Ask the Doctor: ‘I’ve been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and mentally drained — how can I feel like myself again?’

“I have been feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and mentally drained lately. Every week I am looking forward to the weekend, but I don’t feel refreshed after. I visited my GP but there were no underlying health issues. What can I do to try to get back on track and start feeling myself again?”

Answer from Professor Robert Kelly Consultant Cardiology & Lifestyle Medicine. Health Habits Coach. Medical Director of Lifestyle Health and Well being at Beacon Hospital, Dublin.

You are not alone in feeling this way. Stress spills into home and impacts all aspects of life.

As a Cardiologist and Lifestyle Medicine doctor, my interest is you, your heart health and how to prevent, treat and potentially reverse the impact of stress.

Are you having issues in work? Are you bringing work home with you? Outside of work, what is your physical fitness and diet like? How much caffeine and alcohol are you consuming? Do you smoke? What’s your sleep like?

On the latter, the recommended duration is 7-9 hours. Anything more, will increase the risk of heart attack or strokes by almost 30%. You need sleep to recover and recharge so that you can function every day. If you find yourself sleeping in late each weekend, then you are not sleeping enough during the week.

For better sleep, don’t drink coffee after 2pm, eat your main meal at lunchtime; don’t eat after 8pm; take a gentle stroll after dinner. Turn your mobile phone off when you come home; relax in the hour before you go to bed and leave work until the next day. Make sure that your bed is comfortable and that the room is the right temperature for you. Even if you do sleep for 7-9 hours, sleep quality is also important.

I provide a heart monitor to my patients, tracking their sleep, stress, exercise, and daily routine. I find that daytime stress levels, late meals, alcohol and working at home destroy sleep quality.

Another thing is getting the balance right – many people will intensely exercise after work. Physical activity is essential to health but intense exercise after a day’s work impacts health and sleep. If you are working long days, pick less busy days for intense exercise or do it before work. Try to fit moderate activity into your day – stand up from your desk, stretch, take the stairs, go outside for lunch, take a walk.

If your exhaustion has its roots from work, then reach out to Occupational Health or your manager. If there are issues at home, talk with your partner. If you are concerned about your mental health, talk with your family or your doctor. It is important to deal with these root causes because if you do not remove them from your life they will continue to grow.

Importantly, take some time for yourself: I recommend at least one hour per week.

Your fatigue has its origins in the way you live, work and play. It is important to take stock of that each day and do small steps to enjoy your life so that you don’t become exhausted or develop health problems.

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