those range anywhere from better work performance to an improved personal life and lifestyle.
Why People Use Nootropics?
Nootropics allow users more control over their everyday mental states and moods, and cognitive performance. In the same way that caffeine can make your body ready for the day, nootropics can be used to support a range of functional benefits.
Productivity and Motivational Effects:
Nootropics provide a boost for getting essential tasks done. Ideal for high-pressure cognitive work such as studying, essays and exams.
Boost In Social Ability:
Some users take nootropics for a boost in social ability, including benefits to confidence, extroversion, and verbal fluidity. Ideal for public speaking, parties, and presentations.
Pre-workout Mixes:
More recently, nootropics have been included in pre-workout mixes to ensure that exercise can be carried out with an iron will. When your motivation needs an extra edge, nootropics can help.
Support Brain Health:
Some nootropics also provide neuroprotective effects, supporting brain health and stimulating normal production of neurons. Maintain and support the engine of your productivity and creativity.
Caffeine is the most widely consumed nootropic in the world.
It’s naturally found in coffee, cocoa, tea, kola nuts, and guarana and added to many sodas, energy drinks and medications. It can also be taken as a supplement, either on its own or in combination with other substances.
A low to moderate caffeine intake of 40-300 mg increases your alertness and attention and decreases your reaction time. These doses are especially effective for people who are fatigued.
Other nootropics you may have heard of are L-Theanine, Bacopa Monnierei, Creatine and Rhodiola Rosea.
Get Motivated and Overcome Fatigue
If you want to wake up, nourish your body and get the right kind of energy for the rest of the year then begin to incorporate the lifestyle changes above as well as find a well-crafted nootropic that helps:
Support energy levels and energy production
Maintain nervous system function and health
Aid in the synthesis of neurotransmitters
Maintain general mental wellbeing
As always a regular shiatsu massage is a great way to overcome fatigue at any time. By bringing energy to the spleen and kidney systems and balancing all the energies in your body you’ll feel more rested, energised, less fatigued and ready to face the end of year festivities.