Spring fatigue: why you're so tired now

The days are getting longer. The sun is shining. Everyone is talking about new beginnings, energy, new starts. And you? You can't get out of bed in the morning. You drag yourself through the day. You could fall asleep at 3 pm - in the middle of a meeting.

Coffee no longer helps. Neither does sleep. You sleep for 8 hours and wake up feeling like you've hardly slept at all. Everyone else seems to have energy. Except you. You ask yourself: is there something wrong with me?

No. Everything is right with you. It's March. And your body is working hard. TCM doesn't call it „spring fatigue“ - it calls it the price of transition.

You can be tired. Your body is working - even if you can't see it.

🔄 What really happens in March

Your body is not a machine. It is an organism - and it follows the seasons.

In winter:

The metabolism shuts down
The energy draws inwards
The body stores, rests, regenerates
The kidney rules (water element)

In spring:

The metabolism ramps up
The energy wants to get out
The body cleanses, moves, awakens
The liver takes over (wood element)

The problem: The transition does not happen overnight.

In March your body is at the same time in the process:

Letting go of winter
Start the spring
Reducing legacy burdens
Building new energy

That comes at a cost. And you feel these costs as tiredness.

💚 The TCM perspective: The liver awakens

In spring, the Liver to the fore.

It is responsible for:

The free flow of Qi in the body
Detoxification (also from a Western perspective)
The processing of emotions
The tendons and eyes
The energy for new beginnings and movement

The problem in March:

The liver wants to get going - but the kidney (winter) hasn't quite let go yet.
The liver wants to detoxify - but the body is overloaded with waste products.
The liver wants exercise - but you have hardly moved at all during the winter.

The result: Traffic jam.

And traffic jams feel like tiredness.

What's more: the liver needs Blood. Less fresh blood is produced in winter. In spring, the liver lacks fuel.

Tired liver = tired person.

⚠️ The test: Is it spring fever - or something more?

Answer honestly:

Typical spring tiredness:

The tiredness came with spring (not in winter)
You are tired, but not exhausted to the bone
Exercise helps - you'll feel better afterwards
Tiredness is worse during the day than in the morning
You have no other severe symptoms

Warning signals (more than spring fatigue):

The fatigue has been present for months
Sleep does not bring recovery - no matter how much
Exercise makes it worse, not better
You have: Hair loss, cold feet, depression, severe weight change
You hardly function at all

Evaluation:
- Upper group only: Classic spring fatigue → This article helps
- Lower group: Please have a check-up (thyroid, iron deficiency, adrenal glands, etc.)

🧠 The western bridge: What the science says

Hormone change: In winter, the body produces more melatonin (sleep hormone). In spring, it has to switch to serotonin (waking hormone). This switch takes 2-4 weeks - and costs energy.

Drop in blood pressure: As temperatures rise, the blood vessels dilate. Blood pressure drops. Less pressure = less drive = tiredness.

Nutrient deficits: After winter, our stores are often empty: vitamin D, iron, B vitamins. The body runs on reserves.

Histamine: Histamine levels increase in spring (pollen, flowers). Histamine makes you tired - even without allergy symptoms.

The internal clock: The time change (end of March) upsets the circadian rhythm. The body needs days to weeks to adjust.

Two worlds. One realization: Spring fatigue is real. And it has causes that you can influence.

🌿 The 5 pillars against spring fatigue

1. in the morning: light instead of coffee

The most important clock for your internal clock is light.

Practical:

In the first 30 minutes after waking up: Out into the daylight
At least 15-20 minutes (it also works with clouds)
Without sunglasses (the light must reach your eyes)
Coffee only AFTER the light - not first thing

Why it works: Morning light stops melatonin production and starts cortisol (the waking hormone). No artificial light can replace this.

📣 Insider tip: Having breakfast on the balcony for 10 minutes. Or walking to work instead of taking the subway.

→ From tomorrow: First light, then coffee.

2. movement: Boost circulation

You were sluggish in winter. Your circulation too. Time to wake it up.

Practical:

In the morning: 5-10 minutes of exercise BEFORE the day (stretching, Qi Gong, walk)
During the day: Stand up briefly every hour, stretch, take 10 steps
3 times a week: 30 minutes of exercise that gets you slightly out of breath
Ideal: Outdoors, not in the gym

The TCM perspective: The Qi of the liver wants to move upwards and outwards. Movement opens this channel. Sitting blocks it.

3. food: Light, green, warm

What you eat determines your energy.

Install:

Green vegetables at every meal (the color of the liver)
Sprouts, seedlings (the energy of new beginnings)
Bitter salads: rocket, chicory, dandelion
Eat warm in the morning (porridge, soup, boiled egg)
Sour: lemon, apple cider vinegar (activates the liver)

Avoid:

Heavy, fatty food (overloads the liver)
Too much sugar (energy peaks and troughs)
Cold smoothies in the morning (weakens the core)
Alcohol (liver must detoxify instead of providing energy)

📣 Insider tip for the liver: In the morning on an empty stomach: 1 glass of warm water with lemon juice. The sour taste specifically activates the liver and starts the flow of bile - perfect for spring cleaning.

→ This week: Something green every day. Lemon water every morning.

4th sleep: Early to bed

The liver regenerates between 1 and 3 am. But only if you sleep.

Practical:

Goal: In bed before 10:30 pm
The hours BEFORE midnight count double
Bedroom: cool, dark, without screens
No heavy meals after 7 p.m.
No alcohol („It makes me sleep better“ is a myth - deep sleep is disturbed)

For problems falling asleep:

30 minutes before sleep: screens off
Warm foot bath (15 minutes)
Lavender on the pillow

→ As of today: Go to bed 30 minutes earlier than usual.

5. unloading instead of overloading

Your body is cleaning up. Help it - instead of loading it up with more.

Practical:

Fewer appointments, more breaks
„Saying “no" to things that drain energy
Reduce social media (mental detox)
Spring cleaning: clearing out also frees you up inside
Don't want to change everything immediately - take small steps

The TCM perspective: The liver hates overload. If too much comes in, it congests. And congestion = tiredness.

📣 Insider tip: One „empty day“ per week. No obligations. No plans. Just what you feel like doing.

→ This week: Delete one thing that costs energy.

📍 Acupressure points against spring fatigue

Ma 36 (Zú Sān Lǐ) - „Three miles of the foot“

Where: Outer side of lower leg, 4 fingers wide under the kneecap
What he does: THE energy point - strengthens Qi and blood, raises the life energy
When: For tiredness, lack of energy, listlessness
How: Press vigorously in a circular motion for 60-90 seconds, both sides

MP 06 (Sān Yīn Jiāo) - „Meeting Point of the 3 Yin“

Where: Inner side of lower leg, 4 fingers wide above the inner ankle
What he does: Nourishes the blood, strengthens the spleen, regulates the liver - perfect for the transition
When: For tiredness with a heavy feeling, poor digestion
How: Gently massage in a circular motion for 60 seconds, both sides

Le 03 (Tài Chōng) — „Big Meeting“

Where: Back of the foot, between big toe and second toe, 2 fingers wide towards the ankle
What he does: Moves liver qi - if the liver stagnates, the gallbladder cannot work
When: In case of frustration, irritability, „everything is too much“
How: Press vigorously in a circular motion for 60-90 seconds, both sides

LG 20 (Bǎi Huì) - „Heavenly Pass“

Where: Highest point of the head, on the midline
What he does: Raises the yang, awakens, clears the head
When: For drowsiness, fog in the head, afternoon low
How: Gently tap or massage in circles for 60 seconds

The ritual: In the morning: Ma 36 → MP 06 → Le 03 → LG 20 (in this order)
For afternoon low: LG 20 + Ma 36 Total duration: 5 minutes

🧭 You can find all points with detailed instructions in our free acupuncture atlas: 👉 www.meine-tcm.com/akupunkturatlas

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📌 Now is the time to act

Do you remember?
January: Planting seeds.
February: Align. Now is the beginning of spring.

The full energy is there. From now on: energetic action in the spirit of Wu Wei. Don't fight - flow. Spring will carry you.

👉 Read the original article:
www.meine-tcm.com/warum-vorsaetze-scheitern

💫 The deeper message

Spring fatigue is not a punishment.
It is a sign that your body is working.

Your body lets go of winter.
Your body cleans what has accumulated.
Your body prepares itself - for growth, for new beginnings, for life.

That takes energy. And you can allow yourself this energy.

Do not power through.
Do not ignore it.
Do not whitewash with coffee.

But rather: Support.

Give your body what it needs: Light, exercise, greenery, sleep, space.

The tiredness will go.
And you'll start spring with more energy than you've ever had.

📌 Recommended

😴 Why are you really tired? Free TCM analysis - find out if you have liver stagnation, blood deficiency or other patterns.
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/tcm-analyse

🌿 BS Plus - For your center: A strong gut provides energy. If the center is weak, the whole body remains tired.
👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/bs-ballaststoffe-plus

🍫 XOCOLÁ - For the afternoon low: Energy without crash - nourishes instead of depleting. 👉 www.meine-tcm.com/produkt/xocola

📜 Newsletter - Monthly TCM wisdom: The Yellow Emperor, Qi Bo and Dr. Weber in conversation. 👉 www.meine-tcm.com/newsletter-anmeldung