Fatigue is a condition commonly experienced by many all over the world. Let us make one thing clear though, fatigue is a symptom of a disorder. It is not a disease or disorder in itself. The most palpable manifestation of fatigue is the frequent feeling of extreme tiredness in both body and mind.

A study in Britain found that 40% of Brits feel sleepy at work and 62% claimed that tiredness affected their social lives. Tiredness due to sleep problems often goes unaddressed in the workplace. Employers must be aware that most accidents and injuries are caused by extreme tiredness experienced by the workers. How important is it to be on our toes in the workplace? There are situations where we really need to be alert, for example when meeting clients or making important business decisions. Employees who exhibit tiredness in the workplace are not likely to close any business deal or make a sensible decision.

Causes of extreme tiredness in the workplace

Many things can trigger fatigue in the workplace. Some of the most prominent include shift work, burnout, workplace stress and bad workplace practices. Lifestyle-related causes also contribute to an employee's performance in the workplace. The biggest contributor in this category is lack of quality sleep. Others include too much sleep, intake of alcohol and drugs, sleep disturbances, lack of regular exercise, and a poor diet. To some, existing medical conditions such as sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome have been known to cause extreme tiredness and are manifested in the workplace.

The price of extreme tiredness

You know you are experiencing extreme tiredness when these occur frequently at work:

* You find it difficult to find the right words to say * You are unable to ignore irrelevant information * Your responses to simple questions are almost always delayed * You are irritable * You often make mistakes * You find it difficult to concentrate * You can hardly pay attention to the situation at hand * You have low motivation

If any of the above are manifested by many employees at work, productivity and quality of work is sure to suffer. A person suffering from fatigue has slowed reflexes and reduced function in daily life, much of which includes work performance. Thus excessive tiredness is also a risk factor in workplace accidents.

What can be done?

In the part of the employers, a number of things to control workplace fatigue can be done. Educating employees is possibly the primary step in reducing fatigue at work. They must ensure that workers are educated about healthy diets, exercise and the importance of quality sleep. Workers must also be allowed to take breaks, especially if heavy physical labor is involved or the employees work late at night. The elimination of extreme pressure from supervisors and bullying from co-workers can also do a lot to alleviate extreme tiredness.

Employees, on the other hand must observe a healthy lifestyle in the form of proper diets and regular exercise. Moderate intake of caffeine and alcohol must also be practiced. If they feel that workplace stress is causing their extreme tiredness at work, they must seek advice from their superiors and work out a plan to address the problem. However if you are suffering form chronic tiredness, it may be safest to see your doctor.

Extreme tiredness in the work place no doubt can have detrimental effects. It is important for you as an employee to recognize this condition and re-align your lifestyle to address this problem. Know the specific factors that are causing you to experience frequent and extreme tiredness and deal with them accordingly.