Life responsibilities may be overwhelming and mentally exhausting because we often forget to pause and take a break from all the load. Here are the causes and effects of brain fatigue and how to cope with it.
Brain fatigue, also known as mental exhaustion, can be caused by pressuring yourself to do more. When you are no longer capable of handling the load of responsibility and tasks you have, and stress levels become very uncomfortable, this is when you might face brain or mental exhaustion.
Working for long hours, having little or no time to rest, having too many overwhelming responsibilities, overthinking, and stress are all examples of why you might have mental exhaustion. Detecting the root cause of your tiredness is key to taking preventive measures and deciding on the proper treatment to feel better.
Identifying the symptoms of exhaustion is a sign that it’s time to treat and resolve the causes of this tiredness.
How can mental exhaustion impact your health and performance?
Signs of brain fatigue:
Being mentally exhausted can have a negative impact on your overall health. Detecting symptoms early can help you avoid reaching a breakdown:
- Being less productive at work.
No one is always productive. We all go through exhaustion, and if this exhaustion is not treated, it might lead to burnout. So when you’re mentally exhausted, you feel you’re unable to handle the smallest of tasks, lack motivation, and concentration becomes very hard to attain. This is a sign that you are tired and need a break. So, for example, you may be distracted easily instead of finishing your tasks on time. Brain fatigue can make you less patient and easily trigger sadness or anger.
- Being incapable of facing challenges.
Many accidents are related to mental fatigue. This is because your mind cannot concentrate, and even daily tasks become overwhelming. So your mind is wandering instead of focusing on a specific task which can lead to severe mistakes leading as car accidents, fire, or ruining a machine at work. Again, we all make mistakes, and it’s impossible to perfect all our tasks. But, when this happens all the time, it can impact our safety and the quality of our lives.
- Being physically exhausted.
Mental fatigue can leave you feeling physically tired. It may resemble soreness after training at the gym. Some people may experience symptoms like headaches, pains, tiredness, shortness of breath, and blurred vision.
- Losing motivation.
Mental exhaustion can lead to a loss of interest or passion. When you lose this interest, you are no longer motivated or willing to achieve goals on different levels in life. Even daily tasks become very overwhelming and may feel like a tiring chore. This also means that you become less inspired because achievement and the ability to prosper are highly related to how inspired you are by new experiences.
Mental fatigue is not just related to your brain; it can also impact your physical and emotional health. Therefore, you can be in control of the amount of energy you give out to protect your mental well-being.
How to cope with mental fatigue:
- Try to limit your small decisions.
We have to make decisions daily; whether they’re simple or significant, they still consume much of our energy. That’s why if you are mentally exhausted, you tend to go with the decisions that are easier to attain. So in order to reserve your energy try limiting the number of decisions you make during the day. Instead of waking up every day and spending 15 minutes or more deciding what outfit to wear, prepare a primary outfit option. Save your mental energy to deal with the rest of your day and make more critical decisions.
- Spend time in nature.
Restore your energy by taking a small break to enjoy the beauty of nature and the natural green color. This break can be as short as a daily 5 minutes. Whether you prefer to gaze out of the window or go for a walk in a park, this can help you improve your concentration and maintain performance across the workday. Remind from distractions, take deep breaths, and postpone any decision-making.
- Move your body.
You may not feel like doing any physical activity when you’re mentally exhausted, but it actually benefits you in many ways. For example, you don’t have to spend hours at the gym or train in high-intensity exercises; a short limited time of low-impact exercises can increase the blood flow in your body, boost concentration, and improves memory and creativity. Physical movement is a feel-good pill for your mind and body.
- Take a break.
Prioritize self-care; a significant part of self-care is spending time alone, away from any interaction. This will help you disconnect from stressful situations and connect more with yourself. A break can be a vacation, a weekend getaway, or a long walk. No matter how long or short, your break is, try to make it regularly, especially on busy days, and not when you reach exhaustion. Set your priorities, plan your week or month, and include times for rest. This mental time off is your opportunity to reflect on yourself and allow some place for creativity.
Mental exhaustion can majorly impact your mind and body health, and eventually, it can negatively affect your performance and overall quality of life.
Prioritizing rest, moving your body, spending time in nature, and saving energy for essential decisions can relieve you from being burnt out.