Dealing With Anxiety and Fatigue

Anxiety takes a lot of energy.

Anxiety is very much like a stress response, but is typically more persistent and longer-lasting. It continues to exist even when the original stressor is gone. It tends to interfere with a person’s quality of life and normal functioning. Anxiety can be recognized by fatigue, insomnia, and other sleep problems; concentration problems, muscle tension, pain, and mood problems may arise. It can hamper people’s lives considerably, interfering with their daily lives: work, relationships, and self-care.

The NIH cites the diagnostic criteria of anxiety as follows:

• Excessive anxiety and worry for at least six months

• Difficulty controlling the worrying

• The anxiety is associated with three or more of the following symptoms for at least six months:

  • Restlessness, feeling keyed up or on edge

  • Being easily fatigued

  • Difficulty in concentrating or mind going blank, irritability

  • Muscle tension

  • Sleep disturbance

  • Irritability

• The anxiety results in significant distress or impairment in social and occupational areas.

• The anxiety is not attributable to any physical cause.

A Tired Mom

​General Approaches to Anxiety-Related Fatigue

Because stress-related fatigue is very similar to anxiety-related fatigue, many of the approaches to treatment and natural approaches apply as well.

• Try to get rid of the stress: If stress is caused by a tangible problem that may have a viable solution, try that solution. If you cannot pinpoint the cause of the stress, make a list of problems and possible, practical solutions that you may be able to implement one at a time to solve the problem. This may help alleviate some stress and, therefore, fatigue.

• The same is true with tasks. Facing difficult or too many tasks can cause plenty of stress and fatigue just thinking about them! If you have tasks hanging over your head, make a list of things you need to do and tackle them one at a time. If one chore bores you, move back and forth between a couple of chores. Making progress and getting them done will make you feel good and often invigorated.

• If it is not a longstanding problem, just try to “deal with it” or relax and ride the wave it until it blows over. I sometimes have this problem with a work-related issue. I wait a bit, and the problem fixes itself. You can do this as long as it is not severe or ongoing. Everything eventually changes.

• Otherwise, briefly step away from the stressful situation if you can – for example, take a day off from work if it is bothering you – get relaxed, refreshed, and go back with a new, brighter, and more positive attitude. Sometimes, you just need to get away from something for a short time.

• Exercise. This increases endorphins (the feel-good neurotransmitters) and it decreases stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol), so you feel happier and more relaxed.

• Sleep - Try to get enough sleep – Make sleep a routine and ritual if you can and a ritual. Make your sleep area a nice and comfy place. A dark, quiet, and cool bedroom is often recommended. Most sources recommend that you limit sleep time as it may disrupt the sleep cycle by affecting melatonin activity (a hormone that regulates sleep).

• Eat nutritious meals and stay well-hydrated. It’s not just the foods you eat but how you eat them! Eat healthy meals: Try to stick to mainly protein and fiber; Things like nuts, seeds, almonds (and “butters” made from these), chia seeds, whole grain bread, Greek yogurt, spinach (for those of you who remember Popeye), eggs, salmon, lean meat, oatmeal, berries, sweet potatoes, beets, oranges, and others. Try to eat several small meals a day. Why? Because a big meal does a couple of things: It causes a spike in blood sugar, which will give you a brief pick-me-up, but suddenly the sugar drops and makes you feel more tired. You also use more energy to digest a lot of food – more blood flows to your digestive tract, away from the rest of your body. A greater release of hormones, like serotonin, causes more relaxation (which is good), but it also causes fatigue. 

• Read or listen to music.

• Try massage, acupuncture, meditation, yoga, tai-chi, relaxation techniques, and journaling (surprisingly, how much this can help).

• Spend some time with your social supports, like family or friends, or even seek out a counselor or someone you can talk to - sometimes, you just need to sort things out.

Over-the-counter approaches for stress-related fatigue

• B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D, and magnesium, possibly iron

Alternative Natural Remedies Which May Help

• Ashwagandha

• Chamomile

• Lemon Balm

• Valerian

• L-Theanine

• Kava

• CBD

• 5-HTP

• Holy Basil

• Melatonin (for sleep)

Prescriptive Treatment

If stress is overwhelming, it may be approaching anxiety. Consider speaking to your primary care provider or psychiatrist regarding your anxiety. Ideally, you should talk to a counselor in addition to taking medications. Usual medications used to address anxiety:

• Antidepressants/antianxiety medications (SSRIs)(SNRIs

• Antihistamines(common: hydroxyzine)

• Benzodiazepines - The course of this should, ideally, be brief or intermittent because it is highly addictive.

• Sleeping medications like Ambien, Lunesta

• Neuroleptics (off-label)(common: Low dose Trazodone or Seroquel)

See the additional sections on anxiety for more ideas and information.