10 Things To Do To Help You Keep Going When You’re Mentally Exhausted

It can be difficult to keep going when you’re so mentally exhausted. Every day, you wake up, and then there’s this giant dark cloud looming over you. You try the hardest to get up in the morning, but everything just feels too heavy and overwhelming.

I know exactly how this feels. This past year has been exactly like this for me. I felt so mentally and emotionally exhausted with everything that was going on in my life. I found myself constantly being smacked with one problem after another.

Every time I tried to stand back up and try again, I was hit with another failure, and after a while, it felt like I was never meant to win. I started believing that my life was only going to go from bad to worse and that no matter how hard I tried and how hard I fought, I would never be able to turn my life around.

If you’re currently feeling the same way, I want you to know that it is possible to move forward and start living again. I know how difficult it can be to see a way to keep going when we already feel so exhausted and drained.

But please know that you have within you the strength to help you get through this. It does get better, and soon that mental exhaustion and disconnection that we are feeling will start to lift, little by little.

In this blog post, I will be sharing with you the steps I took that helped me find hope in the darkest days and gave me the strength and will to keep trying.

Yes, while these steps didn’t magically fix everything, they didn’t erase the exhaustion and overwhelm overnight, but they did help me pull myself out of that heavy place. I hope that some of these steps will resonate with you and help make this period of your life even a little easier, too.

How To Keep Going When You’re Mentally Exhausted

1. Adjust Expectations

When we are juggling so many problems, we tend to want to figure everything out all at once. We end up setting all these high expectations and huge goals just to make that happen.

I was guilty of doing this too. I thought that by creating all these unrealistic expectations, I was somehow pushing myself to work even harder to make things better. I thought that by setting all these huge goals, I was motivating myself to be productive and to keep going.

But what it did was the exact opposite. Instead of actually motivating me, it just made things even more difficult. Not only did it make me more exhausted and drained, but it was also making each task that I faced even more overwhelming to the point that it paralyzed me.

This made me realize just how important it is to adjust our expectations and goals, especially when we are already going through so much and when we are already feeling so drained and exhausted. There’s no point in pushing ourselves even more, this will not do us any good. It will only make us feel more defeated and hopeless.

One of the best things that we can do is to set small and manageable goals and expectations. We have to remind ourselves that doing this doesn’t mean that we are lowering our standards or that we are not aiming high.

It only means that we are recognizing and respecting our current limitations and working in a way to better our lives without further contributing to our exhaustion. There is nothing wrong with taking small steps. We have to remember that progress doesn’t have to be grand or fast to be meaningful.

By working within our current limitations, we are giving ourselves the space to rest, recharge, and recover instead of constantly pushing ourselves toward burnout.

2. Practice Self Compassion

We often forget the importance of practicing self compassion. Most of us are guilty of being our own worst critics. We often find ourselves constantly criticizing every little mistake and magnifying even the smallest flaw.

I’m certainly no stranger to this. For the longest time, I was guilty of being my own harshest critic. Honestly, at that time, I thought that doing this was somehow making me a better person. I thought that by being overly critical about myself, I was pushing myself to growth and self improvement.

And somehow, going through a difficult period only seemed to magnify this bad habit. It didn’t matter how mentally exhausted and drained I felt, I still continued to push myself beyond my limitations and criticized myself for not doing enough. The more difficult things got, the harsher I became with myself.

And let me tell you, doing this did not make me stronger, nor did it help me in any way. I was just stuck in this negative cycle of self criticism, and it only fueled my mental exhaustion.

We have to remind ourselves that one of the best things that we can do for ourselves, especially when we are going through so much, is to offer ourselves kindness and grace.

Doing this doesn’t mean that we are being self indulgent. We deserve to give ourselves the same amount of love and kindness that we so freely give to others.

Offering myself grace when I was mentally exhausted gave me the strength that I needed to keep trying even when things felt uncertain. It gave me the drive to try again when things didn’t go as planned. It not only made things lighter, but it also made me more resilient.

3. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help

I have always struggled with asking for help. I have always assumed that since they were my problems, then naturally I should be the only one fixing them. For years, I have always chosen to keep my battles hidden, thinking that doing this was somehow making me stronger and more accountable.

But if I were being honest, the real reason why I didn’t want anyone else to know what I was going through was that I was so afraid of burdening other people with my problems. I mean, I know that they are already going through their own problems, and I didn’t want to add any more unnecessary stress to their lives.

So I kept pretending that I was okay, and I continued to push myself to exhaustion, trying to figure out solutions for everything that was going wrong in my life. It wasn’t until I found myself at my lowest point that I finally realized how crucial it is to allow ourselves to ask for help and support.

Doing this will never make us a burden. The people who truly love and care for us want to actually be there for us, not just in our good times but especially when life gets hard and when we are struggling. Please know that you were never meant to carry everything on your own. Being vulnerable doesn’t make us a failure.

It doesn’t mean that we are weak. To be honest, it’s actually an act of courage. Asking for help and support takes great strength. So, please don’t ever hesitate to reach out, especially when you feel so drained and exhausted.

Allow yourself to receive the love and support that’s being offered to you. Please know that you are worthy of that care. Yes, doing this may not fix everything right away, but it does make things so much lighter and a whole lot easier for us to bear since we are not going through it alone.

How To Keep Going When You’re Mentally Exhausted

4. Do Something That Makes Your Soul Happy

Another important step in helping us move forward when we are mentally exhausted is by doing something that makes our soul and heart happy. I know that when we are already going through so much, we may find it difficult to make time for the things that once brought us so much joy.

This is also what I felt. Doing something that makes me happy just seemed pointless, unnecessary, and a total waste of time. Especially when everything around me just feels too heavy. I thought that my time was better spent finding solutions to my problems and being productive.

I didn’t realize that by constantly trying to fix everything and neglecting the parts of me that needed care, I was contributing more to my mental exhaustion. I was wrong to think that allowing myself small moments of joy and happiness was an obstacle to my productivity and my goals.

Because the truth is, giving ourselves time to enjoy and just breathe actually helps fuel our drive, productivity, and motivation. So please don’t ever think that doing something that makes you happy is a waste of time.

Know that this is necessary, for your strength and for your ability to keep going. We have to always remember that taking time for joy refills the parts of us that life’s challenges drain.

5. Just Do One Small Task

When we have so much on our plates, it can be tempting to push ourselves to do everything all at once. I know I did, and let me tell you, it did not end well.

It didn’t only make things more overwhelming, but it just made life more difficult and too heavy to bear. When we are exhausted and drained, one of the best things that we can do to lessen the overwhelm and stress is to give ourselves permission to just focus on one small manageable task.

Let’s allow ourselves to just focus all our attention and effort on that single small task. After, if you feel like you can do one more, then go ahead and take on the next small step.

But if you feel like you can’t, know that’s perfectly okay too. The important thing is that you showed up. You did something even when you felt so tired and drained.

Sometimes, doing one small task is actually just what we need to fuel our motivation and drive to keep going. Often, removing the pressure of our overwhelming to-do list is just what we need to breathe and regain a sense of control in our lives.

Making it so much easier to keep trying and move forward.

6. Remind Yourself Of Your Past Resilience

One of the things that really helped me keep going when I felt like giving up was by reminding myself of all my past wins and all the times I have overcome challenges and struggles in my life. I know that it’s easy to forget our strength and resilience when we are facing new problems.

It’s easy to start doubting our capabilities and start believing that maybe we don’t have what it takes to keep moving forward. That’s why it’s so essential to allow yourself some time to reflect on all the other times you thought you wouldn’t make it through.

And yet you’re here. You survived. You grew, and you kept moving forward. Please know that you already have within you this invaluable strength that has helped you push through overwhelming moments and your darkest days.

This is no different. The same strength, the same courage, and the same resilience are still within you. Ready to carry you through whatever life throws at you. It hasn’t left you, even if it may feel like it. It’s still there within you.

7. Allow Yourself To Take Breaks

How many times have you pushed yourself to keep being productive even when your mind and body were begging for rest? How many times have you said to yourself that you have no time to slow down and that everything would fall apart if you allowed yourself even just a moment of rest?

I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I’ve done this. When I was digging myself out of rock bottom, I was so emotionally and mentally exhausted, and yet I didn’t allow myself the chance to rest. I thought that doing that was just a complete waste of time.

Especially when my time is better off doing something to turn my life around and better my situation.

But I was wrong to do that. Let me tell you, doing that did not help me dig myself out of rock bottom a whole lot faster. It only made everything too heavy and too difficult. By constantly pushing myself to exhaustion, I was constantly running on empty.

I was not focused, I was feeling so defeated, and everything just felt a hundred times harder than it needed to be.

The more I avoided rest, the more overwhelmed and hopeless I felt. One of the lessons that I’ve learned is that rest doesn’t slow us down. It doesn’t make us weak or a failure. It actually gives us the strength that we need to keep going.

Please know that you are allowed to take breaks. You are allowed to step aside and just let yourself breathe.

Doing this not only helps us recharge and refocus, but it also helps us find hope.

8. Accept Imperfections

I have always struggled with perfectionism. Growing up, I was made to believe that making mistakes and failure were bad things and that every mistake that I’ve made was a direct reflection of my worth and capabilities.

So naturally, I did everything I could to avoid them, but of course, that wasn’t really possible. So, every single time I would fail and make a mistake, it didn’t matter how small it was, it would still feel like the end of the world for me.

It wasn’t until I broke down that I finally had the courage to admit to myself that living that kind of life, a life that constantly chased perfection and avoided mistakes, was not only making me so mentally exhausted, but it was also keeping me so unhappy. Every right thing that I did was constantly overshadowed by the fear of doing something wrong.

I realized that life is never about achieving perfection. It’s about learning to accept our imperfections and flaws and giving ourselves grace to grow and change without judgment and criticism. Accepting our imperfections doesn’t mean that we are not holding ourselves accountable or that we are settling for less.

It simply means that we are recognizing and acknowledging our humanity. Human as we are, we are all bound to make mistakes. We are all bound to fail one way or another, but that doesn’t mean that we are no longer worthy of love, kindness, and second chances.

When we are so mentally exhausted, chasing perfection will only drain us even more. We have to learn to embrace progress over perfection.

We have to give ourselves a safe space to grow and heal at our own pace. So please always remember that you don’t have to be perfect to be worthy. You are worthy and enough just as you are now.

9. Remember Your Why

Another important step that’ll help us keep going when we are mentally exhausted is to remember our whys. Remember why you started. Remember why you continued to hold on this long. Remember why you’ve been fighting so hard to keep going.

I know that when the world feels too heavy and when we are exhausted and drained, it’s easy to lose sight of our purpose. It’s easy to start believing that everything is just meaningless and too hard and unbearable to continue.

But allowing ourselves even just a moment to reflect and reconnect with our why can be the very thing that we need to help us continue to move forward, even during difficult times.

Whether it’s the people that you love, the goals that you are working toward, or even your pets. Whatever it is, know that it doesn’t have to be grand or life changing.

It doesn’t matter as long as it’s the reason that pulls you out of bed every morning. The reason that you keep trying even when things don’t go as planned then know that that is more than enough.

Let that why be your lifeline when everything around you feels too heavy and when you feel so drained and defeated.

And if you’ve lost sight of your why, know that that’s okay too. You can certainly reflect and rediscover it along the way. Just be patient with yourself and trust that your purpose is still there.

10. Take It One Day At A Time

When we are so mentally exhausted, it’s easy for our minds to get overwhelmed with everything that is going on in our lives. It’s easy to start thinking that we need to fix everything right now and that we need to find solutions to our problems today.

We worry about all the bad things that could happen, all the problems that we are going through, and all the responsibilities that are piling up, and we start to feel suffocated by all of it.

It can feel like we are drowning and that it’s only a matter of time before we sink. I certainly know this feeling all too well, and one of the things that I’ve learned from navigating that period of our lives is that we don’t have to figure everything out all at once.

We don’t have to carry everything all at once. We don’t have to worry about tomorrow’s problems when we are just barely surviving today.

The best thing that we can do is to focus on just today. Stop worrying about tomorrow, let go of the things that are beyond your control, and just focus on the things that you can do now. That’s more than enough.

Taking it one day at a time not only helps lessen the overwhelm and exhaustion that we are feeling, but it also lessens the anxiety. It makes the problems somewhat lighter and more bearable because we don’t have to keep thinking about everything all at once.

So please allow yourself to focus on just today. Focus on one problem. Take it one step at a time. Know it’s not about figuring everything out right away. It’s about continuing to show up and giving yourself permission to do what you can with what you have, this exact moment.

Final Thoughts

I know that what you are going through right now is not easy. I know that feeling, so mentally exhausted and drained when everyone else around you seems to be moving forward with ease, and just thriving just makes you feel more defeated and hopeless.

That’s why I want you to know that you are not alone. You are not alone in what you’re feeling and in what you’re going through. You are not failing for feeling this way. You are not falling behind.

Please give yourself grace and be patient with yourself. What you’re going through is not easy, but know that you are strong enough to withstand this. You are brave enough to face this, and you are resilient enough to keep going, even when it feels impossible.

You can do this. You’ve made it through so much already, and you can certainly do it again. Always remember that I’m rooting for you. You got this!