Exhaustion 101: Hope to Stop Getting There

Today’s world, particularly in the Western Hemisphere, is not any longer dominated by overwhelming amounts of Physical Activity. The level of Exhaustion and burnout has never been higher. This trend can apply to many of us, even at this moment. The question of how many of us are at this moment are feeling drained, foggy, overwhelmed, exhausted, or downright burned out?

Are you continually finding yourself forgetting what’s on the grocery list or feeling sleepy when work needs to-be done? All of these examples here and many others are examples of exhaustion, but not necessarily of the body, but of the mind. It is something that all of us went through on some level or another, no matter the age, and it’s something that needs addressing as soon as possible.

What Causes Mental Exhaustion?

Numerous factors can influence your mental wellbeing and how energized you feel during the day. There are, however, three significant factors that affect the most of us who are experiencing chronic exhaustion and which can resolve by making some adjustments in our lives. These are:

Poor Oxygenation – There is a reason why regular physical exercise will make you feel more energized throughout the day. It’s because it helps your body take in more oxygen, and by extension, bring that oxygen into your brain. In the less severe cases, a sedentary lifestyle, a lack of physical activity, or a short, shallow breathing pattern are the cause of inadequate oxygenation.

In other cases, however, it can be the result of some anemia, asthma, lung problems, blood pressure, or cardiovascular issues. Sleep apnea can also affect your body’s oxygenation.

Poor Blood Sugar – A poor blood sugar level is another factor that will influence your mental health. Low blood sugar can be a result of a poor diet or even something more severe such as diabetes. Concerning nutrition, a high carbohydrate diet, skipping meals, eating poor quality foods, the wrong kind of fats in the diet, and any other such factors, can all have an impact on your general wellbeing.

Brain Stimulation Imbalance – Too much or too little stimulation will also have a significant effect on your mental wellbeing. When we talk about too much stimulation, we reference the 21st-century landscape where people are, more or less, plugged in 24/7. It can take on many forms including a stressful workplace that follows you home, living with noisy neighbors or by a highway. It can also mean staying plugged to the internet on a constant basis – be its social media, Netflix, TV, iPod, radio or even video games.

Too little stimulation, on the other hand, usually happens when you lead a sedentary lifestyle, have little to no physical activity, and when your brain is not exposed to different stimuli on a regular basis. It usually happens when people work from home and fall into a rut from which it’s hard to get out. As most of us know, the brain needs to find a perfect stimulation balance to thrive. And probably the best way to achieve that is by employing a personalized version of the Work-Life Integration.

Conclusion 

The good news is that in most cases regarding chronic exhaustion, regular exercise, better nutrition, and a bit of integration in your life will make all the difference in the world. To get a true baseline of where you might be, take my free work-life integration profile and start from knowing where you are, right now!

Take the Work-Life Integration Profile