We all experience yawning in the middle of the day, or notice our eyes closing slightly during dinner. Feeling sleepy after you’ve done major tasks is nothing new, but there is a difference between being tired and being exhausted. Although exhaustion is common, it is important to know the signs of when you’re no longer just “tired”.
It’s hard to stay focused
It takes longer for you to complete tasks, even simple ones, because you can’t think straight. Whether you have a lot going on, or are spaced out; being unable to stay on task is a sign that you have too much going on. If you’re feeling like you’re always mentally blocked, or are constantly losing your train of thought, it’s going to take more than just a good nap to solve this problem.
When it’s time for bed, you can’t fall asleep
Being mentally exhausted doesn’t always mean falling asleep is easy. There’s nothing worse than getting ready for bed after a long day, and not being able to fall asleep. If your mind keeps spinning and won’t allow you to relax, your body can be trying to tell you something.
Everything feels like nails scratching a chalkboard
Are you feeling easily irritable? Is nothing holding up to your standards of perfection? Feeling “on edge” all the time is the tip of the iceberg. If you’re not only sleep deprived, but also stressed and unhappy; every little thing can seem like the end of the world. If people feel like they’re walking on eggshells around you, you may want to consider a time-out.
You can’t find the energy to do anything
If you’re procrastinating everything–even the things you want to do, you may be experiencing a severe lack of productivity. This usually happens when you’ve overdone it. There is a chance that you pushed yourself so far that now you don’t want to do anything.
Even after a good night’s sleep, you still feel exhausted
We often think that all of these problems can be solved with one night of happy, uninterrupted sleep. That’s not the case if the problem is more than just being tired throughout the day. If you’re exhausted, it’s going to take a lot more relaxation and stress relief than one night of good sleep.
