Did you know mental work can be just as draining as physical work? Discover tips to prevent mental exhaustion, fatigue, and burnout.
Many people believe that physical work is more exhausting than mental work. However, recent research in psychology has shown that mental work can be just as tiring as physical work, if not more so. Mental work can be emotionally, cognitively, and physically draining, leading to feelings of fatigue, burnout, and even physical discomfort.
This article explores why mental work can be just as exhausting as physical work and offers tips on how to prevent mental exhaustion.
Cognitive Demands of Mental Work
Mental work requires a lot of focus and attention which consumes a significant amount of mental energy and willpower, especially when we engage in tasks that require prolonged periods of concentration, such as writing a paper, coding, or solving complex problems.
While the brain only accounts for 2% of our body weight, it consumes over 20% of our body’s energy use. Complex thinking and cognitively demanding tasks can actually burn calories (which is why I’m so fit, just kidding). According to some research, the average person burns about 320 calories on a typical day solely from thinking.
In addition, most people can only pay attention to a single task for 40-60 minutes at a time. After that, we are more prone to distractions, fatigue, and exhaustion, which leads to more mistakes and less quality work. This is why it is important to schedule micro-breaks throughout the day to keep your mind fresh and rejuvenated, especially if you work at home or in the office all day.
Decision Fatigue
While it only takes one second to complete a decision, we may spend hours, days, or even months pondering our options before we decide what the best course of action is. This requires a lot of brainpower. Furthermore, once we finalize a decision, we still worry if we made the right one and what its potential consequences are.
The more important the decision is, the more it puts a “mental weight” on our shoulders. This is especially true for leadership positions like being a manager, CEO, politician, or business owner, where difficult decisions can affect many different people.
All decision-making requires mental energy. When we have to make multiple important decisions throughout the day, this leads to “decision fatigue” which can hurt our ability to make sound judgments and deplete our mental resources.
To prevent decision fatigue, it’s important to prioritize and delegate decisions when possible and simplify our choices. Don’t try to micro-manage everything, find others you can trust to make the right decision in your absence, and free yourself to focus only on the most important things.
Emotional Labor
A lot of mental work can be emotionally draining. People who work in professions such as counseling, social work, customer service, or emergency services can experience emotional exhaustion due to the constant emotional demands of their jobs.
Psychologists refer to this as emotional labor, which is especially applicable for jobs where we deal with many different people and personalities throughout the day, such as responding to customer complaints or taking care of the sick and elderly. These workers are asked to smile and be happy all day, even when they are overwhelmed, stressed, or depressed.
Often the emotional factors behind work are underestimated by bosses and coworkers, leading to emotional burnout, which is why it’s important for individuals to learn emotional intelligence techniques, such as self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy and social skills.
The Physical Effects of Mental Work
Mental work can have physical effects on the body. Prolonged periods of sitting in front of a computer can cause physical discomfort, such as back pain, neck pain, and eyestrain, which can further contribute to feelings of exhaustion.
The more time we spend sitting and focusing, the more our body gets tense, and our blood flow slows down, leading to reduced alertness and productivity. In addition, mental exhaustion can impact our ability to perform physical tasks. When we are mentally tired, our reaction times and motor skills may be impaired, making it more difficult to perform physically demanding tasks.
Due to the rise of jobs at home or in an office, most people live a sedentary lifestyle with very little physical activity or exercise. If you spend most of your day sitting at a computer, it’s important you practice a type of scattered workout throughout the day, even if it’s just standing up, going for a walk outside, doing some mindful stretching, or a quick round of push-ups, sit-ups, or jumping jacks to keep the blood flowing.
How to Prevent Mental Exhaustion
To prevent mental exhaustion, it is important to recognize the signs of burnout and take proactive steps to manage our mental energy levels.
One of the most effective ways to prevent mental exhaustion is to take regular breaks throughout the day. Taking breaks can help us recharge our mental batteries, reduce stress, and increase our overall productivity. For example, we can take a 5-10 minute break every hour or so to stretch, move around, or simply relax. Browse this list of 50 stress relievers for more ideas and suggestions.
Another way to prevent mental exhaustion is to practice stress-reducing techniques such as 100 breaths meditation or progressive muscle relaxation. These techniques can help us manage our mental energy levels and reduce feelings of anxiety and stress. Taking time to disconnect from technology and engage in activities such as nature walks, hobbies, or socializing can also be beneficial for our mental health.
Furthermore, it is important to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This includes setting boundaries between work and personal life, managing our workload, and prioritizing self-care activities as part of your daily routine, such as exercise, healthy eating, listening to music, and getting enough sleep.
In conclusion, mental work can be just as exhausting as physical work, and it can have physical, cognitive, and emotional effects on the body. It is important to recognize the signs of mental exhaustion and take proactive steps to prevent burnout. By taking care of our mental energy levels, we can improve our overall well-being, increase our productivity, and lead a more fulfilling life.
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