What is ‘lifestyle fatigue’ and do you suffer from it?

Although many people may be returning to pre-pandemic rhythms of work and personal life, some may be experiencing mental health issues as well as physical and emotional exhaustion. These feelings can be difficult to articulate, but psychiatrists hear from patients who are tired or stuck. One psychiatrist has called this feeling “lifestyle fatigue.”

In short, someone experiencing “lifestyle fatigue” may “feel stuck in a rut,” writes psychotherapist Sean Grover in psychology today. Lifestyle fatigue is a term Grover uses and is not an official diagnosis. It can be triggered, for example, by life events or external factors, but it is more a sign of stagnation than depression. If you think you are experiencing depression, seek help from a mental health professional.

But for people pondering their mental health, framing it in terms of lifestyle fatigue might be a helpful way to think about your issues. Grover lists some questions, such as:

• Does every day feel the same?
• Is your job boring and unrewarding?
• Are you afraid to leave your house?
• Do you spend more time with screens than with people?
• Have you lost your creative drive?
• Do you tend to ruminate or obsess over your failures?
• Do activities that used to give you pleasure now feel like a waste of time?

Another aspect of lifestyle fatigue is the emotional toll that everything related to people’s personal lives, their environment, and the news has on mental health. Emotional exhaustion can vary from person to person, but in general, “you lack the energy to get things done, you lack the motivation [and] find there are things you feel you should do [but] I don’t feel like doing it anymore,” says Elaina DellaCava, a psychiatrist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, for HuffPost. Normal daily activities can be difficult for someone experiencing emotional exhaustion.

In some cases, the previous activities may not be giving the same effect as before and that could mean that you have to look for new activities. “Over time, what I’ve seen in my practice is that people report that they try to force themselves to do things, but the pleasure isn’t the same as it used to be,” says DellaCava.

One solution to lifestyle fatigue, according to Grover, is to add some change. “Any change in your daily routine, like getting up earlier, going to bed earlier, contacting an old friend, or going to a concert or theater will do the trick. Find new activities that break the monotony or predictability,” writes Grover. “It doesn’t matter how big or small. Change is a powerful antidote.”