The longer that you are fatigued the harder it is to identify that there is an issue and therefore it becomes increasingly difficult to solve. The first step to understanding that you may have an issue is knowing what fatigue is.
What is fatigue?
When you are suffering from fatigue you are very tired and never seem to feel refreshed. You will also lack energy and probably feel sleepy, have trouble concentrating and be forgetful.
The symptoms vary depending on the amount of time that you have been fatigued.
What causes fatigue?
It can be caused by a number of different factors such not enough sleep, extended mental or physical work or sometimes even long periods of time where you are stressed and anxious.
The symptoms of fatigue
It is important to know what the symptoms are to help identify whether you or a loved one or colleague is affected. Some of the common signs of fatigue are:
- Weariness
- Feeling sleepy and dropping off to sleep unintentionally
- Irritability
- Depression
- Dizziness
- Appetite loss
- Tendency to get sick
How may fatigue affect your ability to work?
Some of the ways that you may be affected in your workplace include:
- Difficulty making decisions
- Difficulty with cognitive thinking and planning
- Difficulty with being able to effectively communicate
- A reduction in productivity and performance issues
- Difficulty concentrating on work tasks
- Slower reaction times
- Moodiness and may react to small stresses
- An inability to remember important information
- A tendency to fall asleep whilst in the middle of tasks
- More time off due to illness
What causes fatigue?
It is usually a combination of factors that will cause fatigue. When it is work related it could be the fact that long shifts are being worked that cause sleep disruption or increased hours of work that involve either physical or mental labour.
It may be that there are not enough hours between shifts for adequate rest, a stressful workplace or a number of these factors combined.
Look out for the warning signs so that you can do something about reducing the effects of fatigue and improving your quality of life.
Peter Cutforth is a Director at Urban E-Learning, a global elearning and web strategy firm based in George St Brisbane. Peter's interests extend to training, safety and compliance, online marketing, and Mobile Apps.
