“Daily stress can leave your health in a mess!”
Do you constantly feel overwhelmed along with being mentally and emotionally drained most of the time? If yes, then chances are that you might be suffering from mental exhaustion.
Mental exhaustion is a condition triggered by prolonged cognitive activity. It usually sends your brain into overdrive, thereby leaving you exhausted and hampering your productivity.
The most common symptoms of mental exhaustion include mental block, lack of motivation, insomnia, loss of appetite, and irritability. Mental exhaustion must be taken seriously because it can impact you negatively in the long run.
If mental exhaustion is ignored or left unchecked, then you can have serious health issues like anxiety, burnout, etc. Along with severe mental health issues, mental fatigue can also affect your physical endurance.
In this blog, we will delve deep into the concept of mental exhaustion and how you can overcome it. So, without further ado, let us begin!
What is Mental Exhaustion?
Mental exhaustion or mental fatigue arises from prolonged stress, be it your work, relationships, life events, etc.
For instance, think of your mind as a cup. A glass can only hold liquid according to its capacity before spilling over. Stressors are just like water – too many of them start causing our minds to feel flooded beyond capacity.
At this point, our ability to process new information or make sound decisions is impaired. Thus, when you don’t give yourself time to reset, this is what happens!
Symptoms of Mental Exhaustion
The signs of mental exhaustion often appear subtly, but slowly and steadily, they creep up more quickly during times of extreme stress. In simpler terms, when your brain works harder than it should, the symptoms of mental exhaustion begin to appear.
But what are these symptoms? Well, mental exhaustion signs are classified into three sections, i.e., mental, physical, and behavioral. So let us discuss them in detail!
1. Mental/ Emotional Mental Exhaustion Signs
What is one of the significant signs of mental exhaustion? You feel unalert and find it challenging to concentrate when it comes to daily routine tasks. The common signs are:
- Feeling depressed
- Anxiety
- A sense of detachment
- Anger
- Difficulty in processing and managing emotions
- Feeling of dread
- Lack of motivation
- Feeling lethargic
- Difficulty in concentrating
2. Physical Mental Exhaustion Signs
Mental fatigue can extend to your physical health, leading to signs that may not have a clear cause. You might notice:
- Headache & body aches
- Upset stomach
- Sleep issues
- Chronic fatigue
- Change in weight and appetite
- Frequent illness
- Staying unwell most of the time
3. Behavioral Mental Exhaustion Signs
Ongoing mental exhaustion can begin to impact your daily activities and behavior negatively. Here are some signs.
- Constantly putting off tasks at house, school, and work
- Decline in work performance
- Drinking alcohol and substance abuse
- Feeling distracted
- Trouble paying attention
- Avoiding people
- Trouble managing multiple responsibilities
- Feeling irritated or angry
Stress v/s Mental Exhaustion
Nearly everyone experiences stress at specific points in life. Stress is a natural reaction when the body or mind experiences something new, overwhelming, or dreadful.
In such situations, our hormones (cortisol & adrenaline) respond to the perceived threats and try to overcome them. Once the stressors are dealt with, our hormones return to their original levels.
But chronic/ long-term stress can lead to mental exhaustion. For instance, when you face a challenge, it activates your body’s stress response. As a result, your cortisol/ adrenaline levels remain high.
When these hormones increase beyond a certain level, it interferes with the natural process of our mind and body, thereby leading to mental exhaustion. This stage of mental fatigue can worsen if one is unable to balance the level of hormones.
Causes of Mental Exhaustion
Mental exhaustion can be caused by many factors. However, one thing to note is that people feel mentally tired after experiencing chronic stress.
Mental exhaustion can occur when you engage in tasks that increase your cognitive load. Triggers of mental fatigue vary from person to person, but some common ones include:
- Have a high-pressure/ demanding job
- Working for long hours without taking any rest
- Financial stress
- Job dissatisfaction
- Having a chronic illness or a mental health condition
- Losing a loved one
- No work-life balance
- Lack of emotional support
Ways to Overcome Mental Exhaustion
Mental exhaustion can make even the most enjoyable things seem like a task! That is why managing stress may seem more challenging than ever! Changing habits takes time, patience, effort, and hard work. Here are some ways you can try in order to overcome mental exhaustion.
1. Remove the Stressor
Do whatever it takes to get to the root of the stressor! Sometimes, numerous tasks tend to drain our mental energy. Ask yourself: ‘Is this something I really want?’ or ‘Is it something I need to do right now?’. Sometimes lowering the expectation can result in reduced stress. Therefore, to remove the stressor, it is essential to know its root so that we can try and remove it!
2. Work-Life Balance
It is crucial to maintain a work-life balance; otherwise, no one can save you from mental exhaustion! Do what you like in your free time, like art, music, etc. You can even learn something new, like programming or investing! Do what makes you happy. Your creativity, resilience, and mood can reasonably be improved by balancing your personal and professional life.
3. Clear and Organize your Space
We think this is one thing that must be done readily! Mental clutter often takes place in the physical world as well. Therefore, take out time to clear and organize your space. Every broken item waiting to be thrown out is an unfinished task. Clear it out and make your desk neat and tidy!
Trust us – you will feel more relaxed and calm if you eliminate the physical clutter. It will wipe out your mental clutter as well! As a result, you will gain momentum and try hard to accomplish your goals.
4. Take Breaks
Focusing on accomplishing your goals is good but do not overdo it! It can damage your body, brain, and eyes. While working towards achieving your objectives, take a 5-minutes break every hour. You can either move out of the cabin or walk a little bit!
Another thing you can do is to set a timer so that you are reminded to take a break and can prioritize your time accordingly.
5. Move Outside & Embrace Nature
Spending some time out in nature is vital for your overall well-being. You are bound to feel relaxed, refreshed, and rejuvenated when the environment changes.
You can even meet your old friends or colleagues and spend time with them reminiscing about the past. Thus, taking out time for mental, emotional, and physical well-being can help overcome mental exhaustion.
6. Create Something New
Adults don’t have time or the inclination to try out new things and play as often as they used to! Well, that’s not good for your brain!
There are some things that we all are passionate about. Therefore, incorporating those activities in our free time can boost our energy and make us feel extremely joyful. When we do what we like, our mind becomes stable, and our concentration level increases. Therefore, utilizing your free time to follow your passion is essential.
7. Reduce Screen Time
Anyone can become exhausted with multiple video calls, emails, notifications, and other communication. Your mind and eyes are constantly fixed on the phone, eventually leading to mental fatigue.
So, give your brain and eyes some rest and try to spend some time with your friends and family!
8. Talk to a Therapist
When the going gets tough, we often don’t understand what to do! As a result, the situation worsens, and our cognitive ability gets impaired.
This is when a therapist comes into the picture! Seeking professional help becomes essential when you are not able to manage your emotions wisely. Therapists help identify the stressors’ root causes and suggest different strategies to overcome them.
Whether it is your work-life imbalance or you need career counseling – you can seek professional help when necessary!
Take charge of your life!
If you are experiencing the symptoms and causes mentioned in this blog, then it’s time to take mental exhaustion seriously. Taking baby steps towards your well-being can positively result in the long run!
Believe it or not – mental exhaustion does not last forever! It doesn’t happen overnight, and you will not recover in a day or two! Dealing with mental fatigue takes time and can seem challenging, but it’s not. Making some lifestyle changes and seeking professional help can help you deal with your emotions.
So don’t worry! You can definitely overcome mental exhaustion by following the tips mentioned above and developing healthy habits to help yourself thrive again!
