People experience exhaustion in many different situations. Some have it hit at school, some at work, at times it may hit you at home when you aren’t doing anything typically considered ‘productive’. Either way, whether you feel your exhaustion during one of those situations or you feel it during another, exhaustion is something that is a natural given in life’s new fast pace. It can feel like exhaustion happens more frequently at certain times than others.
It’s important to remember that general tiredness and exhaustion are two different things. General tiredness is the feeling you are likely familiar with, where there is that feeling of sleepiness that could have an effect on the events of the day. However, general tiredness will usually go away after a good night’s rest. Exhaustion, on the other hand, is the chronic tiredness is accompanied by many other symptoms that involve, but are not limited to, impaired cognitive function, physical symptoms, and negative changes in one’s mental health. This exhaustion relapses as well, giving you moments of relief before it returns.
So, how do we adjust to help manage feelings of exhaustion and lower the chances of chronic exhaustion taking hold? This is not for those who are feeling exhaustion due to medical or mental health conditions. We will be focusing on the lifestyle, work and school-related causes and ways to try and help change that.
Lifestyle-related Causes for Exhaustion
Sleep is often the first thing people start to look at when they are feeling exhausted and ask themselves if they are getting enough sleep. That’s not the right question; people should be asking themselves, are we getting the right sleep? Even though there are general guidelines for different age groups for the proper amount of sleep, everyone is different. The key is finding what works for you and what helps you best get the highest quality of sleep you can. Quality of sleep can be changed by too much light coming into the room, the room is too hot or too cold, even not exercising or eating right before you plan to go to bed can change things.
Poor nutrition is also something that is often overlooked when it comes to bouts of exhaustion. Nutrition that does not provide the body what it needs and wants can cause you to feel less then optimal. It is just as true in sport and in everyday life. Improper nutrition can amplify the symptoms of exhaustion, especially products like alcohol and caffeine. Inadequate nutrients of any kinds, marco and mirco, can similarly amplify the symptoms of exhaustion. Some foods also don’t agree with people and side effects of these foods can cause these symptoms, and you think they are unrelated. The easiest ways to try and get ahead of the game is the have balanced meals all day, have a great breakfast (whenever that is), and stay hydrated.
As mentioned earlier, exercise can help one sleep by tiring the body but, it is somewhat of a double-edged sword. Just the right amount of exercise can help you combat symptoms of exhaustion to help you get that night’s sleep that you really needed. However, too much can lead to enhanced symptoms of exhaustion and can cause the body to start to be more sensitive to the metabolites that are produced from exercise. It’s all about finding that sweet spot for you. Some find doing a little everyday really helps them with fighting feelings fatigue while others need to do longer workouts less often. However, it is important to note that researchers all agree that the more intense the exercise session, the better it is at fighting of exhaustion. But that all have to do with relative intensity, not absolute, meaning if you are working at 50% of your max, someone else may be working at 40% or 80%. It’s all individual.
Work/School-Related Causes for Exhaustion
Work and school is at the fastest paced it has ever been. Notifications for your job and school come immediately to your phone or personal devices that make it seem like you need to be doing those things even when you have logged off. Shifts now start later and later as the world becomes closer to 24/7 access. On top of that, many people commute long hours to their schools and work, not being able to truly relax as quickly as others. Maybe you feel like you don’t have as much control on your studies or job anymore, you’ve lost an important decision making influence you once had. Maybe a boss or assignment didn’t provide you with clear expectations or the dynamic between those involved is less than desired due to bullying, micromanaging, or feeling that you are undermined. Or, you feel you are jumping hoops as the flow of things change, like there is no steady-state of energy and influence provided by the work involved. Whatever the reason, it can cause exhaustion.
Hopefully, you have some ideas in your back pocket already on how to deal with things but, here are some things to consider when looking for a solution:
- Have options ready and discuss them with someone: whether it is your reporting supervisor/manager, a TA, or the professor of the course, raise your concern. If they are sending you emails at 2 AM, ask them to hold off until reasonable hours. Work together to confirm or change expectations and possibly come to a compromise if a solution is not possible.
- Reach out to others: social support is always a big plus when you feel exhausted from work or school. Ask friends, co-workers, peers in the course, loved ones, anyone to help you find a solution or whatever it is you need help with.
- Remember to take your breaks or ask for ones: Work and school can feel like a 24/7 process right now but, just like in real life, give yourself planned breaks. If you have a class that is three hours, ask the professor/lecturer around what times planned breaks are so you can better manage your schedule.
- Think outside: something like this can be very helpful, especially to get creative juices flowing. If you are struggling with a project or solution, take a small walk as you think about the topic. A change in environment can really make a difference!
- Make sure you have a set time you log off: If you say you are done working at 6pm, turn off all work related notifications. If you say you are going to stop studying at 8pm, put your books and laptop away. Give yourself that time to recharge.
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