Another low energy day

You know, it's strange. Lately, despite the fact that I am sleeping well at night and have a relatively low stress level, I feel tired a lot. My mood is fine--thank you, Zoloft--I just have very little energy & am literally sleepy (& sometimes yawning) much of the day.

I'm not sure what the problem is. As I've said, I get plenty of sleep: go to bed around 10:00 p.m. and get up around 7:00 a.m. I've tried to make myself get up a little earlier--thinking I might be sleeping TOO much--but that made me even more tired. And I've always been one to need a solid eight hours a night, so I don't think I am, in fact, sleeping too much.

I mentioned this to my doctor late last month when I went in for a depression follow-up. She didn't seem to think that Zoloft was causing my lack of energy. I don't know if it's the cause or not. I do know that webmd lists "low energy" as a common side effect of Zoloft.

I guess one other possible cause might be the fact that I am not eating very healthfully. I am not eating many fruits & veggies and am eating lots of processed stuff & sweets. I'm also not exercising as often or as vigorously as I should be, so that may be another issue. (SL & I have recently started going walking in the evenings. However, we only go 2-3 nights a week. And when we do go, the pace he keeps is not sufficient to really raise my heart rate significantly.)

It's a difficult cycle, though. I think I might have more energy if I got more regular, vigorous exercise, but I don't have the energy to actually follow through with that thought. And I think one of the reasons I eat junky foods, at least at work, is an attempt to give myself some energy with sugar.

What I really need to do is just "suck it up" for a week or so and force myself to get up at 6:00 a.m. and work out. Our complex has an elliptical trainer; if I got on that for 30 minutes every morning (Monday through Friday) in addition to my evening walks with SL, it would probably help. And if not, at least I could eliminate "not getting enough exercise" as one possible cause of my low energy.

I may have to consider getting off the Zoloft. I have noticed a positive effect on my mood while taking it, but this lack of energy almost sucks worse than feeling depressed. I'm definitely not getting as much accomplished, either at work or at home.

On a happier note. . . . I am looking forward to a fun weekend. SL's cousin and his wife are visiting from Alaska, and the four of us are going out to dinner at PF Chang's tomorrow night. (Yum!) Then SL & I are going to Phoenix to watch the Diamondbacks play the Astros. It's nice to get away for the weekend instead of just spending the whole time lying around like a slug.

I was looking forward to being in trial the next two consecutive weeks, but it looks like that is not going to happen. In my trial scheduled for April 18th, the defense attorney has filed a last minute motion to continue that I think the judge will be inclined to grant. In my case set for April 25th, the defendant changed his mind and decided to accept a plea offer, so that trial will be vacated. (Normally, I wouldn't have been on board with that idea, this close to trial--there is even an office policy against--but my victim & his wife would have been severely inconvenienced by having to come and testify, as they live hundreds of miles away. So because the victims wanted the plea, my boss gave me special permission.)

I also found out this week that my trial scheduled for May 2nd will probably not go because the defense attorney is filing a motion to continue. I'm more than a little frustrated because I haven't been in trial since the end of February, and being in trial is my favorite part of my job. Without trial work, this job is not that great. :) Ah well. Maybe I can pick up a trial from someone else who is double-booked one of those three weeks.