Are the stresses and demands of life pushing you to the brink of your mental capacity? Are you feeling numb, tired, and unable to get anything done? You may be experiencing mental exhaustion symptoms.
What is Mental Exhaustion?
Mental exhaustion is a clinical condition that occurs when people are in sustained, high-stress situations that require a significant level of cognitive or emotional investment. This strenuous mental activity, coupled with a lack of rest and downtime, results in a variety of challenging symptoms, including lack of motivation, fatigue, difficulties in concentrating or completing tasks, trouble regulating emotions, struggles in managing interpersonal relationships, and ongoing feelings of depression and anxiety.
People can feel mentally exhausted in a variety of circumstances, including situations like:
- Being a caregiver
- Grieving the loss of a loved one
- Working a high-stress job, or multiple jobs with few breaks
- Dealing with financial challenges
- Not having emotional support
Mental exhaustion can also include signs of emotional exhaustion, especially in situations where you are grappling with sadness, loneliness, anger or anxious feelings. The combination of stressors can leave you feeling emotionally numb, detached, and stuck, and even result in professional burnout.
Over time, being mentally exhausted can have significant cognitive effects that can reduce the quality of your life. Learning how to bring balance into your life can greatly improve symptoms of mental exhaustion.
How to Deal with Mental Exhaustion
If you are in a sustained stressful situation, finding ways to give your mind a break is essential in successfully managing mental exhaustion. Focusing on activities that are relaxing, enjoyable, or replenishing is a good starting point in renewing yourself mentally.
How to recover from mental exhaustion
1. Build in breaks
Whether it’s 20 minutes to take a quick walk outside, sitting and doing some quiet meditations, or making time to simply be alone with your own thoughts, regular breaks during the day can give you time to reset yourself. If you are able, going on a weekend getaway or a longer vacation can also have significant positive effects on your mental health.
2. Get good sleep
Mental exhaustion often translates to extreme physical fatigue, and can negatively impact the quality of our sleep. Practising good sleep hygiene by keeping a regular bedtime, avoiding screens and caffeine in the hour before bed, and maintaining a cool, low-light sleep environment can help you get the rest you need.
3. Focus on the basics
When we are mentally exhausted, we’re often not taking care of our basic needs. To counter this, it is important to develop a regular exercise routine to naturally increase mood-boosting endorphins and relieve stress, and eat healthy, nutritious foods to nourish the mind and body.
4. Cultivate mental wellness
Turning your attention to your own wellness and how you’re perceiving what is around you is an important step in healing. Specific wellness practices, such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, and breath-related relaxation techniques can be particularly beneficial to refocusing the mind and alleviating stress.
5. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a type of talk therapy that focuses on identifying negative patterns of thought, exploring their root causes in an effort to better understand how these impact outlook and behaviour, and developing new, positive ways of thinking. People in CBT have the opportunity to jointly examine their reactions to life events and situations with their therapist, and learn healthy ways to cope with stress, disappointments, and challenges.
Overcoming Mental Exhaustion at The Dawn
The Dawn Wellness Centre and Rehab embraces a holistic healing approach to mental health and substance use disorders in a peaceful, residential treatment centre. The Dawn has been created to foster an environment of personal growth and healing for people who want to change their lives and overcome the challenges they’re facing.
Internationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and nationally licensed by the Thai Ministry of Health, The Dawn offers compassionate, professional treatment that is fully aligned with international standards of care.
A Mental Health Retreat in Thailand
The Dawn is located just outside the northern city of Chiang Mai in a serene riverside location surrounded by lush gardens with resort-like amenities. Here, you’ll work closely with your primary therapist to develop a personalised treatment plan that clearly addresses your specific needs and goals, and aligns with a holistic approach to healing both the mind and body.
Call us today to learn more about our unique, effective programming.
