Mental Health. The Fatigue Factor:

Mental health and tiredness are deeply connected, often influencing one another in ways that can be hard to untangle. When someone is struggling with their mental health—whether it’s stress, anxiety, or depression—feelings of exhaustion tend to follow. The mind and body are not separate in how they experience strain; ongoing worry or low mood can leave a person drained, even if they haven’t done much physically. This type of tiredness is not simply about needing more sleep—it can feel like a heavy fog that lingers, making even simple daily tasks seem overwhelming.

At the same time, chronic tiredness can negatively affect mental health. When the body doesn’t get the rest it needs, concentration becomes harder, irritability increases, and emotions become more difficult to manage. Over time, lack of rest can deepen feelings of hopelessness or frustration, making mental health struggles worse. The cycle can become self-perpetuating: poor sleep and fatigue feed into emotional distress, which in turn makes it harder to rest.

Taking care of both rest and mental wellbeing is essential. Practices like keeping a consistent sleep schedule, setting aside time for relaxation, and reaching out for support when stress feels overwhelming can make a difference. Importantly, it’s not about perfection but about balance—listening to the body and giving it permission to rest when it needs to. By treating tiredness as more than just a physical state, and by recognising its ties to mental health, people can take meaningful steps toward recovery and resilience.

© William Sinclair Manson 2025