So, how can you beat mental exhaustion?
Adopting the following strategies can help ease mental fatigue:
Stay organized. Both your physical and mental space needs tidying up from time to time. Getting rid of all non-essential stuff is crucial to stay focused, motivated and productive. The best way to keep things organized without feeling overwhelmed is to assign a proper place to everything and clear up the mess right after you've finished a task. For instance, do the dishes as soon as you've had your meal, organize your desk every day before heading home, make your bed immediately after waking up, etc. Here are some helpful tips to declutter your surroundings and headspace.
Be realistic. Make a list of important tasks you need to accomplish the next day, before going to bed. Keep the to-do list simple and realistic. This will keep you from overcommitting, ensuring you've enough time to check off all the items on that list. Similarly, set realistic personal and professional goals. Here's a great article on how to do it.
Batch tasks. "Do repetitive tasks in bulk so you don't have to do them often," says Dr. Boyes. "For example, if you have enough space, buy things like laundry detergent or office supplies only once every few months rather than doing these types of tasks more often than necessary. Or, print out multiple copies of completed forms rather than each time you need one," she suggests.
Rethink the way you expend your energy. "Move from being the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff to working on systems that will help permanently reduce stress and excess decision making," says Dr. Boyes. "Have backups where forgetting would otherwise cause stress. For instance, keep extra charging cords at home and work, keep some money in your car's glove compartment for emergency purposes, create a master packing list for travel and print multiple copies so you don't have to keep writing new ones," suggests the expert.
Learn how to tackle rumination and avoidance. "People who are heavy worriers tend to believe that worrying helps them make good decisions. However, rather than helping you problem-solve, rumination and worry usually just make it difficult to see the forest for the trees," Dr. Boyes points out. "Rumination can be about minor issues, it can also be more heavy-duty self-criticism," she says. Recognize when you're ruminating and try one of these strategies to overcome it. Having an avoidant coping style is equally self-sabotaging. Here are a few practical tips suggested by Dr. Boyes to beat procrastination and avoidance.
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