The feeling of exhaustion or lack of energy can affect people of any age. The phenomenon is more common among adults, especially in the context of the work environment. The symptoms that mental health is not going well are diverse and can vary from one person to another.
In this Wednesday’s edition (6) of the Medical Correspondentfrom Novo Dia, neurosurgeon Fernando Gomes explained how to identify signs of mental exhaustion that may indicate the need for specialized help.
The list includes symptoms such as headaches and body aches, lack of concentration, sleep disturbances and excessive irritability. The neurosurgeon explains that, although headache is considered a generic symptom in medicine, the result of problems such as stress or infections, when it happens on a recurring basis, it can be associated with mental exhaustion.
People who experience generalized body aches, with no apparent cause, can also be victims of exhaustion. Extreme tiredness also reflects a lack of concentration, related to changes in cognitive performance, in addition to impacting sleep, whether in insomnia at night or excessive sleep during the day.
Signs that may indicate mental health problems
The human body works according to an internal biological clock that regulates the body’s activities and physiological processes in a 24-hour cycle, called the circadian rhythm. Gomes recommends paying attention to changes in this routine that can negatively impact energy throughout the day.
According to the specialist, lifestyle changes such as eating at regular times and practicing moderate physical activity can help to minimize the impacts of mental exhaustion.
“When we do physical activity, the caloric expenditure related to muscular work can be in sync with our concern and our expenditure related to our mental concentration. It makes that balance more balanced,” she says.
This year, Burnout syndrome became recognized as a work-related phenomenon by the World Health Organization (WHO). The change is part of the new International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) that came into force in January.
The syndrome is defined by the WHO as “resulting from chronic stress associated with the workplace that has not been adequately managed”. According to the characterization of the entity, there are three dimensions that make up the condition.
The first of these is the feeling of exhaustion or lack of energy. The second is feelings of negativism, cynicism, or distance from work. The third is the feeling of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment.
The WHO clarifies that the Burnout syndrome refers specifically to a phenomenon directly linked to work relationships and cannot be applied to other areas or life contexts of individuals.
Source: CNN Brasil
