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JD's Midlife Tools For Living Practices, LLC
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Mental exhaustion happens when your mind is tired, exhausted or fatigued. It’s a drain on your brain that happens when you are frequently on red alert or stressed out or you’ve been focused on a mentally tough task for some time.
All kinds of things can lead to mental exhaustion—your job, caring for family whether it be for kids or aging parents, coping with the stress of uncertain times for example.
*Anger or impatience—bad moods, short temper, irritation, snapping at people more often. In other words, mental exhaustion makes it hard to control our emotions.
*Decreased productivity—can’t get work done, hard to concentrate, motivation goes down, miss deadlines, easily distracted. Just doing small tasks can be overwhelming.
*Zoned out—mind wanders, drowsiness, difficult to pay attention, reaction time slows down. Car accidents are often linked with mental fatigue.
*Insomnia—hard time sleeping, tired during the day. Lack of sleep makes mental exhaustion worse.
*Increased alcohol or drug use—drinking or using more drugs to help manage stress and control impulsive behavior. For those who have a substance use disorder mental exhaustion takes a bigger toll.
*Depression—move in slow motions, little energy, feel numb or hopeless. Mental exhaustion can make it hard to finish work projects or do daily activities.
*Anxiety—worry, panic. Mental exhaustion triggers the sympathetic nervous system ‘flight’ or ‘fight’ alarm bells that say something is wrong.
*Physical activity decrease—exercise tolerance decreases. It takes more energy/effort to move than it once did.
*Eating habits change—may crave sugary, salty or fatty foods or may not be hungry at all.
*More mistakes—can’t easily catch and fix mistakes quickly or at all.
*More pain—experience more headaches, sore muscles, back pain, stomach problems. Ongoing health problems hurt more than usual.
Do you notice any of these symptoms in yourself? If so perhaps it is time to do something to help yourself! Don’t let the consequences of your mental exhaustion get worse.
Importantly, take short breaks when you are doing mental work. Take a break every hour or 2 for a few minutes.
Use the Pomodoro Technique: Set a timer for 25 minutes and focus on one task the entire time. When the timer goes off take a 5-minute break. After 4 sets take a 15-30-minute break. And repeat until your work task or workday is done.
Exercise during your breaks do jumping jacks or stretches or take a 10-minute brisk walk.
Certainly do find a way to relax and learn to switch on your natural relaxation response when you need it the most. For instance, activities like massage, meditation or yoga can help you learn how to calm your system down.
Get support from friends or family.
Most importantly reach out for professional help. Do so especially if your depression or anxiety is creating intense despair and hopelessness for you.
Unfortunately, we can’t avoid the stressors that life brings or the mental exhaustion that can accompany living life’s challenges. However, we can make self-care a priority. So just what will you do for you today?
Do Contact Me to begin anxiety therapy or depression therapy today! Don’t wait to take good care of yourself!
JD’s Midlife Tools For Living Practices, Holland, MI
Offering Heartfelt care, Compassion and Coping Tool
