Mental exhaustion at work: when the mind asks for a break!
Did you already have a day that has demands a lot of mental effort, making hard decisions, or complex activities? Probably you ended up the day feeling mental fatigue, and maybe even said, “I am mentally exhausted”. I have no doubts that when we demand too much of our mental abilities, we are subject to fatigue, but it is not the mental exhaustion I want to talk about here.
In fact, there is a mental exhaustion type that nor always show clear signs, which is known in some nomenclatures as Burnout. It is often subtle in its action and only allows us to perceive it when we are deeply in it. It is constant exhaustion, physically and mentally, in which we lack motivation to do activities and even despair when approaching the work routine again.
Many discuss the reasons for this mental exhaustion. Still, I consider that the roots that lead human beings to extreme fatigue, the lack of motivation in the work environment, and the feeling of reaching your limit go far beyond a simple set of factors. As much as we can list generalized topics, the search for self-knowledge, that is, diving into their own history and way of being, is still the best way to understand this exhaustion taking into account the uniqueness of each human being. Furthermore, self-knowledge has been one of the great and best ways to prevent and treat psychological disorders and problem situations.
Demands that require a lot
The demotivation in relation to the work can help with the exhaustion feeling: starting from taking a place that doesn’t represent you or no longer represents until performing tasks that do not bring you motivation to keep working, with routines that do not make sense for you.
However, one of the major bottlenecks of mental exhaustion at work is the practice in environments that demand a lot from its employees and generally involve stress, related to high-productivity demand, positions with great responsibility, and competitive environments. In addition, the accumulation of tasks on a single professional, mainly to make up for absences, is also a worrying factor.
It is not always possible, due to social situations, to reject being in these environments and conditions. But it is necessary to know and set limits to protect your physical and psychological well-being.
The body speaks, but why don’t we listen?
“When the mouth shuts up, the body speaks. And when the mouth speaks, the body heals.”
— ADALBERTO BARRETO
Every moment there are in us embodied expressions of what affects us. But, these expressions often be spontaneous — having been apprehended throughout life and being used to them — so they go unnoticed. And although they have a lot to say about ourselves, we can not identify them. So, why don’t we listen?
Sometimes the choice is about not wanting to listen and talk about it. It is because listening and speaking are the same as dealing with our vulnerabilities. And vulnerabilities go through dealing with our shame: the shame of not being able to handle it, shame of not being strong enough, shame of having to ask for help, the shame of complaining as it is my obligation, the shame of being weak, shames and more shames.
When avoiding dealing with this shames, we familiarize ourselves with the lack of sleep, mood swings, and irritability. The daily stress gets longer and repetitive, but we tolerate it, so we do not recognize our human incapability and limits. The bad day turns into a bad week, which turns into a bad month, and so it goes.
At the start of the text, I brought how this type of exhaustion seems to be only seen when we are already deep into it. Do you know why? Because we do not recognize the signs that our bodies have been giving us while we can change these things, and we are not listening to our emotions during the work activities.
We need urgently to listen to what we say without words. Not that it is easy, but it has a great ally: the community. In the community, in the links and relationships we have with other people, we can express and know who we are and how we have been developing ourselves. It is in this kind of conversation and in meaningful exchanges that we become aware of ourselves. In contact with each other, we find ourselves.
The exhaustion
What we nominate as Burnout here is usually expressed by mental and emotional exhaustion, detachment feeling, ineffectiveness, and lack of achievement in the work environment. It is worth mentioning that it is common for us to have less motivated professionals or engaged, mostly when other contexts of our lives may be shaken. So, it is not because we feel any of these sensations described what we are exhausted. Instead, they are alert signs for us to be mindful of what our bodies and minds need.
And considering that mental exhaustion does not happen suddenly, looking at our daily practices and seeking more well-being at work are healthy practices to avoid it.
What to do when you perceive exhaustion?
Embracing this vulnerability is a very significant step. It is like recognizing that we are not superheroes, that we can’t handle everything, and that we may be tired. It is a break with society’s requirements that we must always be productive and tuned. It is to accept the shame that this process may cause you.
The break is an important element. We can not discard how much it is beneficial in most cases. However, giving a break could mean get off the job, and it is not always a possible thing for everyone.
That is why seeking support to comprehend what are the points of more stress at your work scope will be essential to trace the desired paths, even though the break is not an option in your context. With it, it will be possible to investigate ways to concretize a rest for what worries you and develop more assertive communications in work relationships and better deal with their own demands.
I could have perceived that many of my clients, when they notice exhaustion in their relation to the work and do not have the possibility of making a more extended break, choose to develop the weel-being instead of leisure and dialogue. Talking about afflictions and finding in a close person, in a community, or a health professional, embracing these pains and empathy is fundamental to this process of self-knowledge.
Developing well-being through leisure and detachment from work demands involves exploring who you are without work and understanding the things that make you feel good.
I hope this content has helped you!
And, if you have been through some period of mental exhaustion at work, share it with the people you trust, and seek professional assistance!
Vanessa Mattos
Psychologist CRP 12/19336
