Overcoming Mental Exhaustion: Causes, Symptoms, And How To Cope

Mental exhaustion is a condition that makes it difficult to get out of bed every night after a good night's sleep. Mental exhaustion can cause constant fatigue that makes it seem impossible to get up every morning. You are not the only one experiencing similar feelings since the beginning of the coronavirus epidemic.

What is mental exhaustion?

A feeling of extreme fatigue, which can be accompanied by irritability, cynicism and apathy, is known as mental exhaustion. If you have recently experienced long-term stress and find it difficult to concentrate on tasks or lose interest in the activities you enjoy, you may feel mentally exhausted.

Overuse can cause mental exhaustion, just like with physical injuries. It is more common than you might think, and it can be caused by repetitive stress injuries like tennis elbow or carpal tunnel. Overstressing one's mind is more harmful than stressing a muscle group.

Is it possible to be mentally exhausted?

It is possible to experience mental exhaustion, and it is more common than you think. Mental exhaustion can occur after prolonged periods of stress or intense emotions. Mental exhaustion is similar to the symptoms that our bodies display when we push too hard. If we do not take proper care of our minds, they will also show signs.

What causes mental exhaustion

Many things can cause mental exhaustion. People often feel tired and depressed after long-term stress. This is especially true if stressors increase or decrease a person's cognitive load.

You might be responsible for managing a complex project that involves many tradeoffs and moving parts. This will require you to have excellent project management skills as well as political savvy (e.g. increased workload).

Traveling for work is another example. You may feel jet-lagged due to constantly changing time zones. Stressors can lead to reduced resources or increased load.

Traveling to work in a foreign country and not knowing the language can increase cognitive load. Caregiving for a sick relative may require coordination of medical care, interpretation of unfamiliar terms, and managing emotions. You may also be getting less sleep due to reduced resources. Mental exhaustion can occur when you have more responsibility, stress, and poor self-care.

7 Common causes of emotional and mental exhaustion

Although there are many stressors that can make you feel mentally exhausted, here are the top 7 causes.

1. Chronic stress

This is the leading cause of mental exhaustion. Chronic stress puts your brain and body on constant alert. This can lead to a decline in your health and well-being. Chronic stress can lead to compassion fatigue. The constant stress can make it difficult to find an emotional response.

2. Uncertainty

The human stress response was created to be efficient in situations of immediate stress (think: fight-or flight). It's not a good response to constant, unsettling feelings of uncertainty. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic , uncertainty has become a common feeling. Mental exhaustion has become more common than ever.

3. Work stress

There are many ways to stress at work. Stress at work can be caused by a mismatch in values, difficulty managing tasks or priorities, or high-demand, high-risk jobs. Certain jobs or programs of study require a lot more learning. These jobs may also require the processing and interpretation of large amounts of information. It's difficult to leave work every day, no matter what the reason. Workplace stress can lead to burnout if it isn't addressed. You could end up with a serious case of the Sunday Scaries if your work stress reaches your weekends.

4. Family issues

Worrying about a loved one is stressful. Caring for elderly parents, sick relatives, and young children can be stressful. Families can be stressful, even if everyone is healthy. Family problems, such as divorce, conflict, and estrangements, can easily creep into every area of your life. Family problems can lead to mental exhaustion.

5. Multi-tasking

Many people have multiple commitments beyond caring for their families. These commitments can include details, schedules and logistics. You may feel like you are always on the go, trying to balance a school, training program, or freelance job.

6. Stress on the emotional side

Emotional stress can be caused by many things. The experience doesn't matter what the cause is. It can be difficult to relax when there are constant negative emotions, events, or circumstances. This emotional exhaustion could quickly lead to mental fatigue.

7. Neglecting self-care is a sign of poor self-care

You won't make it very far if you don't have enough gas. It's easy to forget self-care when you're busy or feeling down. This can lead to a decrease in your ability to cope with stressful situations. Brain fog can be caused by chronic illnesses such as multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome. It's better to take control than push through.

How does it feel to be mentally exhausted?

How can you tell if you have mental exhaustion? You may feel tired when you wake up, or you might feel apathy about your work, friends, and daily life. Mental exhaustion can feel like cynicism and emptiness. It can also cause an inability or a feeling of hopelessness.

Mental fatigue can also trigger the sympathetic nervous system, causing anxiety, panic, and worry. This mental exhaustion can make your daily life extremely difficult.

What are the signs of mental exhaustion and how can they be treated?

The good news is: Mental exhaustion is not something you are alone in. We'll dive deeper into the symptoms of mental exhaustion so you can learn how to get over them.

Emotional symptoms of mental exhaustion

• Feeling bored with normal activities

• A lack motivation at home and at work

• An feeling of inadequacy or lack of purpose in your life

• Irritation and moodiness

• Being easily annoyed by others

• Pessimism, doubt and cynicism

• Persistent feeling that something is about to happen

• Continually feeling overwhelmed or stressed

• Depression, anxiety or suicidal thoughts are all possible. Please seek professional help immediately.

Mental exhaustion can cause physical symptoms.

• Even after a long night of rest, fatigue or exhaustion can still occur.

• Sleep disturbances or changes in patterns (either too little or too much)

• Headaches, muscle tension, and body aches are all possible

• Appetite changes

• Stomach problems and digestive upset

• Frequent or unexplained colds

• High blood pressure and irregular heartbeat

Mental exhaustion can be accompanied by behavioral symptoms

• Reluctance to move, inability to relax

• Forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating. Reduced focus, procrastinating

• Separate oneself from other people

• Feeling like you are "going through the motions".

• Using violence against friends, coworkers, and loved ones

• Self-medicating with alcohol, drugs or other substances (e.g. video games, overwork, or physical activity).

• Work exhaustion and difficulty completing tasks

• Lifestyle changes that are out of character, such as increased risk-taking behavior, can be made

Mental exhaustion can have side effects

Mental exhaustion can be difficult enough on its own. The problem can be made worse by the side effects of mental exhaustion. These side effects are common for people who are emotionally and mentally exhausted.

• Relationship difficulties

• Performance at work has declined, and there are more errors

• Inability to solve problems or follow complicated ideas

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• Feelings detachment and isolation

• Take more time off work, or miss social events

• Anxiety or depression

• Lower resilience to stress, negative emotions

• Chances missed

• Inadequacy of follow-up for important projects

• All areas of life are less satisfied

• Long-term planning and decision-making capacity affected

• Reduced physical health

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What is mental exhaustion and how does it differ from physical exhaustion, stress, depression, burnout or stress?

Mental exhaustion
Stress refers to any situation that temporarily taxes a person's mental and physical resources. Both good stress and bad stress have similar effects on our bodies. It is ideal that we are able to resolve stressors quickly and bring our bodies back to balance. Mental exhaustion can result from long-term stress.

Depression versus mental exhaustion

Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistently low mood. People who feel depressed often feel exhausted and depressed. There are many symptoms that can overlap, including cognitive impairment, sleep disturbance, lack of pleasure and sleep disturbance. The terms are not interchangeable. A mental health professional must diagnose depression. This is a serious mental condition that must be treated by licensed providers.

Mental exhaustion

You've probably felt exhausted, but still exhilarated when you leave the gym. Long-term stress can cause physical fatigue and mental exhaustion. However, the body's stress can also lead to it. This could be caused by a lack of sleep, illness, or any other physical strain.

Mental exhaustion versus Burnout

Burnout is the most closely related to mental exhaustion. Both share significant symptoms and are both caused by long-term stress. However, burnout is a workplace phenomenon. Mental exhaustion can also be caused by stress at work. Even if the original stress was not work-related, mental exhaustion can lead to job loss.
Mental fatigue is a common symptom of burnout, depression and stress. We can all use the same techniques to get rid of it.