What Is Mental Fatigue And How To Combat It

What is mental fatigue and how to combat it

Surely at some point during a difficult situation that persisted over time you have come to feel that you couldn’t take it anymore. You may even have felt that physically you didn’t have any more energy either. It may also have happened to you that during psychological therapy you have reached a point where you do not find the motivation or strength to continue changing parts of yourself. It is a feeling of not having sufficient mental resources to deal with a situation. This is known as mental or emotional fatigue.

In today’s PsychologyFor article, we will see What is mental fatigue and how to combat it. We tell you the different symptoms that mental fatigue or fatigue presents, how you can combat it if you end up discovering that that is what is happening to you and also ways to prevent it so that it does not happen to you again.

Symptoms of mental fatigue

What is mental fatigue? Mental fatigue in psychology is defined as the feeling of exhaustion due to symptoms related to anxiety, overwork or stress, among others. The symptoms of mental fatigue are the following:

  • Attention problems: They are usually accompanied by difficulty concentrating. They are manifested by the lack of strength to undertake a task that requires concentration. In this article, we tell you what attention disorders in adults are.
  • Fatigue: One of the symptoms of mental fatigue is that you have very little energy and drowsiness.
  • Physical symptoms: Mental fatigue is often accompanied by physical symptoms. Thus, the symptoms of mental and physical fatigue can be stinging eyes, headaches, dizziness or stomach problems such as diarrhea or gas. In the worst cases, paresthesias, that is, numbness of the extremities, may appear.
  • irritable emotional state: On a general level you have an irritable emotional state and it is common to get upset over minor things.
  • Feeling of apathy: Apathy leads to little motivation to do things that once excited you, including going out with friends or taking up a hobby.
  • Work problems: Lack of performance causes work problems.
  • Saturation: Another symptom of mental fatigue is the feeling of saturation with problems.

How to combat mental fatigue

If you are wondering how to combat mental fatigue, below we offer you various tips to end the symptoms of mental fatigue:

  • Practice physical exercise: Various studies have shown that daily exercise helps emotional well-being, as it releases endorphins. Furthermore, although it may seem paradoxical, it makes you feel more energetic, making it ideal for combating apathy derived from mental and physical fatigue.
  • Do leisure activities: Even if you don’t feel like doing anything now, it is important that you force yourself to practice those activities that you previously enjoyed. Read, go out with friends, walk, etc. At first you will not enjoy it as before, but with perseverance you will return to feeling what you felt before.
  • Perform relaxations: To combat mental and emotional fatigue, it is important to calm your stress level by relaxing. There are many applications and videos on the internet about relaxation or guided meditations that will help you stay in the present moment and calm your mind, without it constantly jumping to your worries. In this article, we tell you how to combat stress.
  • Get organized better: One of the reasons for emotional exhaustion is due to saturation of work and tasks. To combat mental fatigue due to anxiety, organize your day, make schedules, so that these can help you have a less chaotic day. Additionally, if you feel apathy, setting schedules for activities that you gradually reinstate into your routine can be very useful for apathy. Discover how to be proactive at work.
  • Disconnect: maybe you need a few days of disconnection. Not only at work level, but also disconnection from the environment that causes you stress. Maybe your partner is going through a bad time and supporting him is what has made you tired, so going on a trip for a few days with some friends can be the solution to reset yourself and come back stronger.

How to avoid mental fatigue?

Now you know what mental fatigue is and how to combat it. In addition to applying the solutions that we have seen in the previous section as a way to prevent emotional fatigue, there are more ways to prevent it. Next, we tell you how to avoid mental fatigue:

  • Good sleeping habits: Resting well is essential to have the energy necessary for everyday life. In addition, it is important to have regular sleep schedules and facilitate rest with a room with a good temperature, dark and free of noise.
  • Good nutrition: One of the causes of mental and physical fatigue can be a lack of nutrients. Therefore, one way to prevent it is to consume foods for mental fatigue and, in this way, provide the brain with everything it needs to function correctly. In this article, you will find foods to combat anxiety.
  • Have moments for yourself: If you are wondering how to eliminate mental fatigue in your daily routine, try to have moments of personal and emotional self-care. Taking a bath or reading a book are examples of ways to relax and avoid stress, so doing it daily will help prevent emotional fatigue from occurring in the long run. You can also make sure that this moment is a moment of mental hygiene, in which you practice some relaxation or meditation that helps you reset each day.
  • Breaks at work: Another remedy for mental fatigue, if your source of stress is work, is to take breaks from time to time in your work routine. Five or 10 minutes of rest may be enough to help you be more productive.
  • Don’t take things personally: Avoid bringing everything towards you. Don’t take your work home or the problems of others. Enjoy and focus on yourself in the moments when you can leave that stressful environment and do not allow those sources of stress to haunt you all day. That is, separate the environments and separate your feelings from those of others. In this article, we tell you how to reduce stress.

This article is merely informative, at PsychologyFor we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is mental fatigue and how to combat it we recommend that you enter our Personal Growth and Self-Help category.

Bibliography

  • Gittleman, A. (2008). How to overcome chronic fatigue. Madrid: Books4pocket.
  • Irala, N. (1962). Efficiency without fatigue in mental work. Barcelona: Pauline Editions.

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