How to overcome mental fatigue

DO YOU OFTEN experience mental block, lack of motivation, irritability, insomnia, stress or lack of appetite? We established last week that these signs may be an indication that you are suffering from Directed Attention Fatigue.

DAF is a neurological symptom which occurs when the inhibitory attention system, that part of the brain which allows us to concentrate in the face of distractions, becomes fatigued. Basically, your brain goes in overdrive, which result in exhaustion and unproductivity.

Norma Nazish, ForbesLife Contributor, in an article titled ‘How To Overcome Mental Fatigue, According To An Expert’, shared how many of our daily activities are the cause of our DAF.

● Decision-making: Constant decision- making can be taxing, as it exhausts your executive function. “This includes what I call ‘decision leeches’ – which is when you ask someone to make a decision and they send you back a list of options rather than making the decision themselves, or people who are always asking you to help with their decisions,” says Dr.Alice Boyes, author of The Healthy Mind and The Anxiety Toolkit.

● Clutter: Science says clutter triggers the production of cortisol (or ‘stress hormone’).

The more cluttered your physical surroundings and headspace are, the more stressed out you’ll be. Prolonged stress can manifest into brain fatigue.

● Avoidance and procrastination: “When we procrastinate or avoid, our anxiety about whatever we are avoiding tends to increase,” says Dr. Boyes.

This, in turn, depletes your mental energy.

● Perfectionism: “Like any extreme trait, perfectionism can be a double-edged sword,” says the former psychologist. If you don’t pay attention, it can easily turn into a self-sabotaging habit. “Perfectionists are motivated to make the absolute best choice — even when doing so isn’t strictly necessary. This can lead to decision paralysis,” she explains. They are also more likely to ruminate and worry excessively.

● Lack of sleep: According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep to stay healthy. Getting enough sleep is critical for brain rejuvenation. Sleep deprivation can make your mind foggy from weariness, adversely affecting your mood, focus, alertness and productivity.

● Overcommitting: Committing to more tasks than you have time to finish is not just mentally draining but counter- productive as well. Not to mention, the continuous cognitive load might cause a full-blown burnout.

You would not want to miss next week’s article.

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