Exhausted, what to do against mental fatigue?

More and more people are complaining of fatigue. A sometimes “catch-all” word which is no longer only used to designate physical fatigue which is characterized by aches, pains and a lack of energy, but also to evoke a certain weariness, a loss of meaning and will or even an intolerance of contradiction. But, what exactly does the term mental fatigue cover?

What do we call “mental” fatigue?

Human beings constantly adapt: ​​to cold, to heat, to hunger, to illness, to the death of a loved one… However, the acceleration of the pace of work, the demands of production, the immediacy of social networks which pushes us to be reactive and mental load exhaust us. Fatigue sets in when we are no longer able to adapt to our environment.

“Mental fatigue results in wear and tear on our coping skills”

“Just like physical fatigue, mental fatigue results in wear and tear on our coping skills. After overexposure and overexploitation of our mental capacities to various stimuli but under constant pressure, without rest or silence, our attention spans become restricted to the point of impossibility of being able to think, feel and react appropriately. Sleep is made difficult, the body ends up being affected, and fatigue is generalized.“, explains Isabelle Méténier, psychologist, author of the book “What if it was mental fatigue?” Like physical fatigue, mental fatigue is a symptom, the question remains of what?

First determine the cause of your mental fatigue

To get rid of mental fatigue, you should first determine its origin:

• Too high a mental load: work, children, household chores, time management… Having to constantly think about everything is exhausting.
• Too tiring work: loss of meaning, lack of resources, pressure to be profitable
• Be hypersensitive: the fact of perceiving the world differently, with more intensity, of analyzing events in a tenfold way, is exhausting.
• Being overstimulated externally: we all tend to move from one topic to another, to respond to our emails while we were working on something else, to spend time on social networks, to look for information online… These requests distract us and exhaust us.
• Conflicting information: the media convey all kinds of information and the opposite, which is destabilizing.
• Perfectionism: trying to do too well is mentally exhausting.
• A traumatic event: Rehashing over and over an event that traumatized us turns out to be a real vicious circle that harms our mental health.
• Empathy fatigue: some people tend to take on the suffering of others and want to solve their problems, which ends up weighing on their own shoulders.
• Eco-anxiety: Anxiety linked to ecology affects more and more individuals. The effects of air, water and land pollution can explain mental fatigue.
• Chronic diseases (fibromyalgia, Crohn’s disease, diabetes) and neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis) are also major causes of mental fatigue.

Once the cause has been identified, you will have to act accordingly:

► If your work takes a lot of energy from youyou should not hesitate to talk about it with your supervisor in order to find solutions, in particular delegating part of your tasks to one of your colleagues.

► At home : In the event of a significant mental load, a discussion with your partner is necessary to better distribute daily tasks.

► It is essential to take time for yourself every day and let go..

► Restful sleep is also essential for regaining energy and having clear ideas. “The brain is an organ in its own right that needs to rest.

“What is calming is accepting that we are human beings”

What soothes is meaning, coherence, silence, the fact of accepting that we are human beings. To get out of it, you have to knowing how to give up wanting to do everything because this is not possible“, underlines Isabelle Méténier. Finally,he link between our brain and the quality of our microbiota no longer to be demonstrated, it is recommended to adopt a varied and balanced diet and to practice regular physical activity.

Some foods are also renowned for their boosting action : citrus fruits, chocolate, dried fruits, fatty fish, spirulina, goji berries, ginseng and even guarana. Consuming it regularly can greatly improve things! On the other hand, if despite these few tips, mental fatigue is still present or even increases over time, it is important to consult a doctor without waiting.

Thanks to Isabelle Méténier, psychologist, author of the book What if it was mental fatigue? (Ed. Robert Laffont)