We've all been there. The days we just feel so extremely exhausted and mentally fatigued. It's the long weeks, the heavy workload, and just the stress that comes with it. And trust me, I've been there too. These days, burnout is so prevalent and it has become so normal to be feeling overworked. And I know that it's not a good feeling at all to keep waking up every day with a low mental battery. So, for this post, I wanted to talk about ways that you can really take care of yourself and fill up your cup when you're just feeling not only mentally tired but also physically tired.
1) Prioritize Sleep & Rest
I can't even tell you how important rest is for our mental health. In fact, it's one of the most necessary things to keep our minds healthy and functioning well. When I get less than 6-7 hours of sleep, I seriously just feel moody and irritated, and I am so exhausted that my mind just can't function at all. Sleep and rest allow us to recharge, and gain our energy back. Especially for the days when you're mentally feeling exhausted, it's so crucial to prioritize rest to help with your emotional regulation, energy levels, and also to help bring down stress and anxiety. If there's a situation where you need to do a task or something on your to-do list, but you're just feeling really mentally exhausted, please choose the rest. Your mind and body will thank you.
2) Make Time to Relax
Sometimes our schedules can be so jammed pack that it honestly is so difficult to just find time to feel calm and unwind. Personally, I usually have to get up at 7 am and I'm doing work until about 8 or 9 pm, so it can be so challenging at times to have enough time to do what helps me relax, and I'm sure you can probably relate. But, when I do integrate time into my schedule to just do something that helps me feel calm (like writing a blog post), my mind just feels so much better, and my mental stress and fatigue come down a lot. Our minds and bodies are not designed to go-go-go 24/7, so taking time to just pause and stop from doing the work is so necessary for our mental wellness and peace. Make time, even if it's just for a few moments to integrate some relaxation into your day. Maybe it's watching a good show, listening to music, doing some stretching, taking a hot shower, doing your skincare, etc.
3) Take it Slow
On the days that I'm just feeling so mentally tired, I find it so extremely helpful to take it slow and not make myself feel rushed all the time. Feeling a little burnout is something that's already so mentally taxing, and the last thing you need is to keep pushing yourself, and putting more on your plate. So, go easy on yourself, and seriously just do what you can. Mentally, we can only handle so much each day, and when we're feeling mentally out of battery, we don't want to be stretching ourselves too thin. Go easy on yourself, and just take it slow. There is time for everything :)
4) Let Your Emotions Out
Mental exhaustion leads to a bunch of other emotions that are going through our bodies: irritation, stress, and maybe even some sadness. And know that all these things are so normal when we're feeling some burnout and overwhelmingness. But during this time, keeping everything in can really affect our mental health even more. Letting your emotions out during a time when you're feeling really mentally exhausted is so important. Talk to someone or journal, and know that it's also okay to cry. There's so much stigma associated with crying to make it seem like it's not a good thing, but know that crying is actually really therapeutic and can help us feel a greater sense of ease. Do what you need to do, for yourself.
5) Surround Yourself With Calm Energy
Seriously, where we're feeling some burnout, surrounding ourselves with calming energy is so important to help preserve our greater mental peace. When we're feeling mentally exhausted, our minds are completely drained, and being around people who are stressing us out is going to make us feel even more mentally drained. So, surround yourself with people who are going to help you feel better. That may look like individuals who are understanding, who generally have a calm way of approaching things, and people that just bring you happiness. Being around calm people during a time when we're feeling some burnout can actually really help us feel better, and re-assured.
Remember to be nice to yourself, and to not put too much pressure on yourself. You're doing great, and you're right where you need to be.
Sending you lots of peaceful energy and positivity,
-Esha
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