Do you struggle with fatigue? If so, you’re not alone. In a study conducted by Virgin Pulse, over 75 percent of employees admitted that they show up at work tired. So much so, that sleepy workers cost companies over $400 billion each year from costly mistakes and accidents.
Whether you’re working, a stay at home parent, or retired, fatigue that lasts more than a couple of weeks is your body’s way of letting your know something’s up. What’s going on is that your energy, or Qi, is depleted. And fatigue can manifest in a number of ways; you may wake up after a 
good night’s sleep still feeling tired, you may poop out as the day goes on, be too tired for exercise or other activities, or feel completely exhausted after eating a meal.
In Chinese medicine, fatigue is actually called a Qi Depletion, and there are a number of reasons that it may be happening:
-Lack of sleep. This may seem obvious, but you need at least seven hours a night. Regularly getting much less than that, and you’re going to feel tired.
-Long-term stress, emotional upset, or depression. Poor mental health can be exhausting. In Chinese medicine, chronic stress or depression causes your energy to become to become diverted, making it inaccessible to your body and unable to support your health.
-Your diet. Your energy is made primarily from the food you eat. When you eat good food, your body has the ingredients—the building blocks—it needs to produce energy. However, if you’re getting your meals from the drive through window or a box of food that’s been chemically engineered to last decades, your energy is going to suffer.
-How you digest your food. The reality is that even when you eat really nutritious food, if you’re digestion is funky, your energy is still likely to suffer. Digestive problems, such as stomachaches, gas, bloating, diarrhea, or constipation are all a sign that your digestion may not be ideal.
-Medical issues. There are a number of health conditions that can affect your energy levels. A thyroid imbalance, infections, anemia, heart disease, and diabetes are all examples of problems that can tank your energy.
-Lack of exercise. While this may feel counter intuitive if you’re already feeling fatigued, most people report feeling energized after as little as ten or fifteen minutes of activity. You don’t have to run a marathon; taking a walk or working in the garden qualify as exercise.
-Pain. Similar to being chronically stressed or depressed, being in chronic pain also blocks your energy, making it unavailable to power the rest of your body.
-Loss of blood. A recent surgery, labor and delivery, heavy menstrual periods, trauma, and even a very large bruise all represent a significant loss of blood. Decreased blood volume translates into diminished nutrients, as well as hemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout your body.
-Working too hard. The Chinese have a term, overwork, which describes extremes in work. Anything from too many hours at the office to overdoing the late night cram sessions for tomorrow’s exam would qualify as overworking. The bottom line is that if you’re overdoing it, you’re depleting your energy faster than you can rebuild it, which is a recipe for exhaustion.
So what can you do if fatigue is ruling your life? You can rest, recover, and rebuild your energy through getting enough sleep. You can eat well, get a little bit of exercise (but not too much), and make a commitment to stress relief and better mental health.
However, if despite all your best efforts, you’re still exhausted, Chinese medicine may be able to offer some relief. An acupuncturist or practitioner of Chinese medicine can help uncover the source of your fatigue and create a treatment strategy unique to your specific needs. Through the use of acupuncture, combined with Chinese herbs, diet and nutrition, lifestyle counseling, and education, your practitioner can help you recover your energy.