Causes Of Mental Fatigue And How To Overcome It?

Mental Health Illustration (Umit Bulut/Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Mental fatigue occurs due to lack of emotional rest. Similar to physical exercise, your brain capacity also needs time to recover from stress through leisure and relaxation.

There are many potential causes of chronic mental fatigue, including anxiety during a pandemic, non-stop work, lack of work-life balance, financial worries, household responsibilities, dissatisfaction with one or more areas of life, and major life events.

Then, how to overcome mental fatigue? Launching Mind Body Green, Wednesday, February 23, here are six tips to overcome mental fatigue.

Limit use of social media and screen time

Frequent exposure to social media can result in your mind constantly receiving stimulating or negative content. This can drain your emotional and cognitive processes, as well as interfere with healthy habits like sleep. Taking a break from the never-ending social media content and screen time will help regulate your neurotransmitters and reduce stress.

Create a night routine

Sleep quality can have a significant impact on energy, cognitive processing, and emotional well-being. Make time each night to do activities that relax you. This can help you to sleep soundly. Try removing your cell phone an hour before bedtime and changing the habit by journaling or mindfulness exercises to recharge.

Rest and relax all day

Breathing exercises, walking around the neighborhood, or stretching can be activities to relax. Taking a few minutes between activities and doing something different can motivate you and give you positive emotions.

Take care of yourself

Dedicate time each day to self-care such as regular exercise, connecting with at least one person a day, practicing gratitude, or being in nature. This activity can increase the good chemicals in your body.

No need to make a to-do-list

Making a to-do-list can actually make you more stressed. Creating a to-do-list doesn't have to be a productivity-related goal. You can make a to-do list for relaxation so that it becomes a priority in your life.

Reduce stressors

Mental fatigue is often overlooked and considered a normal part of life. And if not handled properly, mental fatigue can interfere with mental health. If you are experiencing mental fatigue, try to reduce your stress factor and do fun things like watching movies, listening to your favorite music, calling or chatting with friends, eating delicious food. Relieving stress can provide a great sense of relief.