“Why Am I So Tired After Work?” 10 Reasons Why! (With Tips To Cope)

Work culture, in the last few decades, may have improved, but there are still instances where we see people working eight or more hours a day. Our minds are small and when you overwork them, it can cause mental fatigue which can make you feel not only mentally but also physically tired.

So if you’re finding yourself with the question; “Why am I so tired after work?” even though your work isn’t that demanding – physically or mentally – then there could be many reasons contributing to your exhaustion after work.

Sometimes, the fatigue you experience can happen when you’re just super busy or under-rested and other times, the reasons could be more than just being overworked. When your fatigue after work begins to affect your productivity during your work hours and your quality time at home with your family (or yourself), then you need to get to the bottom of your fatigue.

Here are some common signs of work fatigue, the reasons you feel tired after work, and some effective yet simple ways to overcome work fatigue and have more energy.

Keep reading!

Signs You Have Work Fatigue

More often than not, it’s easy to tell when fatigue comes after work. You come home after a long day and have no energy to do more than order dinner and watch TV until you fall asleep. It’s when you can’t carry out your normal bedtime routine because you’re too tired to care.

However, many times, the signs of work fatigue can be subtle. Here are some common work fatigue symptoms you should know about;

• Trouble controlling your emotions after the end of the day
• Trouble focusing (during the day and evening)
• Difficulty making simple decisions (such as dinner)
• Engaging in impulsive actions without thinking
• Feeling forgetful
• Feeling hungry all the time
• Having an upset stomach, dry skin
• Getting sick frequently
• Feeling frazzled and stressed without reason
• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep

10 Reasons You’re Tired After Work

There are more than a few factors that can leave you feeling drained and exhausted after work, so if you’re feeling tired after work or asking yourself, “Why am I so tired after work?” then here are some reasons that may be causing this;

1.You Stay Up Late

Your tiredness could be because you stay up late the previous night. Sometimes, you may stay up late to catch up on some free time that you don’t get during your workday but it could only aggravate your fatigue. This phenomenon is called revenge bedtime procrastination.

2.Depression Or Anxiety

If you have signs of depression or if you struggle with anxiety, then it could be another reason you feel tired after work. Depression and anxiety can drain your energy even without doing anything. If you’re struggling to fall asleep at night, losing focus, losing interest in activities, or even feeling stressed without a reason, it could all point to depression and anxiety.

3.Constant Social Engagements

Being social is good but when being social begins to drain your energy leaving you feeling exhausted without reason, then it could be harmful. If you’re struggling with work fatigue and if you’re an introvert, then keep in mind that your social interactions during the day and evening might be draining your energy and leaving you exhausted.

4.Workplace Stress

Workplace stress can eventually lead to workplace burnout and exhaustion. If you’re experiencing workplace stress during your day, then you may come home after work too tired to not do anything more than just eat and sleep. If you leave this unaddressed, then with time, it could take a toll on your overall well-being.

5.No Work-Life Balance

There’s always a need to set a work-life balance. If you’re constantly bringing work home with you, then it could suggest poor work boundaries and a lack of a healthy work-life balance. If you’re using your personal time to take care of work problems and projects then it could take a toll on your personal and professional life. This is another reason why you feel tired after work. Your negative work conversations can leave you feeling exhausted the next day. So be careful of what you bring home!

6.Demanding Work

If your job is physically or emotionally demanding then it could be another reason why you feel exhausted after work. Exhausted after your job due to physical or mental labor can also explain why your energy levels are drained after the work day’s over.

7.Boredom

While a physically or mentally demanding job can tire you out, a dull job where there’s room for boredom can also tire you out. When there’s no challenge in your job, it can cause you to feel bored, eventually leading to exhaustion. You might go home with no motivation, feeling unproductive, and undervalued.

8.No Self-Care

If you often neglect to care for yourself during and after work, then it could be another reason why you feel work fatigue. It’s OK to feel tired but if you’re not doing anything to elevate your energy levels during the day, then the tiredness is bound to creep up and disrupt your routine as well as your well-being. Make sure you eat well and get quality sleep to beat tiredness.

9.You Don’t Take Breaks

Too much focus on work can leave you feeling drained of your energy. If you don’t take regular breaks, then you may find yourself easily distracted and exhausted after work. If you get breaks during the day, take them and use them wisely instead of mindlessly wasting them away.

10.Too Much Caffeine

You may feel that drinking caffeine or beverages high in sugar can help you beat the tiredness, but it can do the opposite too. Too much caffeine and sugar during the day can drain your energy at night leaving you more exhausted than usual when the effects of caffeine wear off. So if you’re a caffeine person, then make sure you drink adequate amounts of caffeine and avoid it late in the day.

How To Have Energy After Work?

Luckily for you, there are effective yet simple ways to have energy after work and stop feeling tired. Check them out;

• Don’t Bring Work At Home

If you’re someone who worries about work after work, then make sure you set some healthy boundaries and don’t bring work at home. Remind yourself that there’s still the next day to finish your tasks and that you don’t have to rush.

• Keep A Routine

Having an after-work routine can help you have energy after work. It can also give you time to unwind and relax after work and maintain the work boundaries I mentioned earlier. It could be nothing more than drinking a cup of tea or going for a walk in the evening after work.

• Try Mindfulness

Mindfulness can help you focus on the present moment without judgment and can be a great way to release the stress you accumulate during the day. Try to adopt a mindfulness practice into your daily routine to feel less stressed and more present in the moment.

• Do What You Love

At the end of the day, it’s important to reward yourself with something you love for work well done. This means doing what you love to do. When you do something you enjoy, it can take away your tiredness and replace it with energy. It is also a good way to keep the motivation up.

• Get Quality Sleep

Sleep is an important part of your health and not getting enough or better yet, quality sleep can mess with your health. If you’re not able to catch up on your sleep, then see what you can change in your bedroom or bedtime routine. Is it caffeine that’s keeping you awake? Or is it your wake-sleep cycle? See what needs to change and do it.

What Next?

If you’ve made the changes you think you needed to fix your tiredness and stop work fatigue but find that they’ve not helped, then it could be a sign of something more serious. It is recommended that you speak to a professional about it if your work still leaves you feeling tired and if you lose energy after work.

A professional may conduct some tests to see what might be causing your fatigue after work. Some conditions that could cause fatigue can include;

• Sleep Disorders
• Medications
• Infections
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Vitamin Deficiencies
• Depression
• Anxiety

According to your causes, your doctor may suggest further treatment. Make sure you consult with them properly before taking any medications or further treatment that may hinder your professional or personal life.

Feeling tired after work is a common problem that we all experience, but when this work fatigue becomes excessive and begins to affect your work performance and personal life, then it could be a problem too serious.

With the right steps and treatment, you can fight work fatigue and have energy at the end of the day. If you’re still struggling then reach out to a professional for a consultation.

I hope this article helped you answer, “Why am I so tired after work?” and how you can deal with work fatigue. For more, you can write to us at info@calmsage.com or DM us on social media. You can also share your tips and thoughts in the comments below.

Take Care!