Mental fatigue is a state of tiredness that sets in when your brain's energy levels are depleted. Mental fatigue is usually the result of prolonged stress. Long-term stress can be brought on by a variety of factors, including a challenging life event, a demanding job, or procrastination.
It's kind of like physical tiredness, except it's your mind instead of your muscles. It tends to show up when you focus on a mentally tough task for a while. You might also feel this kind of brain drain if you're always on alert or stressed out.
It takes an average time of three months to a year to recover from burnout. How long your burnout lasts will depend on your level of emotional exhaustion and physical fatigue, as well as if you experience any relapses or periods of stagnant recovery.
What is mental exhaustion? Mental exhaustion is a feeling of extreme tiredness, characterized by other feelings including apathy, cynicism, and irritability. You may be mentally exhausted if you've recently undergone long-term stress, find it hard to focus on tasks, or lack interest in activities you usually enjoy.
People dealing with stress can become emotionally draining as well. People who have intense fears or worries can cause you to feel drained because of their anxiety. This is why they may be prone to being easily intimidated, feel jittery and nervous, and have trouble acting normally in social situations.
Mental exhaustion can affect physical well-being, causing a person to feel physically exhausted. Similarly, physical fatigue or chronic stress can also result in mental exhaustion. Some tips to relieve mental exhaustion include practicing mindfulness and making certain environmental changes, either at work or at home.
Overthinking makes everything feel important, leading to decision fatigue. And situations where we have to make lots of decisions can leave us stressed and fatigued, leading to overthinking. “Overthinking and decision fatigue can lead us into a loop of rumination and mental exhaustion,” Dr. Menchola said.
Anxiety is linked to ongoing, stressful thoughts and an overactive brain. It taxes your cognitive capacities, leading to a drain on your ability to think and react. It also increases your emotional load (due to distressing thoughts), which means you end up emotionally and mentally drained.
What Is Emotional Blockage? Being emotionally blocked means having an unhealthy relationship with your emotions. You may be unable to express and communicate them, or you might experience difficulties understanding why you feel the way you do.
Long-lasting emotional fatigue can shorten your attention span and concentration. And you may feel sad, hopeless, anxious or irritable. You may have trouble sleeping. Over time, emotional exhaustion can lead to psychiatric problems such as depression or anxiety.
1) Exercise: Having a good workout shortly after a stressful experience will help your brain get rid of the stress chemicals that cause negative effects. Exercise also helps your hippocampus to grow, helping you concentrate, keep your sense of humor, catch yourself before an error, make decisions, and learn new tasks.
It is possible to recover from mental health problems, and many people do – especially after accessing support. Your symptoms may return from time to time, but when you've discovered which self-care techniques and treatments work best for you, you're more likely to feel confident in managing them.