Habits That Can Drain Your Mental Health
You can feel drained mentally and emotionally if you’ve recently (or not so recently) gone through a traumatic event, if you’ve been living with stress for a long time, or even if you are just burnt out by your day-to-day lifestyle. Whatever the cause, feeling drained can keep you from having any energy, which can keep you from making improvements in your life so that you feel better – and besides this, it is just no fun to go through life feeling this way.
What Are the Signs That You Are Emotionally Drained?
Feeling drained, emotionally or mentally, can affect not only your mind but your body. Feeling hopeless, nervous, depressed, irritable, absentminded, unmotivated, and apathetic may be signs you are drained. You may also have difficulty concentrating, an increased feeling of pessimism, and a general sense of dread that you can’t shake. Physical signs may be trouble sleeping, fatigue, headaches, and a change in appetite.
What Can Cause You To Feel Drained?
Everyone feels some amount of stress throughout the day; there’s just no getting around that. Everyone also has a certain time in their lives when extra stress is added: having to work at a job you hate, feeling financially stressed, living with a chronic illness (or taking care of a loved one who has a chronic illness), or going through a divorce. Whatever the cause and whatever your symptoms, it is important to realize that you may be going through a difficult time and to give yourself a little TLC.
What Are Some Habits That Can Drain You?
It sounds trite, but it really is true. If you have the bad habit of not taking care of yourself physically, your mental health can suffer. Self-care can be as simple as taking something to give your nutrition a boost (if you’ve ever wondered “what is thrive?” now is the time to find out!) or making some changes in your diet. Studies have shown that cutting down on sweets and refined carbohydrates can help when you are feeling down. Limiting alcohol can also help boost your mood, as drinking too much can leave you even more depressed in the long run.
Never exercising is another bad habit – and although you may be sick of getting nagged about the amount of exercise you get, it really can help you to feel better. The trick is to find something you enjoy, such as tennis, racquetball, or even becoming a “mall walker” so that you can enjoy window shopping while stretching your legs.
Poor sleep habits can affect you without you even realizing it. Limit your caffeine intake – even hours before bed it can cause sleep problems. Get into good bedtime habits, such as going to bed at the same time every night. If you just don’t seem to sleep no matter what you do, your doctor may be able to help.
Overthinking is another bad habit. Continually thinking about what is going on at work (when you aren’t there), something that happened last week that has bothered you since, or worrying about something that is coming up in the near future can wear you down. There is a reason that mindfulness is “in” right now – it is all about learning to live in the present moment. It isn’t easy, but if you keep trying it can help.
What Can You Do When You Feel Drained?
Besides exercising, watching what you eat, learning how to live in the “now,” and getting a good night’s sleep every night, there are some other things you can try to get rid of that feeling of emotional exhaustion.
For instance, maybe it’s time for a change. How much of your mental health drain can you attribute to your job, where you live, or another stressor? It may not be possible to get rid of whatever is causing you stress, but if you can at least identify the problem that is a step in the right direction.
Maybe a vacation is what you need, to reset both your body and your mind. If you don’t have the time or the money to take your dream vacation, at least take a day trip on a Saturday, or get out for a walk or go to the movies. Even picking up that old hobby you used to enjoy (or finding a new hobby) can help you to feel better, as well as giving you something to look forward to.
Talking to a trusted friend or relative may also help. Everyone faces stress at some time, and it is likely that you can find someone close to you that is very sympathetic to what you are going through. A professional therapist can also be the answer; you don’t have to go for months and months to reap some benefits. They may be able to give you relaxation techniques to try or some good advice (but even just talking to someone can help).
Of course, if those feelings of emotional exhaustion just refuse to go away, you should see your doctor. He or she can make sure it isn’t a physical problem.
Recognizing that you are “drained” is the first step toward feeling better; once you realize what the problem is you can start to look for a solution. Make sure you take care of yourself and treat yourself well, because life is a lot more pleasant when you have the energy to enjoy it!
