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Fatigue and lack of motivation

Menopause symptoms and treatments.

Fatigue and lack of motivation

This is a really common experience for women in perimenopause and menopause, and it can be exacerbated by many other factors too. Extreme tiredness, a general feeling of being ‘flat’ and not enjoying things you usually do can often be one of the earlier symptoms to emerge in perimenopause and it commonly happens alongside feelings of low mood.

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Symptoms of fatigue

Fatigue may involve:

  • Extreme and enduring tiredness
  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Aching muscles
  • Being slower to respond and impaired decision-making
  • Irritability
  • Loss of appetite
  • Poor concentration
  • Low motivation

Fatigue and hormones

When hormones are disrupted (and are then in short supply), it has a direct effect on your levels of energy and your zest for life. Fatigue will be made worse if you also have other menopause symptoms affecting your sleep like insomnia, night sweats or needing frequent trips to the toilet.

Impact of fatigue

Crushing fatigue can stop you doing things like being able to perform at work, socialising, engaging with your family’s activities, and your own exercise and leisure pursuits. And over time it can have a huge impact on both your physical and mental health.

Ways to help

Helpful habits to minimise fatigue are:

  • Prioritise and protect your sleep and routines that help you sleep well
  • Actively manage your levels of stress
  • Even though it can be hard, some gentle regular exercise like walking outdoors will be very beneficial to your physical and mental health. This is particularly beneficial as soon as you can after you wake up, so daylight helps to wake up your body clock.
  • Eat a healthy balanced diet with plenty of fruit, vegetables, protein and healthy fats.
  • Keep your mind busy on productive tasks rather than hours spent on passive activities like watching TV or scrolling on your phone.

There are several possible reasons for fatigue. As well as menopause, it could be related to your lifestyle, your work, psychological causes like depression or a bereavement, or other health conditions that can also cause fatigue like chronic fatigue or stress, sleep apnoea, thyroid disorders, or diabetes, so if you’re suffering with fatigue, discuss your health further with Dr Natalie Summerhill.