Thyroid fatigue – 3 things to know. Today I am going to introduce you to 3 areas that you can start working on now, to immediately see improvements in your energy levels. This will be a series of four posts, and in the following weeks, I will dive into each of these areas to give a comprehensive plan of action.
You know those morning people who spring out of bed each morning with boundless energy?
I am not one of them.
I do have a strong morning routine but it’s not a natural thing for me to spring out of bed and it is definitely not something I managed to do in the past.
For years my energy levels didn’t allow me to plan anything. I couldn’t guarantee that I would be able to exercise in the morning with the unpredictable sleep patterns. I would organise a meet-up with a friend for lunch and had to cancel last minute cos my energy levels would be on the floor and the only thing I could do after work was collapse on the sofa.
And of course, I blamed my thyroid for that, and I was right… well, partially at least.
You will hear me talk about optimising your hormone levels and you will hear me boast about reducing inflammation and autoimmunity… and both of these approaches will, without a doubt, have an impact on your energy levels.
But it’s so much more complex than that, it is far more nuanced.
If we are to talk about the root cause of this overwhelming, so bloody frustrating thyroid fatigue that stops you from living the life you want to live… then we need to look at a broader picture.
3 Things To Consider
1. Blood sugar regulation station
This is easily one of my favourite subjects, and there’s a good reason for that.
Imbalanced blood sugar levels are the biggest contributor to not only afternoon crashes but also unrefreshing sleep, resulting in low morning energy/motivation. And that’s not everything – glucose spikes are the culprit behind snacking/emotional eating, brain fog, and problems losing weight (hello insulin resistance).
But worry not. Blood sugar regulation is actually quite easy – we can achieve it in a few simple steps. I will delve into the details next week, so tune in for that!
2. Adrenal dysfunction aka what to do about chronic stress
You probably heard the term adrenal fatigue/ exhaustion and although now we know that the term exhaustion is not accurate, the effects of chronic stress on our cortisol levels and therefore energy levels cannot be underestimated.
If we are stuck for too long in the stress response our body produces inadequate amounts of the stress hormone cortisol (too high or/and too low), which can lead to the wired/ anxious feeling but also fatigue, especially if the stressor is of a chronic nature (hello chronic condition).
3. Make vagus nerve regulation your favourite hobby
Another favourite subject of mine: the vagus nerve.
Most of my clients can identify an emotional trauma (big or little T trauma, aka it’s how you perceive it rather than how objective severity) preceding their thyroid diagnosis. What is more, is that the thyroid condition itself (never ending frustration and overwhelm) can be traumatic in itself.
Our body gets stuck in this trauma response and is incapable of coming back to rest and digest state which iscrucial for regeneration and yes, you guessed it, healthy energy levels.
So imagine you are stuck in the fight or fight (constantly wired, energy depletion) freeze response (paralysed, unable to act), or fawn (downplaying yourself, people pleasing)… no wonder you feel tired all the time!
2 Questions To Ask Yourself
1. Do you know your energy patterns? Are you more tired in the morning or evening? What is affecting it
Awareness is where the healing starts. Recognising our own patterns / identifying the root cause of our energy imbalances and taking that first empowered step towards the life we want to create for ourselves.
2. What would I do with more energy? How would my life differ?
Find a really good reason why you want to make this shift happen. Is it because you want to spend more quality time with your kids? Not feel left out when your friends invite you to dinner? Start this fun dancing class you’ve seen advertised? Establish a solid exercise routine?
What is it for you?
Close your eyes and envision your life when this is already a reality. Tune into that feeling. And from that place take small yet powerful, consistent action towards healing (I will tell you what to do in subsequent emails)
1 Action
Start a daily practice of checking in with yourself
How are you feeling in your body today? What has affected it?
Make it a part of your daily morning/ evening ritual to as that question and see what comes up for you. If can write it down in a journal/ dairy or use an app (I like Daylio) you will start seeing patterns and that is your first step towards feeling better.
I hope you found this Thyroid Fatigue post useful, please do let me know if it resonates and if you have any questions.
Aggie McCabe
Your Thyroid Nutritionist
DipNT mBANT CNHC