Nothing happened, and I don't feel stressed, so why do I always feel tired? How can I relieve it?

Author: Peng Yuqing, Chief Physician, Oriental Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Reviewer: Dong Fuhui, Chief Physician, Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences

Some people feel that nothing has happened in their life or work, and there doesn’t seem to be much pressure, but they always feel physically and mentally tired. Why is this?

The main cause of fatigue is stress. People may have a vague concept of stress and do not understand it very clearly. They think that stress is some events, such as sudden events, bad emotions, etc. They think that stress is visible, tangible and felt.

In fact, a lot of stress is hidden stress. For example, a mother with two children who stays at home to look after the children and is a housewife has an incidence of fatigue of 80%. The pressure of raising children is extremely great. This pressure is latent and exists 24 hours a day, leaving no time for rest.

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1. Where do the sources of stress in daily life come from?

There are many sources of stress, and there are dozens or even hundreds of them on the scale. What you see with your eyes, what you hear with your ears, and what you feel with your body can all be sources of stress.

Closed environments, such as high-rise buildings and subways; noisy environments with a lot of noise, radiation, and electromagnetic waves, all of which can cause stress.

When working, for example, thinking attentively, staring at some tables and data nervously, paying too much attention, concentrating, and thinking can also cause stress.

The natural environment, such as smog and bad weather, is pressure that is given by nature, perceived and endured by us.

Stress sources do not only come from work and study, there are also many hidden stresses in life, and stress is invisible.

When we are under stress, we may feel tired, including physical fatigue, mental fatigue, and mental fatigue. What should we do when we feel tired? What should we pay attention to?

2. How do patients with chronic fatigue take care of themselves in daily life?

First of all, we need to get rid of stressors. Fatigue is caused by too many stressors and the body is too sensitive to them. So how should we get rid of stressors?

Plan your time well, decide how long you should work each day, and make sure there is a buffer in between. This is very important so that you will receive less stress.

Exercise is necessary. Stretching is very important for the smooth flow of Qi and blood. A certain amount of exercise should be done every day to allow the brain to rest during exercise.

Get rid of bad living habits, such as staying up late, unhealthy diet, smoking and drinking, which will make your body very bad and your nerves very fragile. Also, don't drink too much coffee and strong tea, which are also irritating to your nerves;

It is recommended to eat more foods that are helpful to the nerves. B vitamins are very important for relieving stress. Foods rich in B vitamins, such as vegetables of various colors, grains, germs, etc.

Pay attention to supplementing tryptophan, which can make you feel good, because tryptophan is the basic substance for the production of 5-hydroxytryptamine. Foods with high tryptophan content, such as millet, bananas, oysters, shellfish, nuts, etc.;

Pay attention to supplementing minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, which can make your mood soothed, less tense, and calm your emotions.

3. Which acupoints can be massaged to help relieve fatigue?

For head fatigue, massage the head mainly, and you can massage the Baihui and Sishencong points on the top of the head. Massaging the Baihui and Sishencong points can mobilize the Yang energy in this area and relieve the things accumulated in this area.

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The eyes, ears and temples are where the gallbladder meridian runs. You can rub from the eyes to the outside, rub to the back of the ears, and then to the Fengchi acupoint. Massage and comb the ears, eyes and back of the ears, and gently press on the tender points. After the gallbladder meridian is relieved, tension and anxiety can be relieved.

If you feel tired, you can do stretching exercises, massage your neck and shoulders, and do back massage, combing, and stretching your lower limbs. Your mood will improve after your muscles are stretched. According to traditional Chinese medicine, the liver governs the tendons, and the fascia has nerve receptors. When you are nervous, the fascia will tense up, and when the fascia is stretched, your mood will improve.

Chronic fatigue, long-term overdraft, and consumptive disease require kidney protection. You can massage the Shenshu point, Guanyuan point, Qihai point, and Zusanli point, which can strengthen the body and replenish the deficiency.

4. How can I exercise if I often feel tired?

People who are tired must exercise. Many tired people lack exercise.

Exercise must proceed from light to heavy, from little to more. There is a process of gradual adaptation and it must be individualized.

During exercise, you should master a principle: feel slightly tired but not exhausted. After exercise, you will feel that your body is stretched out, relaxed, and slightly sweaty. You will sleep better at night, instead of being too tired to sleep. This amount of exercise is the most appropriate. After maintaining this amount of exercise for a week, you can gradually increase the amount of exercise.

If you are tired, you should choose stretching and outdoor aerobic exercise. You must exercise the joints, ligaments, shoulders and necks, and joints that are prone to strain. Exercise can help circulate qi and blood, which is good for the joints. If you are in a closed environment, you can choose some recreational sports, such as aerobics, rhythmic gymnastics, square dancing, and shuttlecock kicking, which can mobilize the endorphin system in the body and make you feel happy.

Exercise should be integrated into life and work, and it should be fragmented. We call office exercise fragmented exercise. For example, sitting for half an hour, standing up, stretching, bending back, kicking legs, and looking into the distance are all simple exercises.

5. Can listening to music help relieve fatigue?

The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine mentions that all diseases are caused by anger and cured by music. Music therapy can treat some psychological and emotional diseases caused by anger.

Qin Shi Huang loved music very much, he created Qin chimes and listened to them every day. Qin Shi Huang was very stressed out throughout his life, he used music to relieve his nervousness; Ouyang Xiu cured his depression by playing the guqin.

The rhythm of music, including its tone, can resonate with our mind and body, allowing us to relieve, vent, and comfort many things in our hearts. Therefore, music therapy is very beneficial in relieving fatigue caused by stress.

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Traditional Chinese medicine has five music therapies: do, re, mi, sol, and la. Do corresponds to the spleen; re corresponds to the lungs; mi corresponds to the liver; sol corresponds to the heart; and la corresponds to the kidneys. Five music therapies are music therapies that can be tailored to the condition.

For people with sub-health and fatigue, whose stress, tension and anxiety are not relieved enough and cannot be vented enough, they should listen to some cheerful music that allows them to stretch and relax. If they are particularly depressed, they must listen to soothing music. If they are in a very irritable mood, they should listen to some quiet music.

If it can alleviate a bad mood and improve one’s mood, then the music is right.