Dr Libby: What Could Be Contributing To Your Low Energy & How To Fix It

In this special series, guest writer Dr Libby Weaver shares her health insights. This week, she’s got advice for what to do when you feel like you’re constantly running on empty.

Ever feel like some days the tank’s already empty before the day’s even begun? You get up, make the coffee, get on with things, but there’s that heaviness – that low hum of tiredness that doesn’t really shift. I’ve seen it so often in the women I’ve worked with over the years – it’s not just you. The world is full of people who are worn out but still running – and it only seems to be getting more common.

In our modern world, we’ve normalised exhaustion. We call it “busy”. We put it down to just getting older, or hormones, or the way life is now. Yet constant fatigue isn’t something you just have to live with. It’s a message – your body’s way of asking for help. Energy doesn’t come from nowhere. Every single cell in your body is making it, moment by moment. And when something in that chain breaks down, even a little, you feel it. The frustrating thing is, it’s rarely one single cause. It’s usually a mix of things, all quietly adding up.

Iron is one of the biggest players here. When your iron levels are low, it’s like trying to run an engine with no fuel. Iron helps your blood carry oxygen, and oxygen is what keeps your cells alive and well. If you don’t have enough stored iron (we measure that as ferritin) or enough iron getting to where it needs to through your body, you can feel flat, foggy, dizzy, anxious or like you’ve lost your spark. I’ve seen it time and time again in women – teenagers, new mums, women in perimenopause, in particular – but also in young men and athletes. You don’t need to be anaemic to feel the effects of iron deficiency.

When those levels are restored, everything starts to shift. Your focus sharpens. You feel lighter. You remember what “normal” energy actually feels like. If you suspect iron could be behind your fatigue, ask for “iron studies”, not just ferritin and haemoglobin. It’s worth it.

Then there’s stress – and not just the big, obvious kind. I’m talking about the low-level, constant kind that hums along underneath everything. Your perception of pressure and urgency. The caffeine that keeps you going when you’d rather rest. Years ago, I described this as Rushing Woman’s Syndrome – that wired-but-tired pattern so many women live in. When adrenaline and cortisol stay high for too long, your body starts to prioritise survival over everything else. You can’t rest properly, digestion is compromised, sleep gets lighter and your body clings to energy reserves instead of using them freely.

It’s hard to notice this when you’re in it. The pace feels normal until you stop. Yet learning to slow your breathing, even just for a minute or two, can help reset your nervous system. Stepping outside into fresh air. Sitting still before a meal. Letting yourself have small moments of pause. It’s not indulgent – it’s necessary.

Food matters too, and not in a “perfect way of eating” sense. It’s just biology that your body needs quality materials to make energy. Real food gives you that; ultra-processed food doesn’t. Plenty of vegetables, good-quality protein, whole grains if you digest them well, fruit, nuts, seeds – nothing complicated, just food that looks like it came from the earth. And water. So many people I meet are tired because they’re slightly dehydrated and don’t realise it.

And then, of course, there’s sleep. We treat it like an optional extra, yet it’s during sleep that your body repairs itself. We cannot deny our physiological need for good-quality, restorative sleep. I know it’s easier said than done, yet small tweaks can make a difference – a darker room, less scrolling before bed, an earlier cut-off for caffeine (ideally none after midday).

Most people’s fatigue doesn’t come from one single issue. It’s layers. A little low iron here, some stress, not enough sleep, a few skipped meals, too many takeaways. It all adds up until you feel like you’re running on fumes. The good news is, your body’s incredibly forgiving. Give it what it needs and – in its own time – it responds.

So if you’ve been feeling tired for longer than feels right, don’t ignore it. You don’t have to push through or accept that this is “just life”. Consider what your body needs. Maybe it’s nutrients. Maybe it’s rest. Maybe it’s permission to slow down. When you start giving your body the support it’s been asking for, energy stops being something you chase. Instead, it starts to flow back naturally, enhancing the quality of your life as it does.

Dr Libby Weaver PhD is a nutritional biochemist, 13 times bestselling author and international keynote speaker. For more on supporting yourself through stressful periods visit Drlibby.com

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