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Mental decline (also known as nervous exhaustion) is a temporary mental state linked to stress and a decrease in normal functioning. It shares symptoms with anxiety and depression. It's important to note that the term 'mental decline' or 'nervous exhaustion' is not a medical or psychological term and does not indicate any specific disorder. Managing stress and taking care of oneself is key to reducing stress and preventing acute stress reactions.
Steps
Maintain Healthy Mental Health
Acknowledge the things beyond your control in life. Try to distinguish between what you can control and what you cannot. Feeling unable to control life can be stressful, so it's essential to be aware of what cannot be changed and focus on what can. This will help you feel more in control and better able to manage stress.
- Ask yourself these questions: Is this situation unavoidable? What part of this situation can I control? What part should I accept because I cannot control it? What is my plan for controlling aspects of this situation?
- Try to step back and ask yourself how this situation will impact you in 1 or 5 years. Will it affect other areas of your life? How important is controlling this situation?
Pay attention to your emotions, anxiety, reactions, and share them with others. Observe how you react and express your emotions and feelings. Personal emotions require a safe outlet. We all experience emotional moments, especially when dealing with stressful events, but it’s important to recognize that ignoring these emotions will only increase stress.
- Try journaling about the stress affecting your emotions. Journaling has many health benefits, such as promoting mental health, improving self-esteem, and reducing stress. Write down what you've experienced throughout the day and use your journal as a way to relieve emotional stress.
- Talk to someone you trust, someone who listens and supports you. Support from others is crucial as it helps you feel loved and cared for, which aids in stress relief.
Be more flexible with your expectations of yourself. An obsession with perfection can lead to mental decline. Are you too hard on yourself or pushing yourself beyond your limits? Many people are overly critical of themselves because they feel they need to be perfect.
- Try practicing self-compassion and set daily limits, even if you don’t finish everything on your to-do list.
- Remember, no matter what you do or how you do it, there’s always room for improvement.
Learn to say ‘no’. Overcommitting and the tendency to never say ‘no’ to avoid disappointing others can lead to mental exhaustion. Agreeing without realizing your boundaries or setting limits can destroy your life. It can also ruin your productivity, making it hard to focus on tasks, activities, or primary responsibilities. Learning to say ‘no’ is the first step in protecting yourself, your productivity, and your well-being.
- Remember, saying no isn’t selfish. It’s about caring for your health and maintaining healthy boundaries. Saying no means you care about others and want to ensure you have the energy and mindset to fulfill other obligations.
- Respond directly and simply. You don’t need excuses—just say: “I can’t – I’m really sorry, but I have too much on my plate this week. Let’s try another time.”
Do what you love. Pursue old hobbies or discover new ones. You might enjoy painting, gardening, volunteering, listening to music, or dancing. Hobbies help you take your mind off daily stresses, allowing you to focus on something else rather than the activities, tasks, or events that cause stress—even if only for a short period. This time will revive you and boost your creativity.
- Engaging in fun or relaxing activities reduces stress by distracting you, providing a means of relaxation, and acting as a buffer or protection against the impact of stress.
Laugh often. Watch a comedy show or your favorite movie. Attend a concert. Laughter provides even more benefits when shared with loved ones.
- Laughter effectively reduces stress by releasing endorphins in the brain. Endorphins help relax the body and the effect lasts up to 45 minutes after laughing!
- Laughter also strengthens the immune system and alleviates pain, both of which are important for stress relief.
- Laughter improves mood and reduces anxiety.
Reflect on the things you're grateful for. It’s essential to appreciate the gifts in your life, such as a wonderful family, supportive friends, a job you love, or the differences in your life compared to others. Research has shown that practicing gratitude boosts self-esteem, reduces stress by enhancing emotional resilience, and promotes happiness. Regularly reminding yourself of the things you’re thankful for can help reduce and prevent the buildup of stress.
- Try keeping a gratitude journal to remind yourself of the things you’re grateful for each day.
Practice mindfulness meditation. Mental training through mindfulness meditation helps release physical stress from your body. It also increases self-confidence and a sense of self-worth. Mindfulness meditation allows your brain to rest after a full day of activity, reduces stress, boosts creativity, and improves focus.
- Consider joining a basic meditation class or seeking online resources. You can find various apps that guide you through meditation on specific topics or with different time lengths.
Seek the help of a mental health professional. Schedule an appointment with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or therapist. These professionals are trained to assist those experiencing mental exhaustion. You will be provided with tools to feel better when feeling overwhelmed.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is often used to break negative thought patterns and help you regain a sense of control.
- In some cases, you may be prescribed medication. Consult with your psychiatrist before using antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications.
Maintain Physical Health
Exercise helps the body produce endorphins, reducing stress. When someone is on the verge of mental collapse, the number of hippocampal cells in the brain decreases. However, physical activity increases the number of hippocampal cells. Additionally, endorphin levels (the happiness hormone) also rise.
- Exercise produces endorphins and reduces the formation of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline that contribute to mental exhaustion.
- When you engage in physical activities, you can forget about the tasks, events, or situations that cause you stress, allowing your mind time to recover from the stress.
Get enough sleep. When you're under too much stress, you might be facing sleep issues such as insomnia. Lack of sleep worsens stress and can even lead to mental exhaustion.
- Try to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night. Your sleep needs can vary based on factors such as activity level, age, and other individual circumstances, so you might need more or less sleep than others.
Get regular health check-ups to ensure you're not deficient in essential nutrients. Sometimes stress can worsen due to health conditions, like vitamin deficiencies. Common deficiencies include vitamin D, B6, and B12. A lack of nutrients can increase stress levels and lead to mental breakdowns.
- If it has been a while since your last health check, schedule regular appointments to ensure you're healthy and absorbing the necessary nutrients to maintain your well-being.
Supplement with amino acids to keep your mental health strong. Amino acids play a crucial role in controlling symptoms of stress and depression, thus preventing mental breakdowns. Amino acids form a major part of the neurotransmitters in the brain, making them essential for mental health. The basic structure of proteins also includes amino acids.
- To benefit from amino acids, consider a protein-rich diet that includes dairy, eggs, poultry, meat, beans, nuts, and whole grains.
- Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, is derived from the amino acid tyrosine, while serotonin comes from tryptophan. Inadequate synthesis of these neurotransmitters can result in mood swings and emotional instability, especially when dopamine and serotonin are involved.
Monitor your sugar intake and the processed foods your body absorbs. A diet high in sugar can increase the body's stimulation, affecting the brain’s normal function. Processed foods like candy, cookies, soda, and others are often loaded with sugar. Avoid these foods to reduce stimulation.
- A diet high in sugar and carbohydrates leads to excess insulin production, which lowers blood sugar. Low blood sugar prompts the brain to produce glutamate, triggering mental breakdown symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and panic.
Choose complex carbs over simple carbs. Both simple and complex carbohydrates increase serotonin levels (the hormone that soothes the brain and enhances mood), but with complex carbs (such as whole-grain bread, cereals), this process occurs gradually as they are digested slowly. Simple carbs (such as sweets, candy, soda) contain high amounts of sugar, which are easily digested and lead to a rapid spike in serotonin.
- Avoid or limit processed foods or those high in sugar and gluten. These are harmful to an already stressed body and may accelerate mental breakdowns.
Increase folic acid intake. A deficiency in folic acid can contribute to stress. It is important to note that folic acid deficiency should only be diagnosed by a doctor, and any supplementation should be done under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Folic acid deficiency can lead to neurological issues such as depression. Ensuring adequate folic acid intake can enhance the effectiveness of antidepressant medications.
- Consider incorporating folic acid-rich foods like spinach and citrus fruits into your meals.
Increase your intake of foods rich in B vitamins. Foods containing B vitamins help protect you from depression and mental breakdowns. The B complex vitamins, especially B1, B2, and B6, are particularly effective in improving mood. B vitamin-rich foods include:
- Dark leafy greens
- Red meat
- Whole grains, wheat germ
- Green peas
- Lentils, nuts like walnuts and almonds
- Milk, yogurt, and cheese
- Poultry, fish, eggs
- Beans, peanuts
- Seafood
- Bananas
- Potatoes
Supplement with zinc to reduce stress. Research has shown that individuals experiencing symptoms of stress, depression, or those on the verge of mental exhaustion tend to have low zinc levels. Supplementing with zinc, either through food or supplements, can improve the effectiveness of depression medications and help with neurological issues. Zinc-rich foods include:
- Seafood
- Nuts
- Wheat germ
- Pumpkin seeds
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Beans
- Meat
Include foods rich in iron, iodine, and chromium. Iron, iodine, and chromium play vital roles in preventing mental breakdowns. Deficiencies in these minerals can lead to fatigue, depression, and mood swings.
- Iron-rich foods: red meat, dark leafy vegetables, egg yolks, dried fruits (raisins, prunes), poultry, lentils, artichokes
- Iodine-rich foods: cow’s milk, yogurt, strawberries, seaweed, eggs, soy milk, seafood, and cheese.
- Chromium-rich foods: whole grains, meat, brown rice, broccoli, mushrooms, beans, dairy products, eggs, cheese, poultry, corn, potatoes, fish, tomatoes, barley, oats, and herbs.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Practice deep breathing exercises. Deep breathing is a relaxation technique that helps expand the diaphragm, calming the body, lowering blood pressure, and reducing cortisol levels.
- To practice deep breathing, inhale deeply and slowly fill your chest with air. As you inhale, expand your abdomen, then exhale slowly.
- You can practice deep breathing during meditation or yoga sessions.
Focus on the present by practicing mindfulness meditation. Meditation is the practice of living in the moment and letting go of regrets about the past or fears about the future. Mindfulness meditation can be incorporated into many aspects of life. You can meditate while exercising, eating, working, or reading. Studies on mindfulness meditation have shown that it helps reduce stress by quieting repetitive thoughts. Meditation also improves memory, concentration, and satisfaction in relationships.
- To meditate, focus on your senses and release any worries or distractions. Let thoughts come and go without holding onto them.
Try practicing yoga. Yoga alters the body's chemical structure and induces a relaxation response. It promotes a biochemically relaxed state, which means your body is well-oxygenated, with normal heart rate and blood pressure levels. Besides its physical benefits, yoga helps eliminate toxins from the body. Yoga's breathing techniques deeply impact both physical and mental health, helping restore balance in thoughts and emotions.
- Try a beginner's yoga class at a nearby studio or buy a DVD to practice at home.
Use essential oils to relieve stress. Essential oils are known to improve mood and reduce stress. You can relax with lavender, valerian, citrus, geranium, clove, camphor, and birch oils to alleviate insomnia related to mental exhaustion.
- Peppermint oil can relieve tension headaches and treat nausea associated with stress-induced stomach discomfort. Mix a few drops of peppermint oil with a carrier oil like almond oil and apply it to your temples and forehead. Inhale deeply as you massage it in to help relax.
- Recent studies have shown that essential oils such as lavender and lemon also help improve mood.
Warning
- If you feel like you're on the brink of a mental breakdown, reach out to someone who can offer support, such as your parents, a teacher, a counselor, or a doctor.
