Do you sleep poorly? Do you notice that you are becoming more forgetful? Are you irritated? Then you might be fatigued. Fatigue is caused by a long stressful period or major event which causes that you can no longer optimally relax. Furthermore, people with fatigue issues have problems with performing on the same level as they usually do. Stress and fatigue are thus linked to each other in many different ways. Stress can namely add a lot to the development of fatigue. You are worrying, your body is tense, you cannot fall asleep. Beyond this, you can suffer from nightmares or constantly wake up during the night. This makes you waking up without feeling well-rested or refreshed. Thanks to our sleep, we are normally refreshed both mentally and physically, so that we can start the new day feeling ready. The fact that you sleep poorly can thus in turn make you experience more stress.

Stress and fatigue: the vicious cycle

You now know that stress can lie at the base of the development of fatigue and that poor sleep can lead to more stress. It does not stop there, however. When you are not rested, certain tasks demand much more time, such as administrative tasks, for example. Because concentration and memory require more effort, such tasks take more time, which in turn can cause stress. You namely work slower than before. That's why people who are fatigued often don't finish their tasks due to a lack of time. This stress in itself can make you start choosing unhealthy ways of dealing with this stress. For example, think of overcompensating by working for a longer time and constantly thinking about what you still need to get done, so that you do not forget anything. This can, however, cause your mind to become overworked and therewith you can develop a burnout.

Stress and fatigue treatment!

You can break through the vicious cycle of stress and fatigue through

  • Stress reduction
  • Eliminating unhealthy responses to stress
  • Dealing with symptoms of fatigue

15 Minutes 4 Me is an online self-help program that guides you from home in treating the points above. Recent studies showed that the average participant is stress-free after three weeks of following the program 15 Minutes 4 Me every day!

Stress and fatigue: the test!

Would you like to know to what extent you suffer from stress and fatigue and how these elements affect your daily life? Then take the free test here!