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The change I see most commonly in my nutrition practice with clients is- better energy. This is a huge deal! This affects every aspect of your day to day- your quality of work, your patience with your children, your workout performance, your libido.. you get the point. I love to see this change in clients because I know it’s just the beginning- the tip of the iceberg. In nutritional therapy, I usually hear reports of this change in about 2 weeks after implementing changes based on there personalized protocol. In this post, I’ve highlighted the top 5 reasons you’re so freaking tired and I’ve given you practical steps you can implement today to fix the burn out fatigue. No excuses.

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Why you’re so freakin’ tired:

1. Your Macronutrients Are Out of Balance

A large tossed salad is not a balanced meal. You may be eating “healthy”, but without the proper macronutrients for you body, your energy and your moods will suffer. You’re missing out on key nutrients for sustained energy and blood sugar balance. Women often under-eat protein, over-rely on carbs, or go too low in fat.
Unbalanced meals cause blood sugar crashes, mood swings, energy dips, and cravings that keep you stuck in a vicious cycle.

More on that here: Are you a stressed out sugar burner?

Practical steps to balance your macronutrients for burn out fatigue:

• Start your day with at least 30g of protein at breakfast
• Build meals with the 4 pillars: protein, healthy fats, fiber, and slow carbs
• Don’t skip meals or rely on whatever is leftover on your toddler’s lunch plate. Let’s do better.

Related: How to build a balanced meal

Balanced breakfast ideas with high protein

2. You’re Using Caffeine and Alcohol to Regulate Your Nervous System

Caffeine gives you the illusion of energy (think energy debt). Alcohol gives you the illusion of rest- but both disrupt your nervous system long-term. Neither of these items solves a problem. They cover it up! This rollercoaster drains your adrenals, wrecks your sleep, and wires your body for survival instead of restoration.

Practical steps to cut the cord on caffeine and alcohol dependency in burn out fatigue:

• Eat before coffee to blunt cortisol spikes
• Try herbal alternatives or decaf coffee in the afternoon
• Replace “wind down wine” with magnesium mocktails or some kombucha in a pretty glass or a handmade mocktail.

Follow Olivia for some amazing mocktail recipes

Related: Are decaf coffees really caffeine free?

Is adrenal fatigue real? The underworld of the wired and tired

3. You’re Not Leaving Margins — You’re Running Past Empty

This one the really stubborn ones struggle with. Why do we always believe that more must be better? Try harder- do better- until there is nothing left for us to give and we’re only left with these worn out exhausted versions of ourselves. How is this our purpose? Your freakin’ tired body is speaking to you.

Are we allowing margins in our life? Are we leaving room in our day for the sick dog? -The neighbor that stops by to chat?- The board game your daughter keeps asking to play? Things will go wrong, your friends and your family will require parts of you that you didn’t plan for. 

“And what does it matter if we live up to their expectations? It drains our souls and leaves us weary with only fragments of ourselves left over to give to those we really love.”  Shauna Nyquist, Present Over Perfect

Practical steps to slow down and recover from burn out fatigue:

• Turn off social media notifications
• Start saying “No” and building boundaries
• Take a freakin’ nap -even if it’s just 15 minutes. I call these quarter naps. Don’t do the 2 hours where you wake up and feel like you got hit by a truck after.

Related: How to find rest in the chaos

4. You’re Low in Major Minerals

Our food has changed. Even your “healthy foods” aren’t as rich in vitamins and minerals as they once were.
Your major minerals- magnesium, potassium, sodium, and calcium all play critical roles in energy production and nervous system function… this means it impacts your stress tolerance and resiliency. Without proper nutrients, you’ll always feel tired, no matter how much you rest. More on that here.

Practical steps to increase your major minerals and reduce burn out fatigue:

• Incorporate mineral-rich foods: leafy greens, sea salt, bone broth, avocado, nuts
• Try a daily mineral mocktail (my favorite recipes are here)
• Add in a daily electrolyte solution like these here, or pure coconut water

Related: Drink this to handle your stress better

My favorite electrolyte powders

5. You Haven’t Addressed the Root Cause of Your Endocrine Health

Fatigue is often the downstream symptom of something bigger: thyroid dysfunction, adrenal dysregulation, blood sugar imbalances, or hormonal chaos. Hormonal dysfunction sets off a cyclical dysfunction pattern. If your glucose and insulin ratio is not what it should be, based on poorly chosen meals it is going to create a great deal of inflammation which will affect all of your other hormones. As adrenal health suffers from things like high stress, high cortisol, low rest, and low nutrients- the thyroid starts to suffer. If your thyroid level is not doing well, because of being inflamed, or because it’s not receiving proper signaling, much of the rest of your system will be functioning poorly. Low thyroid produces weight gain and lethargy among other things.

Practical steps to care for your endocrine health and address burn out fatigue:

• Use the steps above to balance the diet and nourish the endocrine system with proper minerals
• Follow with steps like listed above to address chronic stress
• Consider nutritional therapy with functional testing to get clear answers

Related: The exhausted women’s guide to better energy and moods

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If you understand all of this but struggle with the actual implementation of these steps for fatigue, I have something for you. Every month, I offer 5 free introductory calls where I help women like you identify exactly what’s missing from their burnout recovery plan. We’ll pinpoint the root cause of your symptoms and map out a simple, sustainable plan to get you feeling like yourself again.  

These spots go fast, so if you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start feeling better, grab one now before they’re gone. Just click the link to book your free call. You don’t have to do this alone—I’ve already done the trial and error for you. Let’s get you back to feeling like yourself for good.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I do not recommend products that I have not personally vetted.