THE ENERGY EPIDEMIC IS HITTING AUSSIES (AND WHY SO MANY OF US FEEL WRECKED)

Charlotte Bolt
2 minutes ago
3 min read

Girlslumped on mattress — The silent slump is creeping in after winter

Look, everyone’s tired. You’re tired. I’m tired. The cat’s tired. But there’s exhausted, and then there’s the kind of bone-sapping exhaustion where your brain feels like it's wading through porridge and someone mentions going out and you want to lie down on the kitchen floor.

Experts say that iron and vitamin D deficiencies are behind a significant portion of it, and it’s affecting Australians disproportionately.

As winter fades and we’re meant to feel all spring-fresh and reborn, many of us instead feel like our batteries were made in 1998 and never replaced.

Sunshine isn’t a magic source of energy

Vitamin D depends on sunlight. And while the days are getting longer, modern life is basically: indoors, SPF, more indoors, Netflix, repeat.

So our vitamin D levels remain embarrassingly low. Meanwhile, iron is another sneaky one. It transports oxygen throughout your body, allowing your cells to function correctly.

But up to 15 per cent of non-pregnant women and nearly 12 per cent of pregnant women are iron-deficient. And girls aged 14–18? Forty per cent fall short.

Essentially, women, particularly teenage girls, bear the burden of iron deficiency.

The symptoms everyone shrugs off

Fatigue. Brain fog. Breathlessness. Feeling low. Getting sick all the time. Losing focus. Basically, the Greatest Hits of Modern Burnout.

The kind of stuff we shrug off with “I’m just busy” or “life is stressful” or “work is a hell carousel, anyway.”

This is where at-home testing can actually stop the spiralling self-doubt.

Touch Biotechnology CEO Matthew Salihi puts it like this: “You don’t feel a deficiency arrive suddenly; it creeps in quietly, often worsening through the colder months when energy levels naturally dip.

"It’s not always obvious where the symptoms come from. People often dismiss low energy or mood as stress, lack of sleep, or lifestyle changes, yet a deficiency could be the hidden cause.”

His company has launched quick, at-home tests for iron (ferritin) and vitamin D, meaning you can check your levels in the comfort of your own bathroom rather than booking an appointment at the GP waiting room, where you inevitably get stuck behind someone loudly explaining their rash.

“Our simple self-test kits give Australians peace of mind by making it easier to check vitamin D and ferritin levels at home,” says Salihi.

“Quick access to these insights helps people act sooner, reduce unnecessary appointments, and have more informed conversations with their GP.”

A mother and three children relax on a hammock, surrounded by apple trees. They smile and embrace, wearing casual clothes in soft colors.

A real-life wake-up call

TouchBio ambassador Stephanie Saunders, a mum-of-six and a nurse, was the poster child for "push through it” until she couldn’t anymore.

“As a nurse and a mum-of-six, I’m used to feeling tired – it comes with the territory,” says Stephanie. “But after months of feeling constantly run down and foggy,

I realised it wasn’t just the busyness of family life. When I finally tested my iron and vitamin D levels, I discovered both were low.”

Addressing her deficiencies, she says, was like someone finally plugged her charger back in.

“Addressing those deficiencies made a huge difference to my energy, focus, and mood. I finally felt like myself again.”

The DIY test trend that actually makes sense

With GP appointments harder to get than Taylor Swift tickets and out-of-pocket costs ballooning, having a home testing option makes sense.

It’s private, fast, and you don’t need to rearrange your life to do it.

TouchBio’s Ferritin Rapid Test and Vitamin D Rapid Test are non-invasive finger-prick kits designed to tell you what’s up in minutes, so you know whether you need supplements, lifestyle tweaks or a proper medical chat.

“Having the ability to test at home gives people peace of mind,” adds Stephanie. “These tests help families stay on top of their health before symptoms take over.”