You can often alleviate physical exhaustion with rest. However, only lifestyle changes and easing stress will help when you’re mentally exhausted. You might experience mental fatigue when you’ve been strong for way too long.
Your mind can only handle so much stress and pressure before it cracks. The brain was created with the ability to know when enough is enough, and it will go into shutdown mode to protect itself. Have you ever got a virus on your computer?
The computer will go into safe mode when something isn’t right. It does this to protect itself from further damage, and your brain does the same thing. It’s trying to minimize the damage brought on by the constant mental exhaustion.
According to Harvard Health, stress most impacts your brain’s prefrontal cortex. Additionally, experts here have found that those with prolonged periods of stress have a greater risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
10 Things That Cause Mental Fatigue
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health, and you might experience a loss of focus and overwhelming exhaustion. Here are ten things that cause your mind to be tired and ways you can fix these issues.
1. Prolonged Periods of Stress Cause Exhaustion
Your brain is hard-wired to react with an internal system to protect you from danger. When your body senses a threat, it goes into fight or flight mode. Inside, your body releases stress chemicals like cortisol and adrenaline. The burst of these chemicals helps people do things they usually couldn’t accomplish.
One such instance happened to Zac Clark in 2019. According to CNN, the teen was at home in Butler, Ohio, when he heard a woman call for help. Upon further examination, Clark realized that a Volkswagen Passat had fallen on the woman’s husband.
The car weighed about 3,500 pounds and rested on the man’s head and ribs. Clark went into superhero mode and lifted the front of the vehicle enough so that the lady could help her husband slide to safety. There’s no way this teenager could have done that without the surge of adrenaline running through his body.
The same surging hormones might be helpful, but when there’s no imminent danger, they can be harmful. What happens if you’re driving up mountains and must constantly be accelerating? You’re going to use more gas than if you’re using the cruise or coasting.
Your body does the same thing. When you’re using the “accelerator” and going through life in high gear, you will burn more energy, which makes it easy to become fatigued.
How to Fix It:
There’s no easy fix for stress, but finding coping mechanisms is the best way to combat this issue. Knowing your limits is an excellent place to start. Learning to say no and setting healthy boundaries will help you from reaching the burnout point.
2. Chronic Health Issues Can Cause Mental Fatigue
Dealing with chronic health issues is a significant struggle. You don’t feel well, and your questions about tomorrow keep you from living as you want. Mental fatigue can come because of a physical problem too. It’s not your fault you’re sick or have ongoing health issues, but you must cope with the exhaustion and loss of focus these problems bring.
How to Fix It:
Join a support group of people going through common issues. Hearing the story of others and how they overcome can be uplifting. Developing a solid support unit gives you people to call when your illness affects your ability to thrive.
3. Sleep Loss Contributes to Mental Fatigue and Physical
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