Mental Exhaustion: Signs that you are emotionally and mentally exhausted + what to do about it !

Do you feel tired but you’re not sure why or where it is coming from ? Do you feel like you can’t fulfill your responsibilities well enough and your brain is tired most of the time? Do you experience mental fog? Is it hard for you to concentrate on the task? Do you lack of motivation ? Well my dear, you have now reached the point of emotional and mental exhaustion. Whatever it is that you have been going through has taken its toll and it’s screaming at you through these signs to please stop, take a step back and have a good close look at what is going on in your life. In this post, you’ll find signs that you are emotionally and mentally exhausted and of course some tips on how to recover from it !

What is mental exhaustion ?

Too many of us blame our exhaustion on stress or lack of sleep or other things but think about where your mental exhaustion actually comes from.

Symptoms of mental exhaustion can vary from person to person and often begin to show gradually, creeping up on you during periods of extreme stress. If stress continues to weigh on you, you may reach a point when you feel as though you’re in a dark hole and can’t see your way out.

Even if you’re not experiencing all of the signs and symptoms, it’s important to recognize these are signs that could indicate you are on the path to mental exhaustion or burnout.

Emotional signs

Emotional signs of mental exhaustion may include:

• depression
• anxiety
• pessimism
• apathy (feeling of not caring)
• detachment
• anger
• get irritated easily
• crying for no reason
• feelings of hopelessness
• feeling of dread
• lack of motivation
• decline in productivity
• difficulty concentrating

Physical signs

Physical signs of mental exhaustion may include:

• headaches
• upset stomach
• body aches
• chronic fatigue
• changes in appetite
• insomnia
• weight gain or weight loss
• increased illness, such as colds and flu

Behavioral signs

Behavioral signs may include:

If you have become very well aware that you have mental exhaustion, no need to worry. There are some basic things that you can do to relax your mind and get out of this dark hole.

Here are some of the lifestyle changes that can help you with mental exhaustion:

1) Identify And Remove The Biggest Stressors In Your Life

Though it might not be possible to remove all the stressors, it is a great way of dealing with stress. For instance, if you are overwhelmed with your never-ending responsibilities, you can ask others to help you by sharing some of the work. If you feel like you just need to organize your time better, a planner will always come in handy.

It’s not a shame to need and ask for help.

Check out also this post: 10 questions to ask yourself everyday ! 

2) Get Some Exercise

This one personnally helped me a lot. Exercise isn’t just beneficial for your overall well-being and weight loss; it’s helpful for when you’re feeling mentally drained as well. You don’t need to get a gym membership to get activity in.

Start by walking for a few minutes next to your house every day, or by setting aside just 30 minutes a day for physical activity. Trust me, i’ve been there and it really can make all the difference. Multiple studies have shown the value of exercise in boosting your concentration and mental focus.

With a daily 30-minute workout, blood flow to the brain increases, you improve your mood, creativity, and memory, and falling asleep gets significantly easier.

3) Slow down

Give yourself permission to relax ! If you’ve got a lot going on and your to-do list is never ending, it’s easy to feel like you always “should” be doing something. When you’re relaxing, allow yourself to enjoy it. There’s no need to feel guilty for what you enjoy and find relaxing. Part of being an adult is knowing yourself well and knowing what you find genuinely relaxing, comforting, and sustaining. Allow yourself to quietly enjoy the simple pleasures in your life—and if that’s peanut butter on toast, so be it.

And stop being unrealistic about how much you can get done. Let’s face it, many of us just never get anywhere near the bottom of our to-do lists. They’re never-ending. Just accepting that you’ll never get done all the things that you could be doing can be immensely freeing. And remind yourself: if you can’t do something today, chances are another comparable (or better) opportunity will come along.

4) Relaxation techniques

Relaxation techniques are scientifically recognized to lower stress and anxiety. Try for example to do yoga, deep breathing or simply meditation. Yes, meditation, something that helped me a lot and I’m pretty sure i twill help you too.

A lot of money and time can be saved if you learn to practice self-care through meditation. It can reduce stress, boost immunity, improve sleep, and can quite possibly increase happiness. Five minutes a day is really all you need. Over time you may find meditating more than once a day for longer periods of time is even more beneficial for your mental well-being.

As a side note, people who consistently meditate are usually more rational and feel less anxiety when they are confronted with challenges. Obviously, this means it’s a great technique to avoid feeling mentally exhausted.

5) Re-evaluate Your Relationships

I really wanted to include this one here cuz having unhealthy relationships and being surrounded by friends who are not good for your mental health can really make you feel mentally and emotionally exhausted. (speaking from a personal experience)

You may find that you have a few toxic relationships in your life. It may seem difficult to end these relationships because oftentimes you grow to be comfortable in them. Sadly, dysfunctional relationships may become a normal part of life, and you may not realize how mentally exhausting they can be.

Take time to be mindful of all your relationships. It’s crucial to reassess and decide whether they are adding value to your life and well-being. In toxic romantic relationships, you can become mentally drained when you’re putting energy into something that just may not be right.

6) Take a break

I highly recommend this one ! Especially if you have tried all the solutions mentioned above and you still feel mentally exhausted, try this one !

Time to rest and recharge is an important part of treating mental exhaustion. One of the best way to do so is traveling ! Just travel and it will do wonders to you and your mental health, trust me !