Is there a relationship between anxiety and fatigue?

Have you ever felt that your body goes on alert and you are left without energy? Or maybe you don’t relax, experience tension, pressure and don’t fall asleep? The Anxiety and fatigue are two common problems for a population that has to respond to different demands from many fronts.

Yes ok Anxiety is a normal response of the body to situations of danger or stress, When it becomes chronic or disproportionate it has negative effects on our mental and physical health. Its symptoms include sweating, palpitations, muscle tension or difficulty maintaining concentration.

On the other hand, Tiredness is a feeling of weakness and lack of energy due to factors such as stress, lack of sleep, poor diet or physical illness. Can fatigue be a symptom of anxious people? The short answer is yes; The arguments are raised during the reading.

Does fatigue lead to anxiety?

The relationship between being anxious and tired is bidirectional. That is, the first can cause that feeling of exhaustion; while the second is capable of increasing anxiety. It is even possible that a circle forms in which the person ends up trapped.

When someone is tired, they are more likely to experience stress and anxiety, which in turn worsens burnout. This may trigger cognitive alterations that lead to chronic insomnia and complicate the vicious cycle of being tired and anxious, reports an article from the Journal of Neurology.

In relation to this topic, a work shared in Psychiatry research found a prevalence of severe anxiety among doctors who were exposed to frequent occupational risks in their profession, such as stress and fatigue.

The latter resulted from sleep deprivation, being on call after hours, working long hours, facing staff shortages, or high patient loads.

Can anxiety cause extreme tiredness?

Yes, anxiety can cause extreme tiredness or chronic fatigue, when it lasts more than 6 months (Garay & Ganado, 2019). When experiencing anxiety, the body is on constant alert, which drains energy and makes the person feel tired all the time.

Furthermore, it is likely that fatigue occurs in conjunction with other illnesses, as an expression of emotional and physical disorders.

What are the symptoms that can cause this fatigue?

The most common symptoms of fatigue caused by anxiety are multiple and they not only refer to the physical part; They cover the mental. Below, we describe some of them:

Difficulty concentrating or remembering things: the body is in a state of alert that prevents it from concentrating and processing information.Strain: If we suffer from anxiety, it is normal for the body to be tense, keeping us prepared to react to any possible danger.Constant feeling of exhaustion: can range from generalized fatigue to a extreme weakness; It’s as if you don’t have enough energy to carry out everyday activities, even simple ones.Irritability or mood swings: Perennial exhaustion makes it difficult to maintain a stable and calm mood. Additionally, chronic fatigue impairs sleep quality, worsening mood swings and irritability.Headaches: When the body is exhausted, you may experience headaches, as a result of muscle tension in the neck or shoulders. Additionally, chronic fatigue causes migraines in some people.Alterations in the sleep-wake cycle: having anxiety there is greater mental activity; for example, through negative thoughts or worries. This activity affects during the day and can interfere at night, both with falling asleep and maintaining it. Therefore, anxiety affects rest.Digestive problems: Anxiety is also related to stomach disorders. The gut-brain axis is understood as the biochemical communication established between the nervous, endocrine and immune systems. Thus, our gastrointestinal tract is influenced by the central nervous system and vice versa.

How can we reduce anxiety and the fatigue?

There are many ways to reduce the feeling of being tired and anxious; several are interdependent. For example, exercising regularly helps minimize anxiety and improve sleep quality; which in turn lowers exhaustion levels.

Meditation and deep breathing control anxiety and improve restful rest. Furthermore, following a healthy and balanced diet, in addition to getting enough sleep, reduces exhaustion and improves general mood.

Regarding this topic, in an interview titled The brain, our best ally against stressfrom the BBVA Let’s Learn Together initiative, psychiatrist and writer Mariam Rojas-Estapé highlights the importance of knowing how we function and what factors stress us.

The specialist maintains that when you understand your body and your personality, it is much easier to cope with those stressful situations that tire you and cause anxiety.

What happens when the fatigue is mental?

Thinking about the same thing over and over again and feeling that the head will explode are manifestations of mental fatigue. This is described as the feeling of fatigue or exhaustion due to prolonged and demanding intellectual work. It is characterized by a feeling of lack of mental energy and difficulty concentrating on cognitive tasks.

The symptoms of this fatigue include problems concentrating or making decisions; also fatigue, mental slowness and difficulties remembering new information. Importantly, this state can be a symptom of various medical conditions, including depression and anxiety.

We do not usually take care of resting our minds and this fatigue has a great impact on our lives; Proof of this is the review in Diario La Ley. In a publication they indicate that in the field of justice, the mental fatigue experienced by professionals affects judicial decision-making.

And, although this is a specific example in a specific area, mental fatigue is expressed in all the actions that the person carries out, affecting their work and their relationships.

How to deal with anxiety and exhaustion, even mental?

To manage mental exhaustion you must learn tools that allow you to manage your own thoughts.. Also practicing some type of physical activity improves anxiety and, in turn, that exhaustion that can invade you. Additionally, it is important not to forget to practice self-care.

You may feel bad because you are tired, without energy, or that you are not performing as you would like. But don’t stop being understanding and avoid blaming yourself for not being at an optimal level, both physically and mentally. Just use caution when burnout is common and consult a specialist for professional guidance.

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