Mental Fatigue
What Causes Mental Fatigue?
We experience Mental fatigue when our emotions, thoughts, and environment induces stress and anxiety, and our body cannot cope with the pressure from the daily stress. Remember, our thoughts control our life; proverbs 4:23 states that we should be careful what we think, for our thoughts run our life.
Therefore, if we allow internal and external pressures to get to us and run our minds, we will easily experience mental fatigue.
The Will and Desire of God are for us to have joy, peace, and a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 says God has not given us a spirit of fear but of sound mind.
How Do You Know You Have Mental Fatigue?
- Literally, your mind feels tired.
- Your body often feels exhausted, even after a good night’s sleep.
- People and situations easily trigger you.
- You experience anxiety and depression.
- You feel pressure all over your body.
- Your mind keeps racing and is devoid of calmness.
- You are not able to focus.
- Your interpersonal relationships may be affected.
- You may be stuck in a ‘spin cycle.’
How To Overcome Mental Fatigue?
Work on having a sound mind: How can we have a sound mind? It starts with evaluating our thoughts to see if they hinder our progress. For example, if you discover that your thought pattern is primarily negative and self-defeating. You may have to write down those thoughts, look for Bible verses that counteract those thoughts, and begin praying the verses over your mind and meditating on them.
Just as the negative thoughts influence your feelings, mood, and decision-making, as you begin to renew your mind, you will find that your new thought patterns, which are the truth of God, will also start to shape your behavior, mood, feelings, and decision-making.
Renewing Your Mind: Romans 12:2 CEV says Don’t be like the people of this world but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him.
When you pray and ask God to help you renew your mind, He will help you go through the renewing of the mind process because God desires that we all renew our minds so that we can have sound minds.
Removing Stressors: We live in a world of problems and will inevitably experience stressful situations. But, sometimes, we can avoid those stressful situations. So if we are in a position to remove the overwhelming conditions, then it is advisable to remove them so that they don’t induce cortisol and adrenaline, the hormones responsible for stress and anxiety.
With that said, sometimes, we may not have control over the situations we face; if that is the case, then it is advisable to learn a healthy coping mechanism that will help you cope with the problem that otherwise may cause you to become stressed.
Practice Living In The Present: With our multi-tasking life, it may be challenging to live in the now. With our minds racing and solving problems not even here, it cannot be easy to slow down and focus on the now. But, switching our behavior patterns and learning to be present is essential. Although it may take some practicing and intentionality, we must focus on the now, be present, and release the worry, fear, and anxiety from our minds.
Jesus, In Matthew 6:34, says Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.
Living in the present also helps you to evaluate your thoughts and counteract any negative thoughts.
Focus And Meditate On Positive Things: Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8 CEV says. Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise.
This verse is simple and self-explanatory; also, it is very practical to help us overcome mental fatigue and have a sound mind.
Be Practical And Intentional: When our minds are on autopilot, they are likely to dwell on the negative, so it is imperative to be intentional with what we think and hold our thoughts captive if they are leaning toward the negative side of things. Hold your thoughts captive, renew them with God’s truth, and meditate on what is true and pure.
Sometimes, we must create new neural pathways and a whole new thought pattern to overcome mental fatigue. That will mean we become efficient in renewing our minds. Furthermore, research shows that to create new neural pathways, we will have to repeat an activity 10,000 times or more to begin creating a new habit or a new way of thinking – that means a person will have to be intentional and put in the work to see changes in their behavior or the way they think.
Create Boundaries: Sometimes, our mental fatigue may come from people or situations around us. Know that it is necessary to create boundaries and be comfortable saying No or Yes when needed. Sometimes, you may have to say No to keep your sanity or take pressure off yourself.
Sometimes, when a person suffers from low self-esteem or insecurity, it may be challenging to create healthy boundaries. If that is the case, you may see a therapist who can help you overcome your insecurities and build your self-esteem.
These practical steps will help you deal with mental fatigue and know how to prevent yourself from getting burnout mentally.
