Fatigue...What I Wish I Knew When I Was Diagnosed

By Jamie Boder

2 min read

Fatigue is tricky, namely because it can impact so much. From your work, to relationships, social life and ability to just function.

Usually fatigue is associated with high disease activity and the idea is if you bring down inflammation you can reduce fatigue.

High fatigue, low disease

However, it there is also evidence that fatigue can still be high even with low disease activity. My rheumatologist even told me if he had a medication for fatigue he would be giving it to patients but there isn’t and some medications can make fatigue worse.

So in my opinion reducing fatigue has a lot to do with lifestyle management. There is so much that helps, from an understanding of circadian biology, nutrition, sleep optimization, the list goes on.

I will write about each of these at some point, but for today I am going to share 3 yoga practices to try if fatigue is high.

These all share a commonality is that they induce the relaxation response, activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Whether we know it or not when fatigue is high and moments leading up to experiencing fatigue, it may be that the body is stressed and in a fight and flight response (sympathetic). That is why it is common to feel fatigue and hyper stress/ jittery at the same time.

So lets dive in to the practices

Breath-work

Extended exhalations, focusing on slow deep nasal breathing, slowing down the heart rate and bringing the body into the relaxation response.

Restorative yoga

Very gentle passive yoga that involves finding very comfortable poses and resting in them.

Yoga nidra

Also called yogic sleep. A progressive relaxation technique, which is thousands of years old, training the body into deep rest similar to deep sleep whilst maintaining mindful awareness.

You can check out this free live stream to get an introduction to each of these practices.

If you want to delve deeper into these practices, or have more questions, please reach out.

Also, if you would like to learn other ways to reduce fatigue, please let me know in the comments.

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Lisa Marie Basile Moderator & Contributor
Thank you so much for offering these techniques. It is so lovely to have these options, and thank you for the live stream. I completely agree with you that lifestyle optimization is 100% key when it comes to managing fatigue. I am a huge supporter of medication and whatever pharma-solutions people need, but you are right: sleep, meditation, stress management, eating well, are all things that we need to be doing on a daily basis to ensure that our body is not overly taxed at any point. Thank you for this reminder! I also appreciated your explanation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system‘s. That was a simple and good explanation. Hope you are doing well as can be!
James Hollens Moderator & Contributor
Hi <inline-mention username="Jamie Shinkewski" user-id="2107777"/> , I found this article so fascinating because I had never actually thought too deeply about what exactly causes fatigue before. The idea that inflammation can play a role is pretty interesting and something I will keep an eye on and see if I notice any of these links in my body. Thank you so much for sharing these yoga practices, I'll be sure to give them a try the next time I am feeling the fatigue hit me! Wishing you well, James (Community Member)
Anna Samson Moderator & Contributor
This is super helpful! Fatigue is my worst symptom and is constant. It makes something like yoga so difficult to do. It's nice to know there are stretches and exercises I can do even when my fatigue is acting up.
1. Lisa Marie Basile Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Anna Samson" user-id="4164139"/> I totally hear that! The fatigue is so all-consuming, isn’t it? It’s nice to see that some of these positions and techniques are simple and facilitate rest even for the most tired of days. Hope you feel a little better soon, Anna!
Julie Vallortigara Moderator & Contributor
Hi <inline-mention username="Jamie Boder" user-id="2107778"/> Thanks for sharing this! I like practicing yoga, although not doing much of it at the moment because of lack of time...so this is a good reminder to be back and do some yoga for my wellbeing. I do feel tired these days, usually February is quite dull and challenging for me. There is not exception this year! I will check your video then. Take care, Julie.
1. Lisa Marie Basile Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="Julie Vallortigara" user-id="2107984"/> February is so cold and dark! It can be so hard to follow through on self care. You’re not alone. I struggled that month, too! You got this.