Does Anxiety Make You Feel Tired?
Anxiety can have many symptoms—find out if feeling tired is one of them, and if so, why does it happen.
Published May 9, 2023.
Fatigue is a symptom of anxiety for many people. When you are anxious, you tend to overthink and worry excessively, which takes significant energy and can leave you feeling tired.
In fact, anxiety can be both physically and mentally exhausting. When you're experiencing mental exhaustion, you can have brain fog or difficulty concentrating. On the other hand, when you're feeling physical fatigue, it can manifest as muscle tension and sleepiness.
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Why Does Anxiety Make You Tired?
Anxiety causes the release of the hormone cortisol in your body to significantly increase, which can lead to adrenal fatigue or post-anxiety crash manifesting as exhaustion. The increased cortisol as well as worrying can also interfere with your sleep quality, disrupting your sleep schedule and leading to more exhaustion.
Finally, physical restlessness associated with anxiety brings higher levels of muscle tension, which can also result in physical exhaustion and cramping.
» Find out if lack of sleep is making you more anxious
Overcome Anxiety-Related Fatigue
While it's not uncommon to feel fatigue every now and then, once you recognise that your anxiety is why you're feeling so tired, you can develop a plan to overcome it more easily. Learning to manage your anxiety can help you decrease fatigue by improving your sleep quality and increasing your general energy levels.
Lifestyle changes can make it easier to manage anxiety problems and feel less tired. What's more, there are many effective treatments for anxiety that will help battle fatigue, including talk therapy, natural remedies, and medications.
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