Hi Sam. i couldnt find any letters on this topic. I am always so tired, im in y10 and always am so stressed i cant sleep and i have anxiety, amd am anemic (iron deficient).All this makes me so tired i cant cope and struggle to get up. im so extremely tired i get headaches and can hardly focus. Do you have any tips on managing this extreme tiredness or how i can get more energy? Pls help me.
Thank you for reading
Sam
Hi there
There are lots of things that can affect your energy levels and make you feel tired. Having an illnesses like anaemia, flu, depression or anxiety can sometimes make it difficult to do everyday tasks so it’s important to see your doctor if you’re finding it hard to do the things you used to be able to do.
If you’ve been diagnosed with anaemia you’ll usually need to have medication to treat it and sometimes a different mediation to treat the cause of the anaemia. It can take time for your medication to start working so you might not feel better straight away. If you’re still feeling tired after a few weeks or months you’ll need to go back to see your doctor again.
The symptoms of stress, depression or anxiety can often be similar to anaemia and it can be difficult to know which is causing you to have headaches, feel tired and have difficulty concentrating. Sometimes the symptoms are caused by more than one illness at the same time and you might need treatment for all of them before you start to feel better.
In the meantime there are ways to help yourself to manage your symptoms and to take care of yourself. You could make small changes to what you eat. Try talking to your doctor about what the best diet to follow is. This might be something like eating more nuts, fresh fruit and vegetables rather than snacks like chocolate or biscuits. You should always follow your doctor’s advice about changing your eating habits, especially if you have other health problems which could be affected.
Try to get more rest while you are recovering by going to bed earlier and by pacing your activities so that you’re having breaks every hour or two. You could schedule time outside a couple of times a day as well to boost your energy and do some exercise like gentle stretches or a short walk.
Sometimes it can help to come to terms with the fact that you’re going to be unwell for a short time and stop pressuring yourself to do everything you’d normally do. Recognising the signs that you’re struggling to cope can mean you’re able to ask for help at school and at home to help you to keep up with school work, homework and organising your day in a way that feels manageable for you.
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
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