Intellectual stress and mental fatigue

General information Fatigue is an overwhelming feeling of tiredness and weakness. Everyone has experienced this state in one way or another in everyday life after hard, stressful work and lack of sleep. Usually fatigue goes away after a good, complete rest and sleep. If symptoms persist, this means that your body wants to let you know that it is sick. Long periods of overwork can be a sign of a serious condition known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), which mainly affects women. Attacks of CFS often occur after a viral illness, but the causes of CFS are still not clear.

Causes of overwork

• Fatigue may be associated with taking certain medications, such as cold, cough and motion sickness medications, antihistamines and allergy medications, sleeping pills, muscle relaxants, contraceptives and antihypertensives,
• diseases that make breathing difficult, such as chronic bronchitis, asthma and emphysema,
• heart failure, in which the heart contracts weakly and does not perform its function fully,
• depression and anxiety: bad mood, gloomy forebodings,
• sleep and eating disorders

Fatigue often occurs a month after a viral infection, and can also be an early symptom of some serious diseases (hepatitis, cancer, diabetes, anemia, heart disease, hypoglycemia, obesity, hypothyroidism, mononucleosis, rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis, alcoholism, sleep disorders).

Intellectual stress and mental fatigue

Fatigue or tiredness is a condition that occurs due to increased stress or illness. This is usually a temporary condition that goes away on its own after rest and does not need correction. However, excessive fatigue against the background of normal intellectual or physical activity, which remains after rest, can be considered a pathological condition of “asthenia”.

Reasons for mental fatigue

Feeling tired is the body’s defense mechanism against depletion of internal resources: the less activity, the less energy needed. It is important that this mechanism is activated long before the actual reduction in energy resources.

All causes of overwork are divided into 3 groups:

Reactive asthenia

It can occur in healthy people as a response to a significant load, for example, the state after an illness, the need to frequently and quickly switch attention, multitasking (simultaneous interpreters, air traffic controllers), night work (drivers, ambulance workers), intellectual overload for a long time, no vacations (top managers, managers, marketers). Such conditions are called “manager syndrome” or “burnout syndrome” when there is a relationship with a provoking factor, a universal response, or transient fatigue (see Table 1).

Table 1. Causes of reactive asthenia

Primary asthenia

Its other name is functional or neurasthenia. This frantic fatigue occurs without serious organic pathology of the body and is considered a type of neurosis in which fatigue is the leading symptom. It is most often referred to as “chronic fatigue syndrome” or CFS. The most typical picture of CFS is excessive fatigue during normal daily activities. It is important to separate this feeling from physical fatigue or sadness. There may be complaints of decreased intelligence, memory, and attention, but tests cannot confirm this. Body temperature may rise, fleeting joint or muscle pain, sore throat or head pain, and soreness of the lymph nodes may appear. To make this diagnosis, it takes at least 6 months of frantic fatigue for no apparent reason, remaining after rest and reducing the patient’s quality of life. Additionally, other manifestations may be present (see Table 4).

Table 4. Additional symptoms encountered in patients with CFS

Irritable bowel symptoms, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, or bloating

Chills and sweats at night

Clearing the fog and emptiness in the head

Chest pain

Labored breathing

Chronic cough

Visual disturbances (blurred vision, bright light intolerance, eye pain, dry eyes)

Food allergies, hypersensitivity to alcohol, odors, chemicals, medications, noise

Difficulty maintaining an upright position (orthostatic instability, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, unsteadiness, fainting)

Psychological problems (depression, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks)

Pain in the lower half of the face

Weight loss or gain

Symptomatic asthenia

It is also called secondary or somatogenic, as it occurs as a result of almost any disease in the body (including infections and mental ones). This occurs due to damage to neurons in the brain or conditions associated with an underlying disease, such as cancer, medications (see Table 3), liver and cardiovascular disease, depression (see Table 2).

Table 2. List of diseases most often associated with asthenia

Liver diseases (viral hepatitis B or C, liver cirrhosis, etc.).

Endocrine and metabolic disorders (hyper- and hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, Addison's disease, untreated diabetes mellitus, hyper- and hypoglycemia, severe obesity).

Neurological diseases (multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, motor neuron disease, chronic cerebral ischemia, stroke, post-polio syndrome, sleep apnea syndrome, narcolepsy, etc.).

Infectious diseases (tuberculosis, AIDS, etc.).

Cardiopulmonary diseases (hypoxia), heart failure and other severe cardiac diseases.

Hematological and connective tissue diseases (anemia, leukemia, myeloma, collagenosis).

Chronic renal failure.

Oncological diseases (primary cancer and metastases).

Occupational hazards (vibration, radiation, toxic substances).

Mental illness (schizophrenia, major depression with psychotic or melancholic symptoms, bipolar disorder, dementia, anorexia or bulimia).

Drug or alcohol abuse.

Severe obesity, characterized by a body mass index of 45 kg/m1 or more.

Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome

The state of overwork often goes away after a weekend or vacation. Often you just need to give your body a rest and it will start working at full capacity again. Consult your doctor if you are concerned about prolonged periods of extreme fatigue. Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome, in addition to fatigue itself, include:

• decreased memory and ability to concentrate,
• pharyngitis,
• inflamed lymph nodes in the neck and armpits,
• unexplained muscle pain,
• pain in the joints, but they do not swell and the skin over them does not turn red,
• severe headaches,
• sleep problems,
• extreme exhaustion lasting more than 24 hours after a normal work or school day.

Sometimes CFS is difficult to diagnose because... its symptoms are similar to those of many other diseases. Your doctor will first have to rule out all other possible conditions. The criterion for diagnosing CFS is chronic fatigue lasting 6 months or more and 4-8 of the symptoms listed above. CFS is often accompanied by depression.

What you can do Organize your time correctly. Get up earlier and you won't have to start the day in a hurry and feeling tired. Learn to entrust something to others, especially when you already have enough responsibilities and things to do in your life. Be physically active. Try to devote at least 30 minutes a day to physical exercise. Don't exercise before bed; it can disrupt your sleep and leave you feeling tired in the morning. Get the optimal amount of sleep. Most people need 6-8 hours of sleep. If you feel strong and want to work, then you've gotten enough sleep. It's good if you manage to get some sleep during the day. This can be especially helpful for teenagers with their hectic lives and older adults who sleep less deeply. However, avoid napping if it leaves you unable to fall asleep at night. Don't start smoking. Smoking disrupts the supply of oxygen to your body, replacing oxygen with deadly carbon monoxide. If you have been smoking for a long time, giving up this bad habit will not be easy. But still, try to at least reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke. Consume as little caffeine and alcohol as possible. Alcohol acts as a depressant; it only brings fatigue, without adding strength. Caffeine will give a temporary rapid increase in activity followed by severe fatigue. Choose an appropriate diet: Some people perform better after a light snack, while others can only function after eating a large meal. Avoid fatty foods because fats are processed more slowly than carbohydrates and this can reduce your activity. Take short breaks from work throughout the day. Go on vacation, or at least turn off your phone and relax at home. Watch TV as little as possible. If you watch it to relax, sooner or later you may find yourself in a clumsy and slow state. Try more active relaxation activities, such as walking or reading. Find a way to calm yourself. Listen to calm music, say a phrase or prayer that gives you a feeling of calm. Imagine yourself on the sea coast, in the mountains or anywhere else in the world where you feel good.

What a doctor can do A doctor can identify systematic disorders that are causing overwork. The doctor will conduct an examination and prescribe the necessary tests for diagnosis. There is no effective treatment for CFS, but treating symptoms may improve your condition. If your doctor deems it necessary, he may prescribe you painkillers or antidepressants. A rehabilitation medicine specialist will teach you how to plan your day so you can make the most of your time. Perhaps you need help from a psychologist.

Bibliography

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2. Galimova A. G. Possibilities of increasing the physical fitness of cadets and students of law enforcement universities based on exercises of maximum power / A. G. Galimova, A. A. Sakhiulin // Bulletin of the Buryat State University, 2014. – No. 13–1. pp. 48–50.
3. Lesgaft P.F. Collected pedagogical works / Ed. G. G. Shakhverdova. M.: Physical culture and sport, 1956.–438 p.
4. General physical preparation. Know and be able to: textbook / Yu.I. Grishina, – 4th edition, – Rostov n/D: Phoenix, 2014. – 249 p.
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6. Physical culture of mature and elderly populations (general fundamentals of theory and practice): textbook / F.G. Buryakin. – M.: RUSAINS, 2017. – 368 p.

Prevention of overwork

• exercise regularly, it improves the functioning of the heart, lungs and trains muscles
• start a hobby so you don’t get bored in your free time,
• meet friends, go to exhibitions, to the theater,
• identify what bothers you and solve your problems little by little,
• learn to relax and cope with stress, breathing exercises, muscle relaxation exercises, massage or meditation can help you,
• try not to use sleeping pills because... they have many negative effects and can be addictive,
• give up alcohol and cigarettes.

The main causes of loss of concentration and memory

Conventionally, they can be divided into 2 categories. The first includes those that are voluntarily or unwittingly “provoked” by the person himself and those that are caused by a number of diseases.

Causes associated with poor lifestyle

Mental fatigue due to a large amount of information. Daily, long hours of “surfing” on the Internet is one of the main causes of mental stress.

This is interesting! If you are told that multitasking is very effective and you should strive for it, don’t believe it! It is a myth. It has already been scientifically proven that a person cannot do several things at the same time, because his brain begins to “program malfunctions”, like a regular computer with a processor overloaded with tasks.

Chronic stress and emotional burnout. One of the main reasons for decreased concentration, both in children and adults.

Abuse of coffee. In small quantities, coffee stimulates the brain, but its excess, on the contrary, leads to increased fatigue, inability to concentrate and memory impairment.

Long-term, uncontrolled use of medications that correct the activity of the nervous system: antidepressants, tranquilizers, sedatives, barbiturates, etc.

Alcohol, nicotine, drugs. Such substances have the most negative effect on the functioning of the brain, even to the point of destroying its cells.

Violation of the regime. During sleep, nerve cells not only regenerate, but also form new neural connections. Without enough sleep day after day, you force your brain to work “to wear out”, which has the most negative effect on concentration.

Poor nutrition. Convenience foods, cheap food of synthetic origin, “chemical” drinks and sweets - all of this contains substances harmful to health, many of which tend to accumulate in the body. Gradually, they begin to negatively affect memory and the ability to concentrate on a specific task.

Available ways to restore brain function

First, you need to realize that mental fatigue exists, it makes every moment of your day difficult, and you cannot continue to live and work at the same rhythm, with the usual intensity. Following these recommendations can help a person who is experiencing mental and psychological fatigue.

Good night's sleep

Sleep is a vital need. Lack of sleep kills faster than lack of food. The most natural and simple way to eliminate mental fatigue is sleep. During sleep, information received during daytime mental activity is organized and filtered. In addition, brain cells are cleared of neurotoxins. The ability to concentrate and remember a large amount of information also depends on the quality and duration of sleep. It is believed that normal sleep duration is around 8 hours a night, but if you suffer from mental fatigue, you will need to increase your sleep duration, a good night's sleep of up to 10-12 hours is recommended.

Nutritious food

Pay attention to your diet. Find time in the morning for a normal, full breakfast, and not a “bird” one - a cup of coffee on the fly. Sit down and have a thorough breakfast. You will get energy for the whole day, and a feeling of moral satisfaction and confidence.

Meditation

Another way to combat mental fatigue is meditation. This option is not as simple as regular sleep and requires some preparation. However, with the help of meditative practices you can have a wonderful rest and relaxation. Regular meditation helps to consciously get rid of mental garbage, i.e. “spent” thoughts and experiences that prevent you from developing and moving forward in business.

Ecotherapy – contemplation of the beauty of nature or natural phenomena

Quiet contemplation of something beautiful and aesthetically pleasing also helps restore the functionality of a tired brain. You can look at works of art or admire the landscape, or just look at fire, water, clouds. Ecotherapy makes it possible to relax, redirect attention and get positive emotions from what you see. Looking at beautiful objects helps to distract from pressing problems and, in addition, develops imagination.

Article:

Of course, it is important to maintain children’s interest in learning using modern information technologies.
You just need to not overdo it in this matter and remember that mental and physical health are more important than all knowledge combined. A child living in the 21st century is faced with a huge information flow from an early age, the sources of which are most often television, the Internet, school, kindergarten, books, parents and teachers. Of course, broadening one’s horizons and acquiring new knowledge has a positive effect on a child’s intellectual development. However, prolonged exposure to a saturated information environment may be unsafe for him. Why?

When a child is 6-7 years old, we can and must manage the situation; when a child is 13-14 and older, it will be more difficult to do this. Entering the virtual world is a real threat to the mental and physical health of modern children. If a child, with the TV and computer turned off, says that he is bored and has nothing to do, it means that we did not help him find and love alternative activities: reading, sports, walks or something else.

In the modern world, when demands on the level of education and intellectual capabilities of children are constantly increasing, the child is at the mercy of our parental ambitions. The child has not yet begun to walk and talk, and we strive to educate him in early development groups. Later the study of foreign languages, computers, choreography, swimming pool and much more are added. It is not surprising that nowadays the vast majority of children do not want to go to school. Even before school, their lives were scheduled minute by minute; there was no time left for games and children's creativity.

Fatigue is caused not only by intellectual overload, but also by a decrease in the duration of night sleep, disruption of daytime sleep, and insufficient exposure to fresh air.

Here are the norms for the duration of classes, sleep and walks for preschool children.

Duration of classes in preschool age

At 3-4 years old, the duration of classes should be 10-15 minutes, at 4-5 years old - 20 minutes, at 5-6 years old - 20-25 minutes, at 6-7 years old - 25-30 minutes. Of course, if a child is passionate about something, he can do it for much longer. If it does not harm his health, then there is no need to interfere.

Sleep duration in children

Children's stay in the fresh air

Walking is the most effective form of relaxation. Walks are especially important for preschool children: in winter, at least 4-4.5 hours, and in summer, if possible, all day.

The smaller the child, the faster he develops fatigue. For example, in an infant, staying awake for 1.5-2 hours leads to fatigue even without vigorous activity. The child most quickly becomes fatigued in response to monotonous activity; 5-year-old children get tired faster than 6-7 year olds.

From the age of 5-6 years, children begin to actively master the computer. Unfortunately, recently there have been many families in which children, starting from an early age, spend most of the day at the computer. Naturally, they develop a computer addiction, and if the mother refuses to turn on the next cartoon, the child becomes aggressive and uncontrollable. Of course, computer games for preschoolers are an interesting and exciting activity. It gives the child a new way to assimilate knowledge, allows him to independently study various phenomena, and directly participate in what is happening on the screen. However, working on a computer causes a lot of stress and quickly leads to fatigue, which adults do not always notice. Children, however, also do not notice fatigue. The child’s eyes are no longer looking, his back is numb, and he exclaims in joyful excitement: “I’m not tired!” It is clear that this has a calming effect on parents, especially since the child is busy and does not bother anyone.

Physiologists have long proven that computer games are among the most strenuous activities compared to other types of computer activities and are considered more tiring than solving mathematical problems.

Moreover, in Japan and England, a syndrome of “video game epilepsy” was identified in children who are addicted to computer games from an early age, manifested by headaches, prolonged spasms of the facial muscles, blurred vision, and the appearance of negative character traits.

The time of onset of fatigue may vary not only in different children, but also in the same child in different cases; Depending on his condition, mood and other reasons, fatigue occurs at different times.

What signs can be used to determine if a child is tired:

• increased distractibility;

• frequent change of position;

• unusual movements of arms and legs (shaking, tapping, etc.);

• unpleasant facial expressions (grimacing, tics);

• uncontrollable outbursts of emotions (screaming, crying, jumping, etc.).

What can you do to prevent fatigue?

To prevent overwork, it is necessary to establish a child’s daily routine, completely eliminate lack of sleep, reduce workload, properly organize a change in mental activities and rest, and increase time in the fresh air. It is necessary to alternate mental work with physical exercises, and after classes provide children with a sufficiently long rest.

Frequent fatigue leads to overwork and deep behavioral disturbances, so it is important to recognize the causes of this condition in time and help the child.

The maximum duration of work on the computer should not exceed 10 minutes for children 5 years old, for children 6 years old - 15 minutes. It is also important to know that the visual system of children during preschool and primary school age is intensively improved. Since it is computer activities that cause the greatest visual fatigue, it is necessary to perform the following exercises.

"Brooms" . Keep your head straight. Blink, without straining your eye muscles, on a count from 1 to 10-15.

"Far close". Children sit freely near the window. The presenter first names a distant object, and after 2-3 seconds - a nearby one. Repeat 6-8 times.

"Owl". Close your eyes, without straining your eye muscles, on a count of 1-4, open your eyes wide and look into the distance on a count of 1-6. Repeat 2-3 times.

"Dress up the Christmas tree . When performing this exercise, the reference points for turning the head and body are toys, fairy-tale characters, etc. They are hung in different parts of the room. For example, a game object can be a Christmas tree that needs to be decorated. Children should look for the toys and animals needed for this purpose throughout the room with their eyes. The Christmas tree is placed or depicted in the center of the wall or slightly lower. Toys are hung in the corners of the room, under the ceiling, so that there is a need to turn your head in one direction or the other. The presenter asks to observe the following conditions: “Stand straight. Turning only your head, look for toys in the room that could be used to decorate the Christmas tree, and name them.” The pace of the exercise is arbitrary. Duration - 1 minute.

Development of cognitive functions

Like any function of a living organism, the IMF requires regular training. Cognitive functions - all together and each separately - can be developed with the help of special exercises. There are now many ways to do this, from traditional speed reading courses to gaming applications in the “brain fitness” category. In general, special techniques for structuring and memorizing important information (compiling tables, lists, reminder functions in the phone, etc.) help improve memory.

It is no secret that for workers in certain professions there are increased requirements for the volume of short-term memory, stability of attention, and reaction speed. On the other hand, a certain occupation can develop special abilities in a person. History knows examples of people who had outstanding memory, capable of instantly remembering super-volumes of information. As a rule, these people had innate high abilities, and some made the demonstration of superpowers their profession. For an ordinary person, the requirements for everyday memory, attention, and intelligence are not so strict.