How to Cope With Anergia? (+9 Possible Causes)

In this blog post, we are talking about the possible causes and remedies for anergia.

Many of us complain about the lack of energy that gives us a state of permanent fatigue. We feel full stress and everything seems much harder to achieve.

What should we do about it? Keep reading to find out.

What is anergia?

Anergia can be described as fatigue, lack of energy, lethargy or exhaustion. This may be accompanied by depression, low motivation or apathy.

Anergia can be a normal response to insufficient sleep, overwork, stress, lack of exercise or boredom.

When it is part of a normal body response, anergia is often resolved with sleep, rest, stress management and quality nutrition.

Persistent lack of energy, which does not disappear after self-care, can be an indication of a physical or psychological disorder.

Symptoms that accompany anergia

Anergia can be accompanied by manifestations that vary depending on the disease, disorder or condition underlying it.

Anergia is a nonspecific symptom, so identifying other symptoms may be helpful in determining its cause.

1. Cardiac and pulmonary symptoms that may occur with anergia:

– abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias)

– chest pain

– cough

– fast heart rhythms (tachycardia)

– shortness of breath

– wheezing

2. Other symptoms that may accompany anergia, related to other systems in the body are:

– anxiety

– change in appetite

– diarrhoea or other intestinal disorders

– depression

– fever

– an accentuated sensation of thirst

– frequent urination

– musculoskeletal pain

– nausea with or without vomiting

– changes in the skin

– involuntary weight gain or loss

– weakness

3. Severe symptoms that could indicate a condition that could endanger a person’s life. Seek emergency assistance immediately if you or anyone else presents any of the following:

– suicidal, irrational behaviour or the situation in which the person becomes a danger for himself or for others

– changing the level of consciousness or alertness such as fainting or lack of reaction

– chest pain, chest tightness, chest pressure, palpitations

– high fever

– difficulty urinating

– fast heartbeat

– breathing disorders such as shortness of breath, heavy breathing

– severe pain

– sudden visual disturbances

– sudden onset of inflammation or weight gain

– vomiting with blood, rectal bleeding or stool with blood.

The possible causes of anergia

In addition to stress, which is a real energy eater, there are other aspects that affect your energy level. Here are some such “saboteurs”:

Anaemia – Many women suffer from iron deficiency anaemia. One of the symptoms of this type of anaemia is the feeling of exhaustion.

Vegetarians, active women and people on strict diets are at high risk of developing such anaemia. 

Foods high in iron, such as meat, grains and seeds can maintain an optimal level of iron in the body.

Fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C are also recommended, especially because vitamin C helps absorb iron in the body.

Unknown allergies – Many people who complain about low energy levels do not realize that they may suffer from allergies.

Histamine and other substances released in the body during an allergic reaction can cause a feeling of fatigue.

Allergies also prevent you from breathing normally, which will affect how your muscles will be oxygenated.

Blood sugar – Just before you wake up, your body releases a “wave” of energy.

But if you do not refuel with breakfast, the energy level drops sharply.

If you resort to unhealthy foods such as sweets or chips, you will have the energy for a short time, while fibre and protein give you energy for a longer time.

Drugs – Some medications, especially birth control pills and those that control your blood pressure can affect your energy level.

If you suspect that such a medicine is giving you permanent exhaustion, talk to your doctor so that the medicine can be replaced, if possible.

Sleep – Sleep quality can have an effect as great as its duration. A woman can spend eight hours in bed, but if she does not get uninterrupted sleep, she may feel tired the next day.

A good way to increase sleep quality is exercise. Exercising done regularly during the day helps you get a more restful sleep.

Do not move for a while before going to bed.

Depression – Even mild forms of depression or anxiety are associated with low levels of serotonin, a substance in the brain that affects energy or mood.

Medications to stimulate serotonin production may be considered if recommended by your doctor.

Exercise also has the role of stimulating the production of serotonin.

The way of thinking – It is not at all surprising that optimists have more energy than pessimists.

The more optimistic you are, the higher your energy and the lower your blood pressure.

When energy increases and tension decreases, you are more productive because you can concentrate, learn faster, and retain more. 

To become a more optimistic person, focus on solutions, not problems.

For example, instead of complaining about your boss, think of solutions that help you improve your career.

Even small changes have a beneficial effect.

Don’t blame genetic inheritance – People are born with certain predispositions, but that does not mean that your genetic inheritance is responsible for the lack of energy you suffer from.

Changing your lifestyle, adopting a healthy diet and a regular exercise program have a big impact on how you feel. 

For example, children who have an active lifestyle, exercise regularly and play outdoors tend to turn into active adults, unlike those who have a sedentary childhood.

The menstrual cycle – A woman’s energy also depends a lot on her menstrual cycle. There is an oscillation of mood and sleep quality.

The premenstrual syndrome makes women feel lifeless; energy increases after menstruation and before ovulation.

The light – Spring seems to be the most “energizing” season of the year, while winter is at its opposite pole.

Most people suffer from a mild form of depression in the cold seasons. Sunlight has a beneficial effect on mood, which is why we feel good in summer. 

Therefore, do not miss the opportunity to spend about 30 minutes outdoors every day, especially in the morning.

If you can’t find an obvious cause for your lack of energy, try to keep a daily diary in which you write down what you eat, how well you sleep, the stages of your menstrual cycle and your exercise habits.

After two weeks you can identify certain mistakes in your lifestyle that affect your energy level: a busy schedule at work, unhealthy meals or even the lack of meals during the day.

Also, think about what has changed in your life lately: a new pregnancy at work, the health problems of a family member, etc.

Remedies for anergia

First of all, if you feel that you have anergia for a long time now, the first thing you have to do is go to a doctor.

Talk to your family doctor, ask him to recommend a set of tests and rule out any physiological cause of your condition.

In the case there is a health problem or a certain deficit in the body, then the sooner you approach the problem, the better.

If your physical functioning is in normal parameters, it is time to evaluate the situation you are in and to be honest with yourself: what drains you of your energy?

Many unacknowledged or unrecognized frustrations and regrets towards ourselves are manifested on a physical level, and often the feeling is one of exhaustion.

Mentally we cannot concentrate, as if we were sleeping all the time, and in the evening instead of falling asleep, we struggle to drive away from our thoughts.

The cycle repeats itself, we wake up tired and say we would like a five-year vacation. The question is: why do we want to take a break?

If it is a job that is too busy, stressful, tiring, then maybe it’s time to make a list of benefits and disadvantages.

Beyond the need for money (which you can earn elsewhere) you have other motivations for being there.

The position? The prestige? Sure, that sounds good, but to what extent are these benefits relevant to your current needs?

Do you know that you have the right to reorganize your life? Decide to make changes? And they do not have to be major.

If changing jobs is not an option, your approach may be different. How much time do you spend at work?

Is it just a time when you have more activities or is this the pace of work?

Maybe you need a bigger team? Maybe you need to delegate, to ask for help?

The world won’t end if you decide to take a step back, or just one hour to yourself, every day, to do as you please, the things that you love – to take care of yourself. 

Maybe the plans or dreams that meet your needs require a longer period of time. However, it is important to start somewhere.

You don’t have to wake up one day and change your life. Many healthy changes start with small steps.

This way, you also give yourself time to adjust to the changes you have to make. The idea is, in short, to start doing something.

Side Note: I have tried and tested various products and services to help with my anxiety and depression. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.

Conclusions about anergia

In this article, we talked about anergia, causes, symptoms and remedies for a constant lack of energy and apathy. 

When it is part of a normal body response, anergia is often resolved with sleep, rest, stress management and quality nutrition.

Persistent lack of energy, which does not disappear after self-care, can be an indication of a physical or psychological disorder.

The first thing you should do is consult a doctor. Then, try some lifestyle changes, small steps toward accomplishing your goals and doing things that you love. 

If you have any questions, comments or recommendations, please let us know in the comments section. 

Further reading

Va Va Voom: The 10-Day Energy Diet that will stop you feeling Tired All The Time, by Jackie Lynch

The Magic of Thinking Big, by David J Schwartz 

Start With Gratitude: Daily Gratitude Journal | Positivity Diary for a Happier You in Just 5 Minutes a Day, by Happy Books Hub 

The Artist’s Way: A Course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self, by Julia Cameron

Reaching Down the Rabbit Hole: Extraordinary Journeys into the Human Brain, by Allan Ropper 

References

Huai Cheng, Barry J. Gurland, Mathew S. Maurer, Self-Reported Lack of Energy (Anergia) Among Elders in a Multiethnic Community, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Volume 63, Issue 7, July 2008, Pages 707–714,

Salamone, J. D., Cousins, M. S., & Bucher, S. (1994). Anhedonia or anergia? Effects of haloperidol and nucleus accumbens dopamine depletion on instrumental response selection in a T-maze cost/benefit procedure. Behavioural Brain Research, 65(2), 221–229. 

Shaffer, J. A., Davidson, K. W., Schwartz, J. E., Shimbo, D., Newman, J. D., Gurland, B. J., & Maurer, M. S. (2012). Prevalence and characteristics of anergia (lack of energy) in patients with acute coronary syndrome. The American journal of cardiology, 110(9), 1213–1218.