You know that feeling of being not quite right? You're always tired, you think you might be getting sick, and you feel generally off your game.

That's called malaise, and it's more common than you might think. It can be associated with a wide array of lifestyle habits, infections, chronic diseases, certain medications, and emotional distress (maybe caused by a lack of passion, posse, and play).

Sometimes malaise comes on suddenly; other times it can creep up on you slowly, eroding your quality-of-life bit by bit.

Either way, it can make work and your social and family lives difficult to manage.

If that's how you feel, here's a four-pronged approach that can get you back to your energetic, happier self:

1. Get a medical check-up to determine if an infection, a chronic condition, or a mental health issue (depression, anxiety) is the cause of your malaise. Also ask if any of your medications could be the culprit.

2. Upgrade your diet. Nutritional deficiencies can cause weariness. Go for seven servings a day of fruits and vegetables, fatty fish such as salmon, and lots of water (no added-sugar beverages). Consider taking a multivitamin-mineral — half in the morning and half at night.

3. Manage stress by adopting healthy sleep habits, exercising daily, meditating, and engaging with your posse.

4. Find an activity that fuels a passion. It can be following or playing on a sports team, volunteering for a cause, or working.