The year 2020 has been such a crazy year for all of us. With the global health crisis, the political unrest, the economic struggles, and all the personal stuff we deal with regularly, it all takes its toll on any person.
One can only take so much stress. Unfortunately, a lot of elderly people nearing their retirement are dealing with emotional and mental fatigue but are still doing their best to carry on. While this may seem commendable, it is also perilous to one’s mental health.
How we wish we had dedicated and complete facilities such as a center for hospice care that we can check ourselves in for refuge and treatment. Well, if you’re already nearing that age, then it wouldn’t hurt to enroll earlier since they provide services that will help improve your quality of life.
If you’re unsure what a mentally and emotionally exhausted elderly person looks like, here are a few warning signs to watch out for:
8 Ways to Tell if You’re Mentally or Emotionally Exhausted
1. You’re very irritable.
One of the dead giveaways of an emotionally and mentally struggling person is that they’re having a hard time dealing with their feelings because of irritability. Even the smallest and most trivial of things annoy you. You simply have no tolerance for anything anymore and you are prone to lashing out at people who don’t really deserve it.
2. You find it hard to motivate yourself and stay motivated doing the things you normally love.
It’s now harder for you to get up in the morning and go through your day expectant of great things. You’re unmotivated and are struggling to find the joy and eagerness that got you through the most difficult things in life.
3. Anxiety and panic attacks start becoming more commonplace.
Because of too much stress, you become more anxious about things and get easily affected by even the smallest of problems. You are more prone to panic attacks and are more worrisome as the days go by.
4. You’re having trouble getting some quality sleep.
Sleep deprivation is also a common thing for people who are mentally and emotionally fatigued. All the thoughts and burdens that plague their minds the whole day just don’t leave them alone even at night. It actually gets worse once you’re already lying in bed since that’s the time that these thoughts haunt you.
5. You’re running on a very short fuse.
Impatience on your part is also a common thing You tend to blow up over insignificant and meaningless things. Your temper flares up at the slightest trigger. You’re very difficult to deal with and you tend to chew people’s heads off for no reason.
6. You experience gastrointestinal pain a lot.
Stress doesn’t just affect you mentally and emotionally. It also affects your body. While stress can take on different manifestations in the human body, one of the most common signs that a person has reached their limit is gastrointestinal problems. You get to experience indigestion a lot more and have this constant feeling of butterflies in your stomach that just won’t go away no matter what you do.
7. You burst into tears for no apparent reason.
If your shoelaces getting untied or your leaking faucet is enough to make you bawl, you’re in a very bad spot. At that point, you’ve already lost the strength to deal with life’s challenges, including the regular things you deal with daily.
If you’re already experiencing one or more of these, you need to seek help. Don’t wait for things to get worse. Don’t even try to psyche yourself up and tell yourself you’re still okay because, apparently, you’re not. Seek help and get treatment immediately. Don’t brush it off.
Taking care of your mental and emotional health should be one of your priorities, especially now that you’re getting older. As some folks say, you cannot give what you don’t have. If you care about those around you, you will make your mental health and well-being a priority and not set them aside.