5 Things Which Drain Your Mental Energy (AND What You Can Do About It)
We’ve all felt tired. Particularly over the last pandemic year, but where as we can go and see a doctor about physical tiredness it can be quite hard sometimes to understand why we feel mentally fatigued.
Here are 5 Things which contribute to feeling Mentally burnt out:
1. Not Doing Enough Of What You Enjoy
In his book ‘Nothing You Don’t Already Know’, Alexander Den Hejer has a rather beautiful quote which I will list below:
“You often feel tired, not because you’ve done too much, but because you’ve done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
Sometimes we feel drained because we don’t do enough of the things we enjoy. If we don’t look forward to a single thing in our daily lives, then how can we possibly feel energised?
Surely every day would feel like an uphill struggle. We are a busy people, and it can be difficult to make time for ourselves each day. But it’s definitely a key step for helping us to enjoy our lives and feel more excited about life.
It doesn’t have to be a huge change in routine, but just something interesting for us; perhaps a nice meal, a brisk walk, or a few minutes of down time that we can spend reading.
2. Doing Too Much
Right off the heels of number 1? Really?
Whilst it’s true that not doing enough of what we’re passionate about can lower our spirits, there are definitely times when we do too many unnecessary things.
You are GUARANTEED to feel drained if you keep up unnecessary habits or take on too many things at once. Everyone’s lives are different though and so it’s up to you to take a deep look at what you can afford to cut back on.
3. Switching Tasks Too Often
Believe it or not, I am in fact a real person and not just a cliché sounding article. I do recognise there are definitely periods of life, when whether we like it or not, we have to take on more activities and we have to do lots of things within a certain time period.
It may not be sustainable forever, and you have to know that, but when those times are unavoidable, when you can’t help having an overflowing schedule, it’s really important to prioritise your time. As much as we all love to say how good at multitasking we are (which you may very well be so hats off to you), the vast majority of us really do struggle. Research is still yet to determine whether that’s due to the presence of multiple tasks or the point in which we switch tasks.
Needless to say, but inefficient multitasking will definitely make you feel burn out very very quickly. When you are extremely busy, try to focus on one area at a time, to ensure sufficient focus is given, which helps you to be more efficient and avoid the fatigue building too quickly.
4. Insufficient Rest
This is a very obvious sounding one, however when I refer to “rest”, I am not just referring to sleep. Whilst having regular and quality sleep is important for both physical and mental health, I am also referring to time in which we can avoid mental stimulation.
Everywhere we look or turn to there’s always some stimulus which makes our brain more active, whether that’s social media or too much blue light. In this world, which discourages rest and measures are worth in numbers, grades and salaries, it’s really beneficial to just take even a few minutes away from all that, whether that’s quiet time by yourself or just enjoying the company of a friend or loved one.
5. Having A Significant Life Stress
Whilst this is potentially the biggest one on this list, it’s definitely the hardest to address. Having a significant life event take place, like the loss of a loved one, a social upheaval or financial difficulty (really the list is endless) will definitely strain you mentally.
These events and the effects they have can last for a very long time and that’s why this is the hardest one to address. There are far more comprehensive resources on this, but essentially it boils down to adequate reflection time and feeling supported, so if you feel lacking in one of those areas then perhaps it’s time to reach out to someone you trust or seek professional help.
So there you have it, 5 reasons why you may be feeling mentally burnt out. If you enjoyed this article, make sure to hit follow and check out my other works and social media to stay up to date!
