There are many causes of fatigue including:
Fatigue affects everyone differently and can cause many different symptoms. Some people find that their fatigue is very mild and does not interfere much with their daily life; however, for some people it is extremely disruptive. Some of the more common effects are described below.
Fatigue can affect the way you think and feel. You may find it impossible to concentrate on anything. This may affect your work, but it can also occur with things that you usually enjoy doing; even reading or watching TV can be difficult.
Fatigue can affect your relationships with family and friends, as it may make you become impatient with people around you, or lead you to avoid socialising because it is too much effort.
Planning ahead is important with fatigue. Plan your day so that you have time to rest and do the things you want to do most. It is important to be realistic about what you can do and not try to do too much.
You may wish to consider keeping a fatigue diary to help you to see how treatment affects your energy levels. This may help more with planning activities for times when you are likely to have more energy. An example of a fatigue diary can be found on the Macmillan Cancer Support website.
Doing things for yourself is very important, but try not to feel guilty if you have to ask other people to help.
An occupational therapist can visit your home to help you to find ways of saving your energy.
Family, friends, neighbours and social workers can all help you with your everyday activities and are often glad of the opportunity to support you. Here are some tips and ideas which may help you.
Ask others to do the shopping when you can. If you can’t, or would rather shop yourself, these suggestions may help:
One of the worst aspects of fatigue is that sometimes you might feel that you are letting your family down. This can be especially upsetting when you have children. No one is suggesting that you must ask others to take over caring for your children. However, there are things that you can do to make the caring a bit easier on yourself:
You may find that you can’t continue working due to fatigue, or that you have to reduce the amount of time that you spend at work. It can help to talk to your employer or personnel/human resources officer and let them know that you may need some time off due to your illness or its treatment.
Don’t feel that you have to work if you are too tired, but if you do want to carry on working, you may be able to find ways of making your work less tiring for a while.
People with certain illnesses are protected by the Equality Act, which prevents employers victimising or discriminating against people with a disability. The Act also states that employers are expected to make reasonable adjustments to support employees in the workplace. You may want to make suggestions for adjustments that could help to support you. Things that your employer can do to help include:
If you are self-employed, it can help to talk to the Department for Work and Pensions about benefits that you may be entitled to claim.
Some useful hints:
It’s important to try to exercise a little if you can, even when you are unwell. Research has found that exercise may actually help relieve the symptoms of fatigue. The problem is that too much exercise might make you tired, as can too little, so it’s important to find your own level. A good balance between being active and getting plenty of rest is best. The physiotherapist at the hospital may be able to advise you about what would suit you.
It’s very important to try to keep a normal sleeping routine when you’re ill, even though your fatigue may make you feel like sleeping all the time. There are many ways to overcome fatigue which your nurse or doctor will be happy to discuss with you. In the meantime, the following might be a useful guide to make the most of your rest periods:
Sleep quality is very important and may help to fight fatigue as well as reduce your need to sleep during the day. The following pointers should help ensure better night-time rest.
Sleep for as long as you need to feel refreshed during the following day, but not more than necessary. Limiting time in bed seems to produce better-quality sleep. Too much time in bed can lead to disturbed and shallow sleep.
A regular wake-up time in the morning seems to strengthen most people’s sleep routine and eventually leads to regular times of going to sleep.
A regular daily amount of exercise may help to deepen sleep over the long term.
Occasional loud noises (such as aircraft flying overhead) disturb sleep, even if you don’t remember the disturbance in the morning. If your bedroom is noisy, you could mask some of the noise using a small electric fan, or you could use ear-plugs.
If your room is either very warm or very cold, your sleep may be affected. Room temperature should be comfortably warm.
Hunger may disturb sleep. A light bedtime snack, warm milk, or a hot drink seems to help some people to sleep better.
Many people who have problems sleeping are very sensitive to stimulants. It is best to avoid drinks that contain caffeine and chocolate for a few hours before bedtime.
Some people find that daytime naps help them sleep better at night, while others sleep less well after them. Find out what suits you best.
Alcohol can help tense people to fall asleep more quickly, but the sleep tends to be broken. It is advisable, therefore, to avoid large amounts of alcohol near bedtime.
Rather than lying in bed tossing and turning, you could get up and watch television or read a book. Wait until you feel tired again and then go back to bed. Audiotapes with stories may help you to sleep, and are stocked in most bookshops and libraries.
Mental exercises can also help you to sleep. These usually take about 10 minutes and include:
Your body will still get some benefit from lying quietly in bed resting, even if you are not actually asleep. Although you may feel as if you have been awake all night, you may well have managed to have several hours of good quality sleep.
Making time for activities that help you relax is very important in dealing with and preventing fatigue. Stress uses up energy and can make you feel more tired. It is very likely that you will feel more stressed than usual when you start treatment for your illness.
The following suggestions may help you to relax:
Although relaxation is often seen as ‘doing nothing’, many people find it hard to unwind, especially if the stresses and strains of the day are difficult to forget. However, specific relaxation techniques can help to relieve tension and recharge your batteries.
There are two types of relaxation exercise:
It is important that you find a quiet, warm, dimly lit, relaxing place where you will not be disturbed, then lie or sit in a well-supported position. You will get the maximum benefit from these techniques if you practice them for 5 to 15 minutes each day; just experiment until you find the best exercise for you.
It is not possible to describe each technique in detail in this section; however, the following list will give you an idea of what is involved. Ask if there is a nurse or other health professional in the hospital who can help you with this.
Prepare for your next appointment with your doctor or nurse by writing down questions that you want to ask.
Never be embarrassed to ask them to repeat and explain anything that you don’t understand.
Your care and wellbeing is the doctors’ and nurses’ priority, so describe all of your symptoms to them. It can be difficult for anyone to understand how much fatigue can affect your life, and how distressing it can be, unless they have experienced it themselves. For this reason you may need to emphasise to your doctors and nurses the difficulties that it causes for you.
Discuss everyday actions that you find difficult, such as climbing stairs, cooking or bathing. If you have kept a fatigue diary you can bring it in to share with the health professionals looking after you.
It can often be difficult to discuss emotions, especially when you are ill, for fear of upsetting yourself and others. Try not to let embarrassment stop you discussing your emotions with your doctors and nurses. It may help if you take someone to the appointment with you. When you have fatigue it can be difficult to remember what the doctor or nurse has said and your relative or friend can help to fill in the gaps.
Specific questions you may like to ask:
Some people find that it can help to talk to other people who have had fatigue. You may be able to speak to someone at a local support group. Talking to other patients at the hospital may also be helpful.
Things that you can do to help someone with fatigue include:
If you care for a person with fatigue, it can be very difficult to take the time that you need for yourself.
Carers Scotland can give you support and information.
Last updated:
15 November 2023