Feeling constantly exhausted? You might be suffering from ‘hyper fatigue’

If you’re constantly feeling tired, we hear you. Welcome to the era of hyper fatigue. Our lives can sometimes feel like one giant hamster wheel, never catching up, never quite finishing what we need to do, always worrying about the next thing – paying bills, covering rent or a mortgage, whether we replied to that group WhatsApp about the over-priced hen party weekend. Quite understandably, many of us are feeling absolutely exhausted.

In fact, a recent YouGov study revealed that one in eight of us (13% of Britons) exist in a state of constant exhaustion. According to the NHS, feeling exhausted is so common that it has its own acronym, ‘TATT’, or ‘tired all the time.’

If this you, you actually might be experiencing something experts have dubbed ‘hyper fatigue.’

It was a trend predicted by market research company Mintel. The Huffington Post say it’s “a result of a combination of the pandemic, rising cost of living, energy crises, geopolitical unrest and social media, and feeling like you’re being stretched in so many directions that you it exhausts you mentally, physically and emotionally.”

If you think about it, they aren’t wrong. We don’t have ‘down time’ anymore. If we go for a walk on our lunch breaks, we’re looking at our phones, if we’re in queue for coffee, we’re probably scrolling through social media or emails. Even when we’re watching telly, we can’t help it but keep our phones close.

A 2022 Mintel survey of internet users aged over 18 found that 49% had experienced stress in the previous 12 months, while 38% had experienced anxiety, 22% mental exhaustion, and 20% burnout, clearly revealing just how bad things have got.

So, what exactly do the experts have to say about ‘hyper fatigue?’ Is it a real thing? Penny Weston, a fitness, wellness and nutrition expert, who is the director of Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat and founder of MADE, a 360 degree wellness centre with an on demand wellness membership, explains: “We use the term fatigue to describe constant tiredness and lack of energy. When we are fatigued we lack motivation. We could feel mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. These could also be the symptoms of something else, so it is important to check it out with your GP.”

Hyper fatigue is a new term used by Mintel, and is the feeling of being stretched in different directions which is worsened by the media and worries of everyday life . We are constantly surrounded by negative news, and it seems to be coming at us in all different forms. Since the pandemic, we face a whole host of new worries such as the cost of living crisis, the war in Ukraine, and the climate crisis. Social media can also make us feel worse. This is all really overwhelming, and can definitely leave us feeling wiped out, right?

So what can we do about it? Penny shares her top tips…

Eating a nutritious diet

Our food habits can cause rapid spikes followed by rapid dips, which is what we call a sugar high. It can make us feel wired, irritable and tired. Processed meats, such as bacon and sausage, are full of sodium, preservatives and sodium nitrate, and these have all been shown to cause problems in the body and can lead to dizziness and brain fog. Ready meals and processed foods, such as baked beans, sauces and pizzas are all high in sugar and salt and can have a negative effect on the brain.