Are you experiencing end-of-the-year fatigue? – Mint Lounge
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Also read: How to stay healthy this Yuletide
End-of-year burnout that manifests in fatigue is a direct result of being overworked and stressed. Physical, emotional and psychological exhaustion, accompanied by feelings of helplessness and being unmotivated and hopeless, is a glaring sign for us to slow down, review our goals and find out what are we neglecting. Dr Sahir Jamati, consultant psychologist and psychotherapist, HOD-Department of Psychology…….
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Also read: How to stay healthy this Yuletide
End-of-year burnout that manifests in fatigue is a direct result of being overworked and stressed. Physical, emotional and psychological exhaustion, accompanied by feelings of helplessness and being unmotivated and hopeless, is a glaring sign for us to slow down, review our goals and find out what are we neglecting. Dr Sahir Jamati, consultant psychologist and psychotherapist, HOD-Department of Psychology, Masina Hospital, decodes the term fatigue. “Fatigue is a common term used to define a state of the overall feeling of tiredness or lack of energy,” he says, pointing out that this is not the same as mere drowsiness or sleepiness, though that may be one of the symptoms of fatigue.
Nearing the end of the year, people sometimes develop a rush to wrap up work, commitments given to family or business, looming deadlines, and trying to get through all things they haven’t gotten to in the whole year, he adds.” All this may leave people feeling tired, irritable and overwhelmed as and when the year draws to close.”
Experts say that it’s not unusual to struggle physically and mentally— tiredness, irritability, inability to summon joy or satisfaction and overwhelming emotions–during the last couple of months of the year. Sonal Singh, the co-founder & director of Fittr, a health and fitness community platform, says, “Most of us are trying to get the most out of our day and pushing ourselves beyond our limits to improve productivity,” says Singh. However, she believes it is important not to ignore this persistent tiredness. Just like general stress, year-end fatigue can seem unavoidable for some. However, it is essential to be aware of it as, if unchecked, it could lead to a host of other issues, including anxiety, exhaustion, boredom, irritability, poor concentration and insomnia, among other things. “This burnout that people feel during November and December is a real phenomenon,” she says.
Changing lifestyle factors such as having physical activities, sufficient amount of sleep, restricting the use of drugs and alcohol, cutting down on caffeine, eating a nutritious diet, scheduling self-care like going to the spa, reading good books, practising yoga, relaxing and taking a break from routine or enjoying an outing in nature with friends, can help tackle burnout and fatigue. Jamati says, “Having a digital detox and stepping away from digital devices to benefit sleep, relationships, create memories, enjoy food, etc., can help. Stress plays a big role in end-of-year fatigue and low energy, so managing that is important In many cases, practising mindfulness techniques to modify and reduce stress helps to steer clear of exhaustion. “Having a realistic plan and not over-committing to prevent mental drain and counter-productivity should be practised,” he adds.
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