Tired & Wired: How to Reset
One of the things I hear over and over again from my yoga students, health clients and friends (something I’ve also been personally working through to find my balance) is the feeling of being tired but too wired to sleep or rest well.
When we’re not able to properly rest, a whole host of issues start to arise: we eat poorly, we gain weight, our days become a ping pong of distraction with a feeling of being lost, we become critical of ourselves for not being able to get this under control, and we start to feel a sense of burn out - if not already completely tapped out!
The amount of people I see dealing with this is alarming yet one shouldn’t fret. BUT you must take things into your own hands to help yourself out of this feeling!
You might ask, “who has the time?” and if you do you might ask next, “where would one start?” I’ll share some info below!
I’ve known this feeling all too well and felt, at times even as a yoga teacher and health coach, just as flabbergasted as to how to get things under control when at the peak of my own tired and wired feeling.
Could it be adrenal fatigue?
Adrenal fatigue is caused by overstimulation of your adrenal glands that live above your kidneys. They are responsible for releasing the hormone cortisol and when we live in a state of constant stress, they get overworked and don’t function as “normal”. If these glands become overused, they affect every part of your body systems and can eventually lead to the “burn out” feeling.
Which is a real physical issue according to Harvard Health Publishing, “The adrenal depletion would cause brain fog, low energy, depressive mood, salt and sweet cravings, lightheadedness, and other vague symptoms.”
When feeling this tired and exhausted, many people default to comfortable-yet-bad habits such as drinking, eating, shopping, social media, watching Netflix and more to numb the reality of their exhaustion (and they really only get a small - and immediate - spike of exhilaration but pay a HUGE exhausted cost later).
I. See. It. All. The. Time.
What causes this feeling? Stress is the main culprit.
And someone very tired and wired seems to only add more fatigue, more anxiousness, more tension, more intense insomnia and an increase in frequency of infections and allergic reactions if not addressed. A super sensitivity to certain foods, animal dander and the general toxins we come into contact each day - depending on where you live, when your body is not rested.
Plus, with so much highly processed food wherever you are in the Western world, the lack of basic and essential vitamins and nutrients doesn’t make this situation any better. Because what we eat directly affects our energy and if we’re eating more junk than whole foods, the tiredness will increase 10-fold. Not to mention that the amounts and types of nutrients we all need depends on where we are in life: age, gender, health issues, pregnancy, illnesses, etc.
It’s a progression. All of it. The beginning of this decline starts at deep tiredness but over time, this can lead to a depressed feeling (the gut/mind connection is real), long-term and chronic illnesses and injury. If all of it sounds and feels so disempowering - it’s because it is! But only in this moment because…
…our bodies are amazing in that they can come back from almost anything when you mentally bring yourself to the place of wanting to heal. I’ve seen many dramatic changes in people when they were ready to make small and manageable tweaks to their lives. It’s an amazing snowball affect. And I love being witness to it.
Let’s come back to the questions above of, “who has the time?” and, “where would one start?”
They actually go hand-in-hand. You can wait until you’re at the the phase if chronic illness or you can start when you’ve noticed you’re tired and wired. You CAN come back from this feeling.
And you do that by starting to pay attention to your body. Are you tired? Achy? Groggy in the morning? Unable to sleep? What foods are you craving? And more. From there, you start by doing or adding in one thing at a time.
I know that sounds like I’m oversimplifying it a bit but in all truthfulness, it is THAT simple if you make the switch in your mind.
I have a handful of solutions for you but you must remember that it will take a commitment from you as well!
Adopt a healthy lifestyle:
With movement.
Add in short periods of stretching a day, start walking 10,000 steps daily (make it 5,000 for the first week each day and then add another 1,000 steps until you’re at 10,000), meditate (start with 5 minutes each morning) and add in other kinds of exercise. Find a partner to do this with. Accountability is incredible and it works!
Sleep.
Schedule sleep in your calendar. Get as much shut-eye as you can and need (especially when trying to balance yourself out). Which leads to the next thing…
Have a good sleep routine.
Close out bright screens 2 hours before bed, take a bath, read, meditate, lightly stretch. Do things that get you into the sleep mindset.
Try adding in adaptogens.
Consider adding in Maca to your diet as it’s been known to help with energy. Also you can try ashwagandha, Siberian ginseng, and reishi. Tablet or powder form.
Eat good and healthy fats.
Avocado, dark chocolate, nuts, chia seeds, olive oil, coconut oil. No greasy or deep fried foods. Great for your energy.
Eat foods high in the probiotic lactobacillus!
Lactobacillus is a probiotic that is found in fermented foods such as kimchi and pickles, in yogurts and in kombucha. If you’re not up for eating that right away or are in need for a gut health blast, I encourage people to take a live probiotic. Your gut health is closely tied to your stress so take heed and invite this in.
Try supplementing.
Because what is easily accessible to us when we’re out in the world is a whole host of unhealthy foods, taking supplements might be necessary to balance it out. Obviously we want to get everything from what we eat but that might not be possible all of the time. I encourage people to take in chlorella and spirulina as they are very high in B12, iron and vitamin C. A real good boost to your immune system.
Obviously I’m not a doctor. All of these things I’ve learned through training at nutrition school, with my clients and in my own health and healing process. See a doctor if things are pretty intense and invite the above in as you see ready to add in (also don’t wait too long!)
Although we have different backgrounds in terms of heritage and genealogy where some bodies can metabolize foods differently than others, this is still a human body we all have. Some of your allergy issues could be directly tied to you not being in a good health stasis and not the actual foods or things you think you might have issue with.
Do your own research and discuss with your doctor. Also become your own health experiment. You are your most amazing lab and that is the most best part of living this amazing life. You have choices and you can make changes.
Just a few things in the smallest amount will have you back to feeling so much better with time. It’s all about the commitment to your own health and healing.
You can feel your best now! Yes, you can!
Namaste!