Lost your spark, your energy, your vigor? You may be suffering from excessive fatigue. If you feel like you’re dragging yourself through your day and you’re tired all the time, you may need to fight fatigue. While there are many causes, there are an equal number of surprising ways you can combat these feelings. Check out some of the unexpected ways you can fight fatigue.

What Is Fatigue?

Recognizing “tired” is easy, but what makes “fatigue” different than just being tired and sleepy after a long day? Sleepiness is mainly physical and can usually be cured by a quick nap or a restful night’s sleep. Fatigue, however, is both mental and physical, and the causes can typically be classified into several broad categories: lifestyle, physical conditions, and mental conditions. All of these can leave you feeling overwhelmed and worn out—overly exhausted on a constant basis. You’ll probably still feel sluggish after a great night of sleep, and you may even lose interest in normal daily activities because you’re just feeling too tired.

What Are the Causes of Fatigue?

Fatigue is a huge problem in our modern-day world. Many people experience a chronic lack of sleep, too much daily stress, and an overabundance of stimulants each day. There are so many reasons you might feel fatigued, but here are a few common causes:

Lack of sleep—this may seem obvious, and it is. Shutting down at night is not as easy for some as it seems. Your brain may be racing, and your body might still be revved up from the day. Getting yourself to relax and sleep on a regular schedule is paramount.

Poor sleep quality—although you may physically be in bed for the requisite seven to eight hours that adults typically need to sleep, if your time spent in bed isn’t restful, it’s not helpful. Shift workers often experience fatigue due to an irregular sleep schedule.

Insomnia or sleep apnea—if you’re fighting fatigue on a constant basis, you may want to consider whether you have a condition preventing sleep, like insomnia (the inability to sleep or stay asleep) or sleep apnea (you repeatedly stop breathing, thus waking yourself up multiple times throughout the night).

Stress—stress can be a huge cause of tiredness. While it may interfere with your ability to get quality sleep, stress can also wear you down during the day. You tend to go over situations repeatedly in your head, and neither your mind nor your body gets a chance to relax or unwind.

Anxiety and depression—both conditions can also interfere with your sleep and energy levels. And, many of the symptoms of anxiety and depression, like worry, fear, lack of interest in activities, and restlessness, can all contribute to your fatigue, making the situation worse.

Medications—medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, can have detrimental effects on your sleep and energy levels. Check the labels on your medication or consult your doctor if you think your medicines might be interfering with sleep or causing fatigue.

Poor nutrition and hydration—not getting enough food and not getting the right nutrients can cause deficits, making you feel fatigued. Even not getting enough water can leave you feeling drained, hungry, and irritable.

How Can You Fight Fatigue?

As you can imagine, fighting fatigue is more complex than just getting plenty of quality sleep at night. Proper hydration and nutrition play a huge role in your energy levels, as do getting the right supplements and doing plenty of exercise.

Here are some surprising ways to bump up your vitality and fight off fatigue:

Vitamin D—this nutrient will help you use the HMB in your system and assist in preserving muscle tissue and strength. Vitamin D also helps your body control inflammation as well as assist in the release of feel-good hormones.

Sleep hygiene—creating a sleep environment that is conducive to restful sleep is important. Make sure the room is cool and dark. Consider instituting a winding down ceremony before bed, maybe with a bubble bath or some pleasure reading. Shut down electronics well before bedtime to let your body and mind relax, and avoid consuming large meals or alcohol before bed.

Creatine—this supplement is tried and true and has been used by fitness enthusiasts for years. Not only does it help you preserve and build muscle, but it can also provide a burst of energy, allowing you to power through some of your tough workouts. Staying energized throughout your training is important so that you can push yourself and get stronger. Creatine helps you avoid mental and physical fatigue and maximize your workout results.

Mental health and stress relief—focus on your mental hygiene as well by practicing mindfulness, being present, stress relief tactics, cognitive behavioral therapy, and letting go. Meditation can also bring relief and allow your body to revitalize.

HMB—(β-Hydroxy β-methylbutyric acid) is a substance produced naturally in the body in small amounts. Additional supplementation may help reduce muscle loss, increase athletic performance, and promote better muscle gains with resistance training. These are all invaluable when trying to preserve and build muscle mass, especially as you get older. And less muscle breakdown means you’ll feel stronger and more energized.

Protein—yes, believe it or not, protein can also help to snap you out of a fatigue funk. Whereas carbohydrates might leave you feeling drowsy, protein helps provide sustained energy and tissue repair. In conjunction with HMB, creatine, and vitamin D, protein can really help you fight fatigue.

Exercise—yes, the regular expenditure of energy will actually help you fight off fatigue. Build up your tolerance to exercise over time, and don’t try to do too much at once. Be sure to include both cardiovascular work and resistance training.

You don’t have to go through life in a constant state of fatigue. Now, you have some tools to fight fatigue and bring back your energetic and healthy self.