My Chaotic Mess When I first began exploring mindfulness, I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. Life had become a series of unfortunate events, each one piling on top of the last, creating an unmanageable weight. From the trauma of an assault that led to a forced abortion to the heartbreak of a four-year relationship that never led to marriage, I felt like I was constantly spiraling. The weight of a marriage that ultimately fell apart, losing custody of my children, struggling with mental health, and battling through health and work-related endurance issues—everything felt overwhelming. During these times, I found myself in need of tools—tools to help me manage, to cope, and to regain some control back. Mindfulness became one of the most invaluable practices I embraced. And through my journey, I discovered several resources that provided tangible relief: therapy, self-help groups, psychotherapy, counseling, and, yes, mindfulness tools. A Personal Journey Through Pain and Healing My pat...
Why My Mental Health Struggles Made Work Endurance So Hard (And How I’m Overcoming It)
For a long time, I thought work endurance was just about discipline. I believed that if I couldn’t focus for eight hours straight, I was lazy or incompetent. But over the years, especially during my darkest mental health days, I realised – it’s not about willpower alone.
If you’re like me, juggling depression, anxiety, burnout, or trauma responses, work can feel like an impossible mountain. Here’s what I’ve learned about why mental health makes work endurance so hard and how I’ve been trying to overcome each hurdle, one small compassionate step at a time.
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1. Cognitive Fatigue: My Brain Felt Like It Was Wading Through Mud
I noticed that even before I started work, I already felt tired. It wasn’t just physical tiredness – it was mental. My brain felt foggy, like everything was happening in slow motion.
Why? Because dealing with intrusive thoughts, sadness, anxiety, or trauma responses uses up so much energy. By the time I sat down to work, half my reserves were already gone.
What helps me:
Micro-breaks: I started using the Pomodoro technique – 25 minutes work, 5 minutes break. Even if it felt silly at first, these short breaks kept me from collapsing mentally by midday.
Reducing decisions: Choosing my clothes, meals, or tasks the night before took away extra stress.
Grounding my thoughts: When ruminations pop up, I gently say, “Not now, we’ll think about this later.”
Getting help: Therapy helped me understand that cognitive fatigue isn’t laziness; it’s a sign my brain needs care, not criticism.
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2. Emotional Drain: The Weight of Suppressed Feelings
I’ve spent many workdays pretending I was okay. Smiling in meetings, writing emails, answering calls – all while feeling like I was about to cry. By lunchtime, I felt emotionally empty.
Why? Because masking your true feelings uses up so much energy. It’s like holding a beach ball underwater all day.
What helps me:
Morning honesty: Before I start work, I sit for five minutes and journal what I really feel. Naming it reduces its weight.
Containment technique: Sometimes, I visualise placing overwhelming emotions in a ‘safe box’ to process later in therapy or my evening reflections.
Boundaries: I communicate when I need focused time without interruptions. It was uncomfortable at first, but my work quality improved.
Evening decompression: After work, I spend 10 minutes stretching or just sitting in silence before starting home chores. It helps me let go of the day’s emotional build-up.
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3. Low Motivation and Anhedonia: When Nothing Feels Worth Doing
There were days when even tasks I usually enjoyed felt meaningless. This is called anhedonia, and it’s common with depression. Work felt robotic, and everything I did felt empty.
What helps me:
Tiny rewards: Breaking tasks into micro-steps and rewarding myself after each. For example, “Finish this paragraph, then sip your favourite tea.”
Engaging my senses: Soft music, a calming scent, or a cosy blanket while working gives small sparks of comfort.
Finding purpose: Asking myself, “Who benefits from this work? How does this align with who I want to be?” often reconnects me to meaning.
Professional help: Medication and therapy played a huge role in lifting the heavy blanket of depression enough for these small practices to work.
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4. Anxiety and Hyperarousal: Living on High Alert
My anxiety made even small tasks feel terrifying. Replying to emails felt like walking into an ambush. Meetings felt like interrogation rooms. My body was tense, my thoughts raced, and I felt exhausted just trying to appear calm.
What helps me:
Breathing techniques: Box breathing (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4) calms my nervous system.
Gradual exposure: If a meeting scares me, I ease in by speaking briefly at first instead of avoiding it completely.
Self-talk: Replacing “I will mess this up” with “I can handle this step by step” has helped ground my anxiety.
Trauma therapy: My anxiety wasn’t just ‘in my head’; it was in my body. EMDR and somatic therapies helped me process it safely.
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5. Burnout: Beyond Tiredness
Burnout isn’t just feeling tired. It’s an overwhelming exhaustion where you lose motivation, purpose, and joy in everything. My mental health struggles made burnout arrive faster and last longer because my reserves were already low.
What helps me:
Intentional recovery: Rest isn’t just sleep. Painting, praying, singing, or walking barefoot on grass refuels me.
Realistic limits: On days I only have 50% capacity, I plan for 50%, not 100%. It prevents deeper burnout.
Redefining productivity: I remind myself that getting out of bed on hard days is productive. My worth isn’t measured by output alone.
Professional support: When burnout persists, I seek help to reassess my work, boundaries, and mental health needs.
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My Final Reflection:
Work endurance isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about knowing myself deeply – understanding my capacity, honouring my emotional and cognitive limits, and seeking help when self-help isn’t enough.
If you’re struggling too, please know this:
💛 Your mental health isn’t a weakness. It’s a reality that needs compassion.
💛 Rest is not a luxury. It’s fuel for everything you dream to create and become.
💛 You are not alone. And you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself.
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If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear how you’re coping with work and mental health these days. Feel free to share in the comments or message me privately. Let’s keep supporting each other towards a healthier, gentler life.
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