Mental Exhaustion: Forcing Ourselves To Be Strong

Mental exhaustion is a state we achieve when we strain ourselves too much. But this exhaustion does not come from work or school. This is about charging ourselves by taking too much conflict, responsibility, or emotional / cognitive stimuli.

We don’t end up at the point of mental exhaustion overnight. It is a slow process that piles up on our shoulders until we collapse. This disintegration puts us in a state of paralysis; for major depression or chronic illness. It causes a total collapse in life because we simply can no longer withstand the overload.

Although we usually experience mental exhaustion as mental fatigue, it also brings with it physical fatigue. When it appears, we begin to feel pregnancy, a feeling that we cannot move on. That’s when we fall into a powerlessness  that is not so easy to get out of.

Causes of mental exhaustion

Mental exhaustion emerges because there is an imbalance between what we give and what we receive. The people who are the victims of this are the ones who give their all. This can happen at work, at home, in relationships, or anywhere else, or in all areas of life at the same time.

In general, this happens in areas with a high level of demand, which also require large sacrifices. For example, in a workplace where there is a high risk of being fired. Or a home that is full of people who have tremendous problems and who need attention. This can also happen in relationships where there are a lot of contradictions and serious challenges.

What usually happens when we are exhausted is that we don’t have time for ourselves. It also means that we do not get the recognition, love and thoughtfulness we deserve. People assume we are “in action” all the time. As if we didn’t have our own needs, or just as if they thought we were stronger and that we could handle just about everything.

Early signs of mental exhaustion

Before exhaustion appears, we begin to see some cautionary signs. Those are things we certainly don’t think terribly about. But maybe we can stop exhaustion in time if we start paying attention to these things.

Here are the early signs of mental exhaustion:

• Physical fatigue. We often feel tired. From the moment we open our eyes, we feel like the day is getting too heavy.

• Insomnia. As strange as it sounds when we are mentally exhausted and even if we are physically tired, it is not very easy for us to sleep. We are constantly thinking about different things, and this makes sleeping awkward.
• Irritability. We get annoyed and often lose control of ourselves. When we are mentally exhausted, we are in a bad mood, and also hypersensitive to all criticism and resentment.
• Lack of motivation. When we have to deal with exhaustion, we start working mechanically. As if we had no choice but to do what we always do. We are not eager or interested in what we do.
• Emotional distancing. Our feelings begin to dilute more and more. Just like we didn’t feel anything.
• Constant forgetfulness. Too much information and / or excessive stimuli cause problems in our memory. We forget small things easily.

• Problems thinking. It doesn’t take much for us to get confused. Almost everything we do takes more time than usual. We think about things really slowly.

Roads out of mental exhaustion

The best way to overcome mental exhaustion, of course, is to rest. We need to find some free time for ourselves so that we can relax and calm down. Many people who demand too much of themselves live for years without a decent vacation. This is not what we should do. Sooner or later it will lead to fatigue. That is why it is important to take a few days off to rest.

Another solution is to create new attitudes towards our daily responsibilities. Each day should include time for our own commitments so that we have time to rest and engage in the activities we enjoy. We must leave behind the obsessions of striving for perfection and completing things.

Lastly, it is really important that we are more sensitive to ourselves. There is no better way to do this than to be alone for a while every day. Let us breathe, let’s unite with what we are and what we want. In addition to this, we definitely need to develop our understanding and compassionate attitude towards ourselves. If we do not do this, sooner or later we simply cannot move on.