The medical community generally views fatigue as a source of mystery — a complex physical condition that afflicts millions of people worldwide. It is not quite on the same level as being tired, as most people can easily say that they are “beyond tired” by the time fatigue sets in. Fatigue sets the body into a state of near-total lethargy. When fatigue sets in, the continuation of other physical activities is almost always nearly impossible. Further activity could result in muscle spasms and pain in various parts of the body. Lower back pain is one of the most common ailments suffered by people with fatigue. In some cases, a fatigued individual may experience somnolence due to fatigue, though excessive physical labor is not the only cause of somnolence.
It is also possible for a person to experience a sort of “mental” fatigue that, in most respects, is not linked to the overexertion of the body. The mind is just like any other muscle of the body which requires periodic rest. Typically, mental fatigue sets in when someone experiences a rapid decline in mental functions including the reduction of analytical skills and creative thought. In rare cases, the ability to speak and write coherently is temporarily lost due to mental fatigue. For some, mental fatigue can be equated to a case of writer’s block, essentially making the person willing yet unable to come up with creative ideas because of the excessive stress on the mind.
The problem is that, unlike physical fatigue, mental fatigue is not the sort of problem that goes away by taking a nice nap or having a good night’s sleep. Mental fatigue is a continuous problem, one that leaves a person feeling drained of all intellectual and creative energies, with no definite treatment or solution to the problem it presents. It is a difficult condition to treat because of the various differences in psychology between person to person. One has to consider the great variations in the biochemistry of different people.
A method for helping alleviate mental fatigue that works for one person may not work for another person. Some find it helpful to re-focus their thoughts from one project to another, preferably one with a different creative style or design tone. However, for some people, this method merely taxes the “creative juices” further, aggravating the problem. For other people, a working method is to shift the focus of their mental energies into a project that is less strict, one that allows for more flexibility in achieving the objective. This usually works, but the approach carries with it the risk of long-term lack of focus on the project that had caused the mental fatigue, which proves to be a problem when that project is business-related and needs to be accomplished by a certain date.
In most cases, it is advised that people with mental fatigue should exercise, as this will get more oxygen flowing into the brain. Aside from that, most methods to relieve the problem are best found individually, as what works for one might not work for another. For most people, relaxing or shifting attentions to something less mentally taxing might be a good idea, but it might not work for some. It is generally best for a person to simply stop worrying over something and find a way of dealing with the problem that works for them.
Like the body, the mind can also feel fatigue. However, unlike the body, a good night’s sleep can sometimes prove inadequate for dealing with the problem. Often, what works as a solution for one only aggravates the problem in another.
Kwa ujumla jamii ya kitiba huona uchovu kuwa chanzo cha fumbo - hali ngumu ya kimwili inayowasumbua mamilioni ya watu ulimwenguni pote. Si sawa kabisa na kuwa amechoka, kwa kuwa watu wengi wanaweza kusema kwa urahisi kwamba wao ni "zaidi ya uchovu" wakati uchovu unaanza. Uchovu hufanya mwili uwe katika hali ya kulala usingizi karibu kabisa. Wakati uchovu unapoanza, kuendelea na shughuli nyingine za kimwili karibu sikuzote ni vigumu. Mazoezi zaidi yaweza kusababisha mshtuko wa misuli na maumivu katika sehemu mbalimbali za mwili. Maumivu ya mgongo ni mojawapo ya magonjwa ya kawaida yanayopatwa na watu wenye uchovu. Katika baadhi ya visa, mtu aliyechoka anaweza kuwa na usingizi kwa sababu ya uchovu, ingawa kazi nyingi ya kimwili si kisababishi pekee cha usingizi. Pia inawezekana kwa mtu kupata aina fulani ya uchovu wa "akili" ambao, kwa njia nyingi, hauhusiani na mkazo wa kupita kiasi wa mwili. Akili ni kama misuli mingine yote ya mwili ambayo inahitaji mapumziko ya mara kwa mara. Kwa kawaida, uchovu wa akili huanza wakati mtu anapopata kupungua kwa haraka kwa kazi za akili, ikiwa ni pamoja na kupunguzwa kwa ustadi wa uchambuzi na mawazo ya ubunifu. Katika visa vichache, uwezo wa kusema na kuandika kwa utaratibu hupoteza kwa muda kwa sababu ya uchovu wa kiakili. Kwa baadhi ya watu, uchovu wa akili unaweza kulinganishwa na kesi ya block ya mwandishi, kimsingi kufanya mtu tayari lakini hawezi kuja na mawazo ya ubunifu kwa sababu ya mkazo wa kupita kiasi juu ya akili. Tatizo ni kwamba, tofauti na uchovu wa kimwili, uchovu wa kiakili si aina ya tatizo ambalo huenda kwa kuchukua nap nzuri au kuwa na usingizi mzuri wa usiku. Uchovu wa akili ni tatizo la kuendelea, ambalo humfanya mtu ahisi amechoka kwa nguvu zote za kiakili na za ubunifu, bila matibabu au suluhisho la uhakika kwa tatizo linaloleta. Ni hali ngumu kutibu kwa sababu ya tofauti mbalimbali za kisaikolojia kati ya mtu na mtu. Ni lazima mtu afikirie tofauti kubwa katika biokemia ya watu tofauti-tofauti. Njia ya kusaidia kupunguza uchovu wa kiakili ambayo inafanya kazi kwa mtu mmoja huenda isifanye kazi kwa mtu mwingine. Wengine huona ni muhimu kuelekeza mawazo yao kutoka mradi mmoja hadi mwingine, ikiwezekana moja na mtindo tofauti wa ubunifu au sauti ya kubuni. Hata hivyo, kwa watu fulani, njia hiyo huongeza tu "maji ya ubunifu" na hivyo kuzidisha tatizo hilo. Kwa watu wengine, njia ya kufanya kazi ni kugeuza mwelekeo wa nishati zao za akili kwenye mradi ambao ni mdogo, moja ambayo inaruhusu kubadilika zaidi katika kufikia lengo. Hii kwa kawaida inafanya kazi, lakini mbinu hiyo ina hatari ya kukosa kuzingatia kwa muda mrefu mradi ambao umesababisha uchovu wa akili, ambayo inathibitisha kuwa tatizo wakati mradi huo unahusiana na biashara na unahitaji kukamilika kwa tarehe fulani. Kwa kawaida, watu wenye uchovu wa akili hupendekezwa kufanya mazoezi, kwa sababu hayo yatapelekea oksijeni zaidi kuingia kwenye ubongo. Mbali na hilo, njia nyingi za kupunguza tatizo hilo zinapatikana kwa njia ya mtu mmoja-mmoja, kwa kuwa kile kinachotumika kwa mtu mmoja huenda kisitumiki kwa mwingine. Kwa watu wengi, kupumzika au kugeuza umakini kwenye kitu kisichokuwa na mzigo mkubwa wa kiakili inaweza kuwa wazo zuri, lakini inaweza isifanye kazi kwa wengine. Kwa kawaida ni afadhali kwa mtu kuacha tu kuwa na wasiwasi juu ya jambo fulani na kupata njia ya kushughulikia tatizo hilo ambayo inafanya kazi kwake. Kama vile mwili, akili pia yaweza kuhisi uchovu. Hata hivyo, tofauti na mwili, usingizi mzuri wa usiku nyakati nyingine waweza kuthibitika kuwa usio wa kutosha kushughulikia tatizo hilo. Mara nyingi, jambo linalofaa kwa mtu mmoja huongeza tu tatizo kwa mwingine.