How to Restore Your Energy Reserves

May 25

If you’ve been following along with this series, we’ve already talked about what chronic fatigue really is—and how it’s different from simply being tired. Unlike normal fatigue that resolves with rest, chronic fatigue means your energy reserves are depleted, and without those reserves, everyday stressors—physical, mental, or emotional—can completely drain you. In our second post, we explored the root causes, from post-viral illness and chronic inflammation to hormonal imbalances and stress overload.

Today, I want to give you real, practical strategies to begin restoring your energy reserves—without overwhelming you in the process.

First: A Gentle Reminder

If you’re already exhausted, I get it—even reading this might feel like too much. That’s okay. You’re not meant to do all of this at once. Pick one or two strategies that resonate with you, and focus on those for now. As your body begins to heal, you’ll be able to build more in over time. This isn’t a quick-fix journey—it’s a slow, steady path toward healing.

1. Prioritize Deep, Consistent Sleep

If I had to pick just one place to start, it would be sleep. Your body heals during deep, uninterrupted sleep—and most people with chronic fatigue need 9 to 10 hours consistently to begin replenishing their reserves.

But don’t worry: if you’re only getting 6 hours right now, your goal isn’t to jump to 10. Start small:

Add 15–30 minutes this week.
Do the same next week.
Work your way up slowly to your target.

The key is also quality sleep:

Waking up to use the restroom multiple times? Let’s look at hydration and bladder habits.
Suspecting sleep apnea? Get evaluated.
Too much noise/light/tech at night? Create a wind-down routine and sleep sanctuary.

Your body will only begin healing when it feels safe and supported at night.

2. Choose Movement That Restores, Not Depletes

Exercise is healing—but only when it’s the right type and intensity for where you are now.

If you’re not moving at all, aim for:

5 minutes of stretching or walking, 4–5 days a week.
Then gradually increase by 5 minutes each week.

If you’re already working out, but feel worse afterward:

Swap out high-intensity workouts for gentler options like walking, Pilates, bodyweight strength training, or yoga.
The goal: Consistency over intensity. Pushing hard and crashing doesn’t build reserves—it drains them.

Listen to your body, even when your mind wants to do more.

3. Reduce Stress (and Teach Your Body You’re Safe)

Stress keeps your body in fight-or-flight mode, where healing takes a backseat to survival.

Here’s how to shift gears:

Remove unnecessary stressors: Obligations that no longer serve you, draining relationships, or over-packed schedules.
Better manage the stress you can’t remove:
- Take 10–20 minutes daily for a calming activity:
  - Meditation or breathing exercises
  - Journaling or prayer
  - Gardening or walking outside

When you give your body a daily cue that it’s safe, it starts to heal.

4. Clean Up Your Nutrition—One Bite at a Time

What you eat either fuels healing or fans the flames of inflammation.

Here’s a starting point:

Focus on real, whole foods—the way they came from the earth.
- Fruits, vegetables, meats, healthy fats.
- Limit processed foods, added sugars, and inflammatory oils.
Consider food sensitivities: If your gut is inflamed or reacting to foods, it’ll drain your energy fast. You may benefit from elimination diets or food sensitivity testing, especially if you have digestive symptoms, joint pain, or brain fog.

This isn’t about perfection—it’s about reducing the burden on your system, one meal at a time.

5. Give Yourself Permission to Heal Slowly

This is hard to hear, but important: you will need to heal slower than you want to.

Healing from chronic fatigue means scaling your progress to your current capacity. For example:

Week 1: 5-minute walk
Week 2: 10-minute walk
Week 3: 15-minute walk
Week 4: 20-minute walk
Week 5: Walk + light jog for 5 minutes

It’s okay if someone else recovers faster. Your body is doing the best it can. Go slow. Be kind to it.

6. Medication Support—When Lifestyle Alone Isn’t Enough

I always prioritize lifestyle first—but sometimes your system is so overwhelmed that it needs a jumpstart.

Here are a few examples of medications that may help, depending on your root cause:

Duloxetine (Cymbalta) for pain sensitivity in fibromyalgia
Thyroid or hormone replacement for deficiencies in thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone
Antihistamines (Zyrtec, Allegra, Pepcid) for histamine intolerance or mast cell issues
Semaglutide (Ozempic) in low doses – emerging research is exploring its benefits for neuroinflammation, particularly in long COVID-related fatigue

These aren’t one-size-fits-all fixes, and most are off-label for chronic fatigue—but when used carefully and intentionally, they can provide the support your system needs to begin the deeper healing work.

You Deserve to Feel Better

Chronic fatigue can feel like your body has betrayed you—but it hasn’t. It’s just trying to survive in a world that hasn’t made rest, nourishment, or healing easy.

The good news? You can rebuild.
You can feel like yourself again.
But it takes patience, consistency, and compassion—not just for your body, but for your pace.

Start with just one change. See how it feels.
Then build from there. Your reserves will thank you.

If you’re ready to go deeper, our memberships at Arbor Internal Medicine are designed to walk with you through this process—step by step. You're not alone in this.

Dr. Danielle Ivey
Arbor Internal Medicine

Danielle Ivey