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Stay Positive
5. When you find yourself thinking a negative thought, picture a stop sign. Then either push the thought out of your mind or replace it with a positive one. "Negative feelings take a lot of mental energy," says Kathleen W. Wilson, M.D., an internal medicine specialist and author of When You Think You Are Falling Apart. "Whenever possible, avoid unnecessary self-criticism. Stop blaming yourself for past events that you cannot change, and know that you deserve the same level of consideration and mercy as others."6. Drink two glasses of icy water. Fatigue is often one of the first symptoms of dehydration, and if all you've sipped all day is coffee and soft drinks, it's quite likely you're dehydrated. Plus, the refreshing coldness will serve as a virtual slap in the face.
7. Soak a washcloth in icy water and place it over your face. The icy coolness of the washcloth will quickly rejuvenate your facial muscles and eyes. It likely will lift your spirits as well.
8. Get enough iron. Constantly dragging yourself around? You could have iron-deficiency anemia, a common cause of fatigue. Iron is essential for producing hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to your body's cells, where it is used to produce energy. Good food sources of iron are red meat, iron-fortified cereal, green leafy vegetables, and dried beans. You may also need a supplement; check with your doctor.
9. When someone asks you to do something, say, "Let me check my schedule and I'll get back to you." This gives you time to think about the request and decide if it's something you really want to do, or simply an energy-sucking waste of your time.
10. Have your thyroid checked. If it's not producing enough thyroid hormone, it could be making you feel tired and run-down. A simple blood test will tell. Other symptoms of low thyroid are dry skin, weight gain, constipation, and feeling cold.
11. Create a "just say no" notebook. Overextending yourself, especially to do tasks you don't really enjoy, stalls out your energy engines. If you don't want to bake for another bake sale or help that friend with a home improvement project, say so. Need an excuse? Keep some in a notebook. Include legitimate reasons -- you're reserving time for your daily walks, for instance.
12. List all the people you're angry with and write each a letter of forgiveness. Stewing over past events only drains your energy. "Try to accept others for who they are and don't expend a lot of effort on changing them," says Dr. Wilson. Oh, and you don't have to send the letter. Simply writing it is enough.
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