Exhaustion can come in various forms – physical exhaustion, mental exhaustion and combinations of both. Whichever type of exhaustion you have, you are likely to experience both physical and mental symptoms. Mental exhaustion can result in some physical symptoms, while physical exhaustion will undoubtedly affect your mental health too. As a result, it’s important to look at exhaustion from a holistic perspective, rather than thinking about treating individual symptoms. Here are some of the symptoms and warning signs to look out for with exhaustion.
Falling asleep often
Taking a quick nap or feeling like you need to take naps often throughout the day, is often a sign that you are exhausted. This is particularly true if you are getting 6-9 hours of sleep per night and still feel tired for most of the day.
Lack of concentration
Exhaustion can make anybody feel out of focus and can make it very difficult to concentrate. This can be problematic and stressful for those who are at an important stage of their studies, or mid-way through an important work project which needs to be completed. It can also impact the ability to focus in meetings or deliver presentations.
Constant stress
If you’re finding most things more stressful than usual to manage, this is often one of the first signs of exhaustion. Things which used to be effortless are suddenly taking much more effort, and what seemed normal before now seems uncontrollably difficult and stressful. Things feel like they’re piling up and you’re becoming out of control.
Depression
Feeling exhausted and fatigued can lead to depression. Prolonged exhaustion, left untreated, could leave patients with long-term, chronic depression. It’s important to look out for the warning signs of exhaustion and speak to somebody if you think you are developing depression or any other mental health problems.
