Finding Balance: How to Manage Mental and Physical Exhaustion
Recently, I asked my followers how they slow down after a mentally and physically draining day. Their responses inspired me to reflect on one of our greatest challenges as adults: taming our minds.
The Balancing Act
When you're at that stage of life where you're growing both physically and mentally, maintaining balance becomes the ultimate goal. Yet, it remains elusive for most of us. Don't we all struggle to find that perfect equilibrium?
By "draining," I mean reaching that point where you simply can't take anymore. You're so exhausted that taking on additional responsibilities feels impossible, and all you want is to remain idle. Yet as adults, certain tasks are unavoidable—the guilt associated with neglecting them would be more unbearable than completing them despite your exhaustion. Can you relate?
What Drains Us?
The causes of mental and physical exhaustion are highly individual. Some days, you might remain active from morning until night without experiencing burnout or energy depletion. On others, a single insignificant event can devastate your mental wellbeing, consequently draining your physical energy as well.
This suggests that exhaustion isn't solely caused by excessive work or physical activity. It could be:
- A triggering incident at work
- A friend's casual joke that didn't sit right with you
- Someone's taunting that got under your skin
- A memory from the past that suddenly resurfaces, disrupting your peace of mind
These are just some reasons why we become drained, and I believe this is truly subjective to each person.
The Trigger Cascade
Triggers can actually put you in a heightened state. Suddenly, every small issue seems enormous. You begin finding fault with familiar situations (that you were perfectly aware of before this state), enter "rage mode," and may even fantasize about confronting someone who you believe has wronged you. In short, you're in a bad mood.
One trigger follows another until you reach a dangerous level of anger and irritability. This heightened state can eventually lead to complete exhaustion.
How to Stabilize Your Emotions
The question becomes: how do we stabilize our emotions without allowing them to escalate and ruin our entire day or affect those around us?
This is a lengthy process requiring significant mental work. I'm not a trained professional offering unsolicited advice on emotional control—this is simply a casual blog post I'm sharing for the joy of it. You may read it and move on, or perhaps some points will resonate with you and remain vivid in your memory, potentially surfacing later when needed. You might ignore it the first time it emerges as a thought, but perhaps by the third time, you'll actually put it into practice.
Step 1: Recognize and Pause
Identifying your triggers and pausing when you feel overwhelmed or anxious is the first step. Once you sense something has triggered you and you're feeling uncomfortable, pause, take a deep breath, and maintain silence for a minute or so.
Step 2: Quick Analysis
Assess whether the trigger truly deserves your energy in that moment, or if you should take time to analyze and revisit it later.
Step 3: Establish a Routine
Having a routine helps tremendously, and adding journaling to that routine is an excellent choice for sorting through your feelings and triggers. For example, if you feel yourself approaching a meltdown midday, try to redirect your thoughts if your work or responsibilities demand it. At the end of the day, make a point to revisit that moment and analyze what emotions you were experiencing. Since you've allowed some time to pass, your mind will be in a better state to process the situation and arrive at a decision if needed.
For instance, if you feel an employee said something that sounded rude, instead of letting your intrusive thoughts win in that moment and starting an argument, save the processing for later. This approach may help you balance your feelings better. If, during your evening reflection, you still believe the employee was wrong, you can confront them the next day to avoid conflicts.
This strategy has worked well for me personally. When someone says something mean, I feel both hurt and angry, so immediate responses often turn nasty. I wait for both emotions to settle before confronting the person.
Ways to Exit "Simulation Mode"
Some methods to escape this heightened state include:
- Stop and redirect your mind for the next 10 minutes
- Find a quiet spot to sit (doom-scrolling through social media doesn't count!)
- Allow yourself to cry alone if needed
- Ask for some alone time to process your emotions
- Take a quick walk
- Scribble on paper
- Tear pieces of scrap paper into bits
- Practice slow breathing
- Pat yourself reassuringly
- Gently brush your hair
- Stand outdoors for fresh air
There are many other techniques that might help you regulate yourself. It's not always about expensive cafe visits or binge eating—simple actions can provide significant relief.
Know Your Limits
It's equally important to recognize when to stop before becoming too overwhelmed and exhausted. If you're truly drained and cannot continue, the first step toward recovery is being kind to yourself. Learn to accept what happened—even if you've made mistakes, it's essential to be kind to yourself and learn to self-soothe. Once this mindset takes hold, you'll gradually ease out of the heightened state and do whatever helps you keep going.
Some beautiful responses from my followers about ways to slow down included sleeping, venting to a friend, praying, creating art, and much more. A change of focus is crucial for exiting "simulation mode," but the points above can help you manage your overall mental space and associated health.
The Challenge of Implementation
While reading this might seem like a walk in the park, implementing these values in our daily lives can feel like a monumental task. But there's nothing you cannot do! Perhaps we can keep trying—not until we reach perfection, but at least until we're satisfied that we've made an effort to regulate ourselves. Shall we give it a try?