There is a culprit that is robbing you of your energy and leaving you fatigued, but you probably don’t even realize what it is. No, it’s not your sleep habits or your exercise routine. You can’t blame your diet or even medication. So, what exactly is it? It’s anxiety.
If you’ve reported being tired and your doctor hasn’t uncovered a specific cause, then it could be attributed to anxiety, and your doctor could be overlooking it.
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Anxiety can be quite overwhelming and draining. Even if you don’t experience a full-blown anxiety attack, chronic fatigue could be caused by mild anxiety.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Joshua Klapow explained, “Anxiety drives our sympathetic nervous system into overdrive. It raises our heart rate, blood pressure, increases muscle tension, and releases toxins into our system that can cause inflammation. All of this can make you feel bad. We can feel fatigue and malaise strictly from being anxious.”
If you generally are a healthy person but can’t seem to shake off your fatigue, then consider the below symptoms that reveal that you may have anxiety.
13 signs of anxiety-induced fatigue
1. Coffee doesn’t improve your tiredness.
2. You still feel tired even after a good night’s sleep.
3. You become suddenly tired before a social event.
4. You are experiencing stomach issues. You may also experience other physical symptoms including headaches or shortness of breath.
5. You feel completely drained at the end of your day.
6. You don’t have a big appetite.
7. You would describe yourself as “burnt out.”
8. You cry often.
9. You experience brain fog and are having a hard time concentrating on tasks.
10. You find it difficult to fall asleep.
11. You suffer from muscle and joint pain.
12. You wake up frequently throughout the night.
13. Getting out of bed is challenging for you.
Do any of these symptoms resonate with you? If so, your tiredness could be triggered by mild anxiety. Even if you don’t believe you are anxious, you very well could be on some level. Speaking to your doctor is a good start to targeting your anxiety to feel more energized.
Related: Mindfulness meditation effective in reducing anxiety: Study
