Why do we feel so tired?

Constant weather changes, daylight savings, and hormone fluctuations: These are all the reasons why we feel so listless right now. But there are things you can do to combat this springtime fatigue.

The first cherry blossoms are already blooming, but we are still yawning. The culprit is springtime fatigue, which is anything but a medical fairytale: almost 70 percent of the population suffers from it from mid-March to mid-April. One reason for this is the temperature change that unfortunately often occurs during spring: as soon as it gets a little warmer, the blood vessels dilate and blood pressure drops. On days when it’s colder outside, the blood vessels constrict and the blood pressure rises. This constant up and down is stressful for our body and why we are constantly tired.

A hormonal roller coaster is one of the main causes

Not to mention that our body also has to contend with a hormonal roller coaster, which, according to researchers at Georgetown University, is particularly responsible for springtime fatigue. This is due to the fact that in winter, our body produces mainly melatonin, a hormone that makes us tired. As soon as we get more light, the happiness-hormone serotonin is released again. This would actually be a good thing if we still didn’t have so much melatonin in our bodies leftover from wintertime. It’s a perfect storm of hormones that makes it difficult to wake up in spite of getting enough sleep.

Luckily there are ways of combating this fatigue:

Don’t wear sunglasses

Daylight and the sun boost serotonin production and automatically put us in a better mood. So: even if it’s a bit bright, leave your sunglasses off for a while and fill up on light. Because UV rays can only regulate the happiness-hormone when they hit the retina directly.

 

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Irène Schäppi (@irenamaria78)

Get some fresh air

Whether it's morning yoga with the window open or a walk outdoors: The more oxygen we absorb, the fitter we feel.

Try a sauna or alternating showers

Regular sauna visits can stabilize the blood vessels, so that we don’t have to deal with tiring blood pressure fluctuations. Or try taking alternating hot and cold showers in the morning. This promotes blood circulation and trains the vascular system. Not to mention it tightens the connective tissue, a nice little skin prepping ritual for bikini season.

Use aromatherapy

Rosemary is considered to be the espresso of aromatherapy and is said to get the circulation going. Combined with lemon and rose geranium oil, it can give you the energy boost you need. Especially when used as a face spray, which you can even make yourself: Put 5 drops each of lemon and rose geranium oil into a spray bottle (available in drugstores or pharmacies) and fill it up with 49 ml of rosemary hydrolate. Important: Shake the face spray well before use, otherwise the essential oils will not mix with the hydrolate.

Eat carbohydrates

Yes, you read that right: Next to vitamin-rich superfoods, carbohydrates can help against springtime fatigue. This is because starch or sugar increase blood sugar and transport serotonin to the brain. But we don’t encourage going straight for the pizza or chocolate. Try some wholemeal bread, or potatoes, bananas and dried fruit.