What Is It And Could You Have It? (Plus Tips For Managing It)

Has the humdrum of life been getting you down lately? Perhaps you simply have no get up and go, despite the fact you’re normally topped up with a heady dose of excitement and motivation.

If you’re currently feeling a bit ‘meh’ and your lack of joie de vivre is accompanied by a large side order of exhaustion, you might have what the experts are calling ‘lifestyle fatigue’.

Coined by psychotherapist Sean Grover in Psychology Today the term describes what many of us are believed to be feeling post-pandemic. Apparently, two years of uncertainty, upheaval and isolation have taken a hit on our mental health.

Who would have thought it, huh?

What is lifestyle fatigue?

Lifestyle fatigue is most closely related to ‘malaise’: that feeling that something is ‘off’ but you’re not sure what. It’s a feeling of disinterest or ‘cant-be-botheredness’. Some people refer to it as being stuck in a rut with little enthusiasm to move forward in life.

According to Grover, it also has similarities with depression, in that it often presents as low mood and can prompt feelings of insecurity and self-doubt.

You might notice it at work. Suddenly you’re not as ambitious as you used to be. Or perhaps it’s your social life that’s really taken a hit. You’re more inclined to curl up on the couch than you are to make plans with friends.

You might simply find you’re more tired than usual and even the smallest of exertions feels like a Herculean task. Or maybe, more than anything, you feel like you’re at a standstill in life with no real desire to do anything about it.

Yep, if lifestyle fatigue could be summed in one word it would probably be ‘meh’.

What are the signs and symptoms of lifestyle fatigue?

While lifestyle fatigue isn’t a clinical diagnosis, Grover says it does have a few defining characteristics and can take its toll on both your physical and mental health.

Lifestyle fatigue can be tricky to pinpoint, but you should look out for the following:

·        Lack of motivation or creative drive

·        Feelings of mundanity

·        Socially isolating yourself

·        Rumination over your past

·        Deriving no pleasure from activities that once brought you joy

·        Changes to your appetite, such as suddenly overeating or undereating

Grover advises asking yourself some questions. “Does every day feel the same? Is your work dull and unrewarding? Do you dread leaving your house?”

If you answer yes to five or more questions on his checklist, there’s a strong chance you’re dealing with lifestyle fatigue. 

That said, it’s also possible you could have depression – it’s important not to rule this out.

Consider how extreme your low mood is and whether it’s a passing phase related to your current circumstances. 

Why does lifestyle fatigue occur?

According to the experts, the pandemic may have a lot to answer for.

“The pandemic played a big part in creating this new sedentary lifestyle. Being stuck indoors, couch-bound, isolated, inactive, with limited in-person social contact for months, you’re certainly going to feel unsatisfied with life,” Grover writes.

Pandemic aside, it’s sameness and repetitiveness that breeds lifestyle fatigue. That’s according to Grover who points out that repetitive daily routines are what the concept “lives and breathes”.

If we do the same thing day in day out, it’s only natural that we might start to feel dissatisfied and bored.

Other experts believe it’s the result of emotional exhaustion. Our lives are relentlessly busy. Add to that, we’re bombarded by depressing news cycles that often cause an excess of worry.

When you think of it like that, it’s little wonder so many of us are feeling wiped out and unmotivated.

How to manage lifestyle fatigue

Now that you know what lifestyle fatigue is and why it occurs, you’re probably wondering what you can do about it. Lifestyle fatigue can be a tricky beast to tame, mostly because if you’re dealing with it, you don’t have the motivation to do much of anything, let alone make yourself feel better.

But conquering it may be simpler than you think. Here we share some tips that will help you break out of that rut, and replace lifestyle fatigue with a newfound energy for living.

Don’t forget the mental health care basics

In her book Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? psychologist Dr Julie Smith writes that often when we’re feeling low, we neglect the basics. We forgo the simple everyday habits, that can actually make a world of difference, like sleeping well, eating healthy, and staying active.

It’s a good reminder that you don’t have to go to drastic measures to improve your mood. Focus on the self-care basics first. 

That might mean getting out for a 20-minute walk on your lunch break, getting to bed an hour earlier each night, or replacing your morning coffee with a nutrient-packed smoothie.

Make one small change to your daily routine

Now that you have the basics sussed, it’s time to make one or two subtle tweaks to your everyday routine. Remember how we said that ‘sameness’ breeds lifestyle fatigue? Well, the obvious antidote to that is to introduce some changes.

The good news? You don’t have to go changing too much too fast. You could try something as simple as taking an alternative route to work or venturing to a different café for your morning brew.

Even a little home reorganisation can do the trick. (Grover notes that one of his psychotherapy patients found relief from lifestyle fatigue by reorganising her kitchen.)

You’ll be surprised at what can give you a new lease of life, so take stock of where you’re at right now, and have a think about where you can make subtle changes.

Seek out a new hobby or passion project

Perhaps small changes don’t feel like enough and you feel like you need to do something grand to really break free of this rut. That’s okay too.

Grover’s advice is to “Look for new activities that disrupt monotony or predictability.” Maybe it’s a Thursday night book club or a regular catch up with a friend. Or it could be something even bigger than that, like finally creating that website for your art or starting that novel you’ve always said you’d write.

Having a hobby or passion project can pay dividends for your mental health. In fact studies show, it improves psychological and physiological functioning. One study from 2009 for example found that having a hobby could lower cortisol levels as well as your blood pressure.

Add to that, certain hobbies are believed to place you in a state of flow which can improve emotional regulation, boost creativity, and increase feelings of happiness: AKA, the stuff you’re missing when you’ve got lifestyle fatigue.

Surround yourself with good people

When we aren’t feeling our best, our tendency is to isolate ourselves. We don’t want to be around others. Trouble is, spending time with our nearest and dearest could be the very thing that makes us feel better.

We know it might be a tough first step, but reach out to your most trusted pal – that one friend whose company you enjoy no matter what mood you’re in – and arrange a no-fuss meeting if you can.

It could be a low-key brunch at your local café or even a cuppa at yours. Make your meet-up as convenient and non-threatening as possible.

Once you’ve been around this person, you should find your social mojo is coming back. When you’re ready, you can start making more adventurous social plans.

Check in with a mental health professional

If you think your feelings of exhaustion and low mood are more than lifestyle fatigue, it’s important you consult your GP.  

It’s okay not to be okay, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek out support when you need it.