If you feel like you're suffering a personal energy shortage, join the club: "Fatigue is the most common complaint women bring to their doctors," says New York City internist Erika Schwartz, M.D., who specializes in treating fatigue. "Being tired isn't just annoying—it's your body's cry for help. If you don't pay attention and correct what's making you tired, you will get sick."
Granted, energy isn't a constant in our lives. It ebbs and flows according to daily, monthly and seasonal rhythms that are highly individual, explains Ken Goodrick, Ph.D., a psychologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. When you constantly feel drained, however, lifestyle habits are usually to blame. You're probably all too aware of the big-deal drains like taxes, toddlers and finding a parking spot, but you may not realize that sneaky factors could be robbing you of energy and filling you with fatigue. Click on the energy busters below to find out how they sap your drive—and learn how to re-energize your life.
