Mental exhaustion is a kind of physical tiredness that occurs in the mind instead of the muscles. It tends to show up when you focus on a mentally tough task for a while and you may also feel a kind of brain drain if you are always on alert or stressed out. There are triggers which include job, caring for children or aging parents or a sick person and other things can lead to mental exhaustion. But it is common when you are stressed out
It is hard to avoid mental exhaustion completely. But you can learn to switch on your body’s natural relaxation response. There are various symptoms of mental exhaustion, they include:
Constant unexplained anger and or impatience: Mental fatigue can put you in a bad mood. You may be short-tempered or irritated, snapping at people more often. It’s harder to control your emotions when you’re mentally tapped out.
Inability to concentrate: Individual’s productivity level goes up and down but mental exhaustion can make it really hard to concentrate. It also saps motivation and makes people get easily distracted or start to miss deadlines as even small tasks may seem overwhelming.
Zoning out: This can look like mind wandering or drowsiness. It makes it hard to pay close attention to what you are doing and you may not react to things very fast. That can be dangerous in situations like driving; mental fatigue is linked to car wrecks.
Inability to sleep well: Many think it is easier to snooze when your brain is tired but that’s not always the case. Research shows people who have jobs with a high “cognitive workload” report more symptoms of insomnia than those who don’t have mentally exhausting work. A lack of shut-eye can make mental fatigue worse.
Unhealthy living: You may start to drink or use drugs more than normal. Mental fatigue can take an even harder toll on those who already have a substance use disorder. Experts think that’s because drug addiction changes parts of the brain that help you manage stress and control impulsive behavior.
Depression:
You may not have energy or feel like you are moving in slow motion. Some people say they feel numb. That can make it hard to finish things at work or do daily activities. If you have really low feelings or a sense of hopelessness for longer than two weeks, it can be a sign your depression is more serious.
Constant worry: Mental fatigue triggers your sympathetic nervous system. That’s your “fight or flight” mode. Anxiety is an alarm that tells you something is wrong. If you are always mentally exhausted, you might start to feel panicked or worried all the time. That often happens alongside symptoms of depression.
Eating habits change: Mental fatigue can affect your appetite in different ways. You may snack more than normal and not pay attention to what you eat. Stress can also make you crave sugary, salty, or fatty foods. Or you may not be hungry at all.
You make more mistakes: While it is impossible for an individual’s work to be perfect all the time, mental fatigue lessens the ability to catch and fix your mistakes quickly; this can lead to serious problems in certain jobs, especially where you use machines.
You feel more pain: Everyone is different, which makes it hard to say how mental fatigue will affect your body. But you might get headaches, sore muscles, back pain or stomach problems. If you have an ongoing illness, such as fibromyalgia, you may hurt a little bit more than usual.
If you suspect mental exhaustion, take breaks, you might feel less drained if you take short breaks during long stretches of mental work; get active because there is evidence that you may feel even more energized if you exercise during your breaks. Then find ways to relax.
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