Click through below to see what could be keeping you yawning -- you'll find the unexpected culprits in your closet, your medicine cabinet, on your computer, even at work. With a few quick fixes, and you'll have the energy to party all night, all summer long.
Surprising Energy Zappers
Checking e-mail. A London University study says e-mail addicts undergo a 10-point crash in their IQ (smoking pot only sheds 4 points) -- equal to missing a whole night's sleep. Quick fix: Set your preferences to only check for new e-mails hourly, and turn off notifications so you're not sucked back in.
beastandbean,flickr
Procrastinating. Your to-do list seems endless. You're too tired to tackle it, but since you feel guilty about having tons to do, you never relax. Quick fix: Set aside weekly blocks of time to stay on top of simple chores. You'll have more time and energy for the bigger pains in the butt.
bookgrl, Flickr
Boozing it up. Not only does alcohol make it harder for you to sleep, red wine, beer and fruity cocktails have elaborate ingredients that can trigger low-level allergies. That can easily equal fatigue. Quick fix: Switch to a simpler mixer (like G&T or rum & cola) and see if you feel better the morning after.
Lone Black Rider, Flickr
Popping pills. Taking a drug at the wrong time can leave you too amped up or super drowsy. Allergy meds and antidepressants can make people feel fidgety or dazed, and what's fine for a friend may be sapping your energy (even if it's not a listed side effect). Quick fix: Switch up when you dose or ask your doc.
MargauxV, Flickr
A breakout or cold sore. An Ohio State University study found that women with blemishes were at risk of exhaustion. Why? Self-consciousness impacts your social and sex life, which bums you out and drains you. Quick fix: Hit a makeup counter to learn how to conceal like a pro or see a derm for a long-term fix.
re_, Flickr
Too much outdoors. Anything that makes breathing difficult can cause fatigue. Smog and ozone levels tend to be higher on hot summer days, leading to inflamed lungs and health issues like hay fever and asthma. Quick fix: Exercise indoors, limit outdoor time and close car windows on sticky, smoggy days.
Andresit@, Flickr
Too much indoors (sigh). It's known as "Air-Con Fatigue" -- when your teeth start chattering and your hands go numb from your arctic office. It triggers your body to produce more heat, consuming energy, leaving you beat. Quick fix: Walk around regularly, wear layers, sip tea or call your building maintenance.
Smellyknee, Flickr
A heavy purse. Carrying your life in your bag strains your shoulders and back which leads to overall fatigue. And slouching under the weight will compress your lungs, meaning less oxygen to your entire body (yawn). Quick fix: Once a week, dump the stuff you don't need to carry. (Six shades of lipstick? Really?)
yeahimkenny, Flickr
Swimming. You're not just tired from burning all those calories. According the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, chlorinated pools can cause sinus issues. Sinusitis is linked with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Quick fix: Rinse nasal passages with saline solution or use the steam room post-dip.
gabyu, Flickr
Gaining 5 pounds. Weight gain = energy drain. An extra 5 pounds on your frame makes you expend about 2 percent more energy, so your body has to work harder to get you through the day. Quick fix: Stay active, keep your weight steady and get moving.
kharied, Flickr
Tell us! How do you energize yourself when you feel like you're dragging. Leave a comment to let us know -- we may feature your advice in a future post.
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Can't seem to figure out why you're always so tired? Sometimes it's not just about getting enough sleep or 








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Tuesday 12 May
By Chula
One of the things we need to do is keep our metabolism and sugar levels right for the body work properly and produce energy. So is very important to make our 3 basic meals and 2 to 3 snacks a day, that way our metabolism work the same level at all the time. And we do need that sugar or protein in the middle of the day, that will give you more energy.
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Tuesday 12 May
By exfuzeeveryday
I find taking a walk helps to pep me up, so taking my dogs to the park is great and a great stress relief. Also I make sure that I take vitamins and my eXfuze. Check it out at www.sevenplusyou.com. Try a free sample of Seven+.
If you work at night and sleep during the day...earplugs, eye mask or dark curtains to block out the light, have a set routine and turn off your phone.
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Wednesday 13 May
By David
Allthough its not the kind of thing they are listing, Sleep Apnea is also a major cause for tiredness during the day. People that are tired alot should talk to their doctor. Depending on the severity, correcting the problem can be as simple as changing sleep positions.
www.mbgourmetshop.com
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Wednesday 13 May
By mark
Usually when I am tired I do some Tibetans, very old and very fast technique. They only take 10 mins to complete all 6, created by monks to keep you young fresh and in shape for years to come. Its just like yoga, only not. Look it up, its call the 6 Tibetans. guarantee to make you notice a difference in your looks and body shape shortly after a few times doing them and you will also notice the energy gain rite away. Will also improve sex drive.
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Wednesday 13 May
By Andy
when you wake up first take a nice cold shower, shave, brush your teeth, then go and cook yorself breakfast, or go to a burger king or some kind of fast food and then listen to some relaxing music like a lil reggae nothing to hard. it gets u in a good mood so it helps alot in the mourning.
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Wednesday 13 May
By sabatour059
I find motivation the problem in any fatigue case. If you can motivate yourself to do something, besides nothing, then you'll get up and do what you'd like rather than sit around. Besides it feels good to get something accomplished, even if its simple.
On another note I find that I think best and focus best during the late hours of the night. I also feel more relaxed. I think it correlates to being alone and at peace as opposed to having tasks to complete throughout the day. Basically, its important to distinguish "fatigue" from being "relaxed".
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Wednesday 13 May
By Kim Fogel
Two words: Caffeine and sugar. Why argue with what works?
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Friday 18 September
By Carmela
I walk up the hallway down through the living room 3 or 4 times if it is raining outside. I take a walk outside. Sometimes I lay down for 10 to 20 minutes and sometimes that helps.
Ohio is the 1st state to have law where you can put your emergency contacts with your drivers license. This should be in every state. If there is an accident law enforcement will no who to contact quicker and easier. Then people wont have to be told of a family member died the way we did.
money-burge.com
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Friday 22 May
By keir
Although Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as it has been renamed by those with the intention of downplaying the severity and seriousness of the illness) has been associated with sinusitis (due to toxin producing staph bacteria) the idea that this has anything to do with "normal" fatigue is laughable. This is a disease with an average quality of life equal to the average AIDS patient 2 months before death. It has a worse quality of life than heart disease, virtually all cancers, MS, etc. (this is not to say that there aren't diseases with worse QoLs in individual cases but on average, it's one of the worst; and it does not help that there is so much misinformation and disinformation in the public sphere and we as patients cannot get good treatment or any treatment at all.) ME/CFS was first formally defined as a distinct disease entity in 1969 by the World Health Organization after almost 35 years of intensive research on polio and other enterovirus related ME outbreaks (in this modern age, researchers are finding many subtypes with potential causes such as herpes viral, enteroviral, various toxin producing bacterial, rickettsial [Lyme disease like pathogens,] possible Borna viral, organophosphate poisoning, acute marine ciguatera poisoning [which is very similar to many pathogenic subtypes of these illnesses since many subtypes are producing this toxin within the body instead of from eating fish,] and other subtypes of fatiguing illnesses.)
Please do not confuse "chronic fatigue" with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome which is a serious and very misunderstood disease. They are not synonymous.
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Wednesday 03 June
By Jeani
Take Vitiman Bs (B12, B6, B1) every couple of hours seems to help. Keeps the stress undercontrol. And I find if I'm stressed, I seem to become tired much more quickly. Also a quick walk around the parking lot will re up my stamina. I have lupus, so suffer from fatigue often. This system works better than all prescription drugs they offered me. And it has far less sideaffects. It has taken me 15 years of trying things until I am no able to work again and feel like a real human. Thanks my story. If it helps do it, if it doesn't help (no matter what the doctor's say, you are the patient do what actually works for you.
No what the white coats think "might" help.
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Wednesday 03 June
By lvsolomon@aol.com
you 've got it?
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Saturday 11 July
By topics42
I agree with other posters who have talked about watching your diet and not eating sugar and taking vitamins, but as much as those things do help me, they have just not been enough. I've tried most of the other things suggested here and they didn't work enough for me when I was utterly wore out. When I'm wore out, I'm really wore out and it is next to impossible to get my self up and going. BUT there are times when a person just has to get going and get certain things done no matter how tired you are or you end up paying for not getting something done, one way or the other. Example....taxes due by midnight, studying for an 8 am exam, turning in a paper at 8 AM that will be your grade for the entire semester, not showing up in court for a ticket, making formula for your baby, getting a report to your boss he needs for an 8 am meeting with his biggest client, going to the pharmacy for your medication that could mean life or death for you, telling your boyfriend, husband, or kids one more time that your are just too tired to do this or that, those sorts of things will get you into big trouble, so it's best to find what works for you to give yourself one more boost of energy. I've found a lot of the regular things that work for others, just don't work for me. At 50++ I've tried a number of things and what I found last year that really works for me is a product I found at Costco. It's call Zipfizz. It's a powder that comes in a little pink, or yellow or orange plastic tube that you pour into 8 ounces of water and drink it immediately. It tastes good, like an orange drink, or lemonade. It take only about 5 min. to work and I'm full of energy for the next 4 hours. I think it's the 2500 mcg of the B12 that gives me all the energy. It's great for anyone on a diet as it's only 10 calories and 2 cabs and I don't see any sugar on the label. By the way, I do not have any affiliation with the co that makes this product, nor do I receive any compensation in any way for my statements (I read somewhere you should say that when you are recommending a product). I just wanted to share what works for me as I know how hard it is to get find that one thing that will give you the extra energy boost when you really need it and this product really does work for me and for others I've give it to. Here in southern Ca. Zipfizz come in a 30 tube box and costs about $27.00 at Costco and it's well worth every dime! I always carry 1or 2 in my purse.
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Sunday 12 July
By Donna
When I feel fatigued I eat a "live" food. Either fruit or a protein smoothie with fruit, or the best is a drink consisting of powdered green veggies with a frozen blue green algae product. The combo is very energizing, so much so that three of those a day does not allow me to sleep at night. AND the best part is, it is SO nutritious, a complete protein and anti cancer, anti inflammatory, etc.
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Thursday 16 July
By jean
With it being above 95 everyday, when I get a little "zombified" (like I am now) I just go outside in the heat for about 5 minutes. It never fails......ANYONE will wake up when that heat slaps them in the face.
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Thursday 30 July
By Philip Maynez
I'm in the mortgage industry. Do to the presidents people not thinking before they spoke. And told everyone they were going to get 4% interest rates. When rates came down to 4.25% for 30 year fixed. people still waited so very few people got the 4.25%. now rates are at 4.75% and people are still waiting. Now congress has passed some idiotic laws to help the common people with higher that expected closing costs. But they didn't put safe guards in the law like, if the lock is running out then freddie mac or fannie may will have to extend the lock for free until the 10 extra waiting days are up. I don't see myself getting any sleep for the near future no matter what kind of vitamins,vegetables,or hot fresh air that I get. As soon as you people vote some semi- smart people into office that can actually pass some good laws, will be the day I am able to sleep properly. People, please vote with your brains and not your hearts next time.
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Thursday 19 November
By HB
I go for a walk and take really deep breaths....it gives me a boost of energy, also stretching
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Sunday 01 August
By Alex
When feel tired I drink 5 hour energy.
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