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In traditional Chinese medicine, it is commonly believed that fatigue occurs as a result of an imbalance of qi energy. The main treatment should be carried out under the guidance of specialists, but you can cope with overwork with the help of some simple tricks.
We just woke up, we are going to work, but our legs do not go. And there is no appetite, and the sun does not please, and I don’t want anything, just lie down. However, a night’s sleep does not eliminate daytime sleepiness. And so day after day, neither rest nor vacation helps, as if the motor that generates energy has broken inside.
What happened? It’s chronic fatigue syndrome. It was recognized as a disease back in 1988, but its causes have not yet been definitively established. It seems that the science of the West cannot yet give an answer about the nature of this phenomenon, which many of us know from personal experience. Let’s try to look at fatigue from the point of view of traditional Chinese medicine.
Energy in a peaceful direction
The fundamental concept of all Chinese culture is qi. This energy fills the entire Universe, the Earth, each of us, as well as animals and plants, moving along energy lines — meridians. The smooth movement of qi ensures the well-being of all things, and its inharmonious distribution leads to trouble, destruction and ill health.
Qi provides life force not only to every organ and every cell, but also to our soul, according to Chinese doctors. They investigate disturbances in the movement of qi in the relationship of the body, emotions, lifestyle of the patient, as well as his environment. From their point of view, not only chronic, but any kind of fatigue is a symptom of improper qi movement.
“A healthy person should wake up alert and energetic, enjoy spending the day in activities, the evening in communication with family and friends, after that it is easy to fall asleep and wake up alert again,” emphasizes Anna Vladimirova, a doctor, a specialist in Chinese medicine, the founder of the school of healing practices. Wu Ming Dao.
Fatigue is accompanied by other signs of ill health, and a Chinese medicine specialist will determine their causes. Everything matters here: gait, posture, eye expression, skin tone, shape and color of the tongue, voice timbre, bodily odors …
Qi balance methods include acupuncture, massages, diets, herbal medicine, qigong exercises, as well as recommendations for changing lifestyle and environment. But even before a visit to a Chinese doctor, we can learn how to help ourselves if fatigue has begun to take up too much space in life. Anna Vladimirova talks about three types of qi circulation disorders.
Kidney fatigue: fatigue and decline
If the kidneys suffer, then one of the first alarms will be a feeling of fatigue, lack of strength. We always want to lie down, sleep. Nothing ignites and pleases, there is no energy even for interesting and important things. According to Chinese medicine, fear destroys the kidneys. Our own weakness also frightens us, and a vicious circle turns out: there is no strength — this makes us anxious — anxiety makes us even less strong.
Chinese doctors are able to diagnose diseases long before their active manifestation. And if we complain of fatigue and anxiety, but do not feel problems with the kidneys, the doctor will still treat this organ. If this is not done, then after a few years, kidney disease will also appear in the tests, but the treatment will be more difficult.
How can you help yourself? In Chinese medicine, it is believed that it is in the kidneys that our prenatal qi energy is stored, that is, the vital forces given to us upon birth, our “golden reserve”. How much of this energy we got depends on life expectancy.
In addition to it, there is also postnatal energy: it is replenished by sleep, food and breathing. Kidney problems signal that there is little postnatal energy, and we begin to “burn” prenatal energy, spending the “golden reserve”, and this, by analogy with money, can lead to “bankruptcy”.
Therefore, it is necessary to provide the body with maximum opportunities to receive additional energy.
The body with the renal type of fatigue demands: let me sleep and gain strength! Give him the opportunity
What’s in the bowl? Seafood will help strengthen the health of the kidneys: oysters, mussels, algae, sea fish. In addition, a large supply of easily digestible energy contains seeds: sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts. And, of course, we must exclude unhealthy «junk food», fast food and products with artificial ingredients.
To restore strength: sleep is the easiest and fastest way to replenish vitality. The body with the renal type of fatigue demands: let me sleep and gain strength! Give him that opportunity. Set aside 8-10 hours of sleep and try to arrange «dump» weekends. When the kidneys recover, the regimen also normalizes: you can sleep less and wake up truly rested.
Meditation is shown not only for the harmonization of the mind, but also for the health of the kidneys. Even 3-5 minutes of meditation a day can reduce anxiety levels. And if you can bring your practice to 12-15 minutes a day, then this will qualitatively relieve the nervous system and significantly improve sleep.
Digestive fatigue: depression and hopelessness
Persistent fatigue can develop against the background of digestive problems. The emotional cause of such troubles is most often depression, depression and fruitless reflections in search of a way out.
These feelings deplete the qi of the spleen, which affects other digestive organs, and then the body no longer receives enough energy from food. He cannot properly digest food, just as he cannot «process» his emotions — express displeasure, understand desires and set goals.
Abdominal pains, bloating and flatulence also often occur, and in behavior the patient with «digestive fatigue» may explode with aggressive resentment, after which he droops exhausted and again feels driven into a dead end.
How can you help yourself? First of all, turn to good specialists of any school, Western or Eastern. And change your lifestyle.
What’s in the bowl? Those who suffer from fatigue due to digestive stress quickly rush to a healthy diet. And according to the rules of a healthy lifestyle, they lean on raw vegetables, salads, fruits, germinated cereals. And raw, unprocessed foods are harder to digest!
With digestive stress, the most easily digestible food is needed: boiled or steamed foods. Soups and broths, boiled cereals on the water, steamed or baked vegetables, fruits in the form of compotes.
Such a diet is prescribed by Chinese doctors for 6-8 months and is supplemented with vitamin decoctions (for example, goji berry compote), as well as natural spices such as fennel, coriander, cloves and cumin.
To restore strength: strengthening the digestive system helps understanding yourself and your own experiences. We must learn to consciously express and «digest» emotions, even resentment and displeasure. Keeping a diary, and classes in a theater studio or participation in supportive therapy groups will do — this will have a positive effect on the general condition.
Hepatic fatigue: absent-mindedness and exhaustion
Those with liver problems experience a very characteristic type of fatigue. They seem to have strength, but they use their resource chaotically, often suffer from inattention, make mistakes, fuss and drive themselves to inhuman fatigue.
And the point here is not a lack of qi energy, but its improper circulation — in the theory of Chinese medicine, the liver is responsible for distributing the flow of qi throughout the body. Emotionally, hidden irritability and repressed resentment lead to an imbalance of liver qi.
How can you help yourself? Find good doctors and do a liver exam. At the same time, you can adjust the rhythm of life in a way that is more adequate for such a state.
What’s in the bowl? To unload the liver and help it recover, you should normalize fat metabolism. To do this, you need to abandon fatty meat, and give preference to light vegetable fats and sea fish fats. In Chinese medicine, salmon, mackerel, anchovy, sardine, sprat and tuna are considered especially useful.
To restore strength: the skill of planning helps to get out of the state of being driven. It can be mastered through time management courses or simply by writing down upcoming tasks. They are then sorted into urgent and non-urgent, as well as non-essential cases that can be easily sacrificed.
In addition, it is worth trying to find the causes of internal tension and defuse it with the help of psychotherapy. With this type of fatigue, physical activity is very useful.
Adequate cardio burns stress hormones and releases calm and self-confidence hormones (endorphins and serotonin), while thoughtful strength training can help add order.