In line with Solar Solve’s new marketing campaign for the next 12 months, which is drawing attention to the issues associated with fatigue and Crew Fatigue At Sea in particular, in this blog I am discussing fatigue outside of the workplace.
In my initial research Wikipedia states: ‘Fatigue is a subjective feeling of tiredness that has a gradual onset. Unlike weakness, fatigue can be alleviated by periods of rest. Fatigue can have physical or mental causes. Physical fatigue is the transient inability of a muscle to maintain optimal physical performance, and is made more severe by intense physical exercise. Mental fatigue is a transient decrease in maximal cognitive performance resulting from prolonged periods of cognitive activity. It can manifest as somnolence, lethargy, or directed attention fatigue.’
Not really my idea of layman’s language and so not really that helpful to any layperson.
With further research, here for example: here, I have been able to establish, up to a point, that fatigue is more likely to be caused by stress than the other way round.
In last weeks blog it was stated that some significant accidents have been caused by fatigue, which suggests that reducing stress should reduce fatigue and result in less accidents. The information on this ‘How Stuff Works’ website discusses facts about fatigue and offers suggestions on ways to reduce fatigue in the home. For example: ‘There are two types of fatigue: emotional and physical. Emotional fatigue is a tiredness of the mind. It happens when stress piles up, such as having to meet multiple deadlines at work or dealing with the unexpected death of a parent. Physical fatigue happens when you spend the day working in the garden and at the end of the day you can’t even lift your little toe. Both types of tiredness can cause you to feel lethargic. And they both require rest and relaxation.’
Suggested remedies to combat fatigue are many and include:
Try to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every day.
Drink coffee for the caffeine, but no more than 2 cups every day.
If you are prone to overwork, try to work a bit less and spare more time for yourself.
Avoid boredom, it makes you tired. Be motivated to accomplish goals, it adds a spark to your life.
Exercise physically and mentally, it will help you to feel better.
Drink and eat in moderation and wisely, they go hand-in-hand in giving your body the fuel it needs to feel good.
Plus a lot more of the same good, sensible advice.
It’s all pretty obvious, straightforward stuff that people should do but many tend not to, often to the detriment of themselves, those around them or, when accidents are the result of fatigue, the death or injury of themselves and possibly other people.
So why not be a FATMAN supporter? FATigue MANagement is definitely worth embracing.
