Young woman is sleeping on her desk by a laptop, showing signs of fatigue.
Image: © Johnstocker/Stock.adobe.com

Could you be experiencing work fatigue?

10 Jan 2020

Here are some of the best ways to deal with work-related fatigue, from going for a walk during your break to staying hydrated.

Do you make the journey home after work each day struggling to keep your eyes open on the bus, or arrive at your house without the energy to do much more than sit on the couch and watch TV? It’s probably something many of us are familiar with, particularly at this time of the year.

But if this is something that’s happening every day, you might be experiencing work fatigue – a state of physical and mental exhaustion beyond normal tiredness that’s often accompanied by a lack of motivation and low energy, according to Psych Degrees.

Symptoms can include feelings of tiredness that last for days or weeks despite getting adequate sleep, finding it difficult to concentrate, and tending to get depressed and anxious. Similar to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), it’s something that shift workers, such as healthcare providers and first responders, can be predisposed to as their job demands may not be in sync with their body clock.

Work fatigue can happen to anyone, and so Psych Degrees lists some of the signs it may be affecting you, as well as some ways to work around it.

Fatigue can be detrimental to productivity and job satisfaction because of its link to stress. So, to help you become more mindful of your body’s needs – both mental and physical – you need to take care of yourself, whether you’re at home or in the office.

This includes making sure to get enough sleep and rest, staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet and going for a walk during your break.

Check out the infographic below for more details or click here to view it as a larger image.

An infographic showing the psychology behind work fatigue, with tips on how to work around it.

The psychology of work fatigue. Image: Psych Degrees

Want stories like this and more direct to your inbox? Sign up for Tech Trends, Silicon Republic’s weekly digest of need-to-know tech news.

Lisa Ardill
By Lisa Ardill

Lisa Ardill joined Silicon Republic as senior careers reporter in July 2019. She has a BA in neuroscience and a master’s degree in science communication. She is also a semi-published poet and a big fan of doggos. Lisa briefly served as Careers Editor at Silicon Republic before leaving the company in June 2021.

Loading now, one moment please! Loading