Fatigue, stress and anxiety, other dangerous signs of mental burnout and how to fight it

Symptoms of burnout: Mental weariness causes excessive bitterness, rage, or even mood changes for no reason. Complaining about certain things can be in excess (Image: Canva)

Mental burnout, also known as emotional and mental fatigue, is a condition that is characterized by feeling overworked and stressed out for a substantial amount of time to the point of being emotionally managed. Physical fatigue and psychological fatigue are not the same; most of the time, physical fatigue can be remedied by sleep and rest, but psychological fatigue involves feelings, thoughts, and motivation to perform a particular task. This condition is also typical in most cases especially when individuals are constantly pressed, running many tasks at the same time, or where there exists an unresolved stress which in the long run will give rise to other issue including but not limited to burnout, anxiety, and even depression.

One must understand the symptoms of mental exhaustion as it’s essential for managing the situation before it gets worse. Dr Priya Malhotra, a Senior Psychiatrist and Mental Health Specialist in Mumbai, suggests these 8 signs of mental exhaustion.

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• Always feeling tired: The feeling of being fatigued all the time without any relief from rest or sleep is a telling sign of mental exhaustion. This weariness cannot be eased by just taking a physical rest.

• Loss of focus: Experiencing problems with attention or reaching a conclusion is usual. Everything turns hazy in the brain, and even the smallest of duties becomes tasking.

• Restlessness and affective instability: Mental weariness causes excessive bitterness, rage, or even mood changes for no reason. Complaining about certain things can be in excess.

• Lack of enthusiasm: Increased tiredness towards things that you previously found engaging or interesting even to initiatives that normally are done over time.

• Disrupted sleep: Psychological stress may be manifested as sleep deprivation (inability to either initate or maintain sleep) or hypersomnia. There is a profound level of fatigue, but the quality of sleep is unsatisfactory.

• Secondary complaints: Chronic headaches, muscle tension, gastrointestinal disturbances, or any other undetermined physiological complaints will manifest because of the mental strain placed on the body.

• Heightened feelings of anxiety or overwhelming burden: Both minor inconveniences and ordinary chores begin to appear as a challenge. It’s an unending feeling of burden and perhaps an upward spiral of anxiety.

• Reduced socialisation:  You may tend to shun socialising and stay alone because you do not have the functional ability to interact with even close relatives or friends.

Coping strategies for mental exhaustion:

• Give your mind and body rest: Take intervals for the mind and body. For instance, use the Pomodoro method (25 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes of rest) or simply allocate some times for short movements such as walks, stretching, or even just a screen time break.

• Make sleep a priority: Focus on your sleeping conditions and timings, and avoid caffeine closer to bed time. Good sleeping habits promote healthy sleep pattern.

• Define limits: Avoid situations that increase your stress levels. Such toxic situations harm your mental health.

• Engage in relaxation techniques: Focus your thoughts and counter any raging stress by concentrating on something that gives you relief. For example, regular deep breathing exercises and yoga can enhance your concentration levels and help you clear your mind.

• Exercise regularly: Endorphins, the mood elevating hormones, are produced in the body with activities such as regular or even moderate exercises like a walk or stretching. In addition to this, doing physical exercises refreshes your mind and body.

• Consult with a counselor or talk to someone: Speak what you feel to the friend, family member or a therapist who you think will understand you. Talking about stress can sometimes be sufficient in relieving it. So if there is a more severe case, experts can help dealing with stress effectively.

• Be mindful: Spend time outside. This is important as it replaces the focus on negative stress and encourages a more positive oriented towards the present outlook.