Diminish your fatigue by breathing more and drinking more water
Stress for Success
March 21, 2006



Recently I visited an old friend who told me that she loves my column and reads it every week. She chuckled and then said, "But I don't necessarily follow your advice." (Thanks, Elizabeth for keeping me grounded.)

I'm realistic enough to know that many of even the most stressed and exhausted among us who most need to faithfully practice stress reduction don't; many because they’re just too tired. So here are two bits of advice that are easy to practice, free, require virtually no willpower nor additional time, and yet still are very beneficial in boosting your energy: breathe more deeply and drink more water.

When you breathe shallowly, which stressed people do most of the time, you aren’t taking in enough oxygen. With lower levels of oxygen and higher levels of carbon monoxide in your blood you become more tired and put pressure on your body because your heart rate and blood pressure go up.

So breathe deeply from your abdomen every hour on the hour. Abdominal breathing gives an oxygen boost that energizes and relaxes you instantly. Also do this before times you know you’ll be stressed, like a difficult conversation you’re about to have with someone.

As you inhale, focus on making your stomach and chest move so it expands your lower lungs. This allows you to take in more air with each breath. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Concentrate on pushing the air out as you exhale, which encourages the body to breathe correctly. Maintaining good posture also facilitates healthy breathing.

Another common contributor to fatigue is dehydration. Some estimates are that 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. And no wonder! Look at all the caffeine we consume from coffee, tea and soda. And we simply don't drink enough water. If you’re very stressed you’re probably one of the 75%. Besides fatigue dehydration can cause headaches, constipation and irritability.

“When you feel thirsty, you’ve already lost two to three percent of your body fluid” says Susan Kleiner, a registered dietician in Mercer Island, Washington. This can lower your blood volume, which means you don’t get as much blood to your brain so your heart has to work harder.

Sometimes you mistakenly perceive your body’s plea for water as hunger pains. For a few weeks between meals when you think you’re hungry drink a glass of water instead. You’ll hydrate yourself more and decrease the extra pounds you put on over the years. Drinking water when you want to munch can also help keep you on a diet.

Also consider:

• Drink enough water so you have to urinate once an hour during wakeful hours.
• If your lifestyle is mostly sedentary drink nine cups of water per day; if active you’ll need closer to twelve.
• Since this can get tiresome, spark up your water with lemon or orange slices, drink noncaffeinated herbal tea, and eat more soup, fresh fruits and vegetables.
• When constipated drink lots of water in the morning. It works better than the over-the-counter products upon which we tend to rely.
• Avoid drinks that contribute to dehydration: coffee, tea, alcoholic beverages all of which are diuretics that require more water from the body than they provide.
• Have water nearby throughout your day including in your car.

To generate more energy, which might motivate you to follow other needed stress management advice, breathe more deeply and drink more water. Do these two things very regularly for the next two months and see if you’re not more energetic. Then you'll have no excuse to stop you from taking better care of yourself in other ways.

Jacquelyn Ferguson, M. S., of InterAction Associates, is a trainer and a Professional Coach in Lee County. E-mail her at www.jackieferguson.com or call 239-693-8111 for information about her workshops on this and other topics or to invite her to speak to your organization.