Fatigue is quickly becoming one of the most common issues adults experience.  Fatigue is a subjective feeling that can have mental, emotional, and/or biochemical causes.  In many cases, fatigue can accompany chronic diseases or make us more susceptible to developing health issues.  In some cases, fatigue can result from overtaxing our bodies by going beyond our natural rhythms and continuing to work past healthy limits.

In the case of physical fatigue, one might notice a sense of fatigue while performing an activity, such as a twinge in the knees.  Instead of stopping and stretching, they might keep working until the project is complete, rather than stopping when the body signals it.

In mental fatigue, we might keep working at the computer or on a project even though we notice a decrease in productivity, clarity of thought, and impaired cognition.

Either situation can lead to biochemical exhaustion by drawing on the body’s stress mechanisms to compensate.  For instance, we use hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine from our adrenal glands to keep going.  These stress hormones, over time, can tax the glands and deplete our internal resources for dealing with stress down the line.