Lockdown is affecting many aspects of our health, causing stress and weird dreams leaving many of us to feel tired and groggy all day long.
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But just how tired are we?
A recent survey of over 2,000 Brits showed that many admitted to being too tired to exercise, eat or even have sex. The research revealed that on average participants complained of being tired four times a day, spending three hours wallowing around with low energy.
As a result, 35% of Brits have admitted to avoiding a workout, while 33% have admitted to avoiding doing the dishes or putting their washing away (we don’t blame them). As much as 23% of survey respondents even admitted to using their exhaustion as an excuse for not showering, while a further 29% have been too tired to have sex.
The survey showed that these feelings of lethargy seemed to peak at around 3pm, with Brits feeling at their most energetic around 11.10am.
Further results revealed that many of us are also too tired to answer the phone (21%), remove our makeup (16%) and even socialise (27%). Meanwhile, tiredness has also affected our workdays with 15% of people admitting to falling asleep at work. A further 22% even pretended to be sick just because they were too tired to work and 55% of those working from home claimed it was more exhausting than making the commute.
Why are we so tired?
If this survey is anything to go by, the average Brit doesn’t seem to be able to conjure up enough energy to do anything more than watch Netflix in bed. So why are we so tried?
The study carried out by OnePoll found that 41% of people blame their tiredness on poor sleep while 31% put it down to stress.
A number of factors could be contributing to exhaustion such as stress and mental health problems exacerbated or brought on by the lockdown. Anxiety and stress, as well as excessive screentime, can also make it harder to get a good night’s sleep.
In order to feel less tired during the day it might be worthwhile to implement a regular routine. Making sure you exercise regularly, eat well and spend less time on our phones may help you to sleep better. Basically doing all the things we claim we are too tired to do may help us to be more productive in the long term.
A spokesman for Vitabiotics Feroglobin, the company that commissioned the research revealed that diet and your vitamin intake may also be making you tired: ‘With the country firmly in the grip of winter, the dark days and cold and wet weather can make you feel even more tired and less enthusiastic about doing something.’
But it’s also worth remembering things like your diet and a good intake of nutrients like iron and vitamin B12 in particular can help to combat tiredness and fatigue.
