Description and Characteristics of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Are you experiencing chronic fatigue syndrome? You might be if you feel collapsed and find it difficult to follow your regular routine due to limiting stress. This is a rather overwhelming feeling. Thus, you must know how to recognize it when it happens. Continue reading to learn some strategies to confront and handle it!
Firstly, what are the characteristics of chronic fatigue syndrome? How do you deal with it? What’s it about? Today’s article will answer these and other questions you might have, so continue reading.
There are times when delving deep provides you with the necessary knowledge to grasp life with strength and courage.
“The most critical time in any battle is not when I’m fatigued, it’s when I no longer care.”
-Craig D. Lounsbrough-
The characteristics of chronic fatigue
Have you ever felt like your mind and body can’t take it anymore? This is a common symptom of chronic fatigue. It’s about situations where you reach your limit and no longer know how to manage them.
People use the term in some contexts that pertain to stress, mainly to refer to wear and tear in the work environment. Thus, it’s also associated with the stress of those who have more responsibility in a given company.
People are using the term surmenage more and more according to the article “El Agotamiento Intelectual – Sus Presuntas Víctimas” (In English: “The possible victims of intellectual burnout”). In fact, it suggests that it’s a word that began to become naturalized in France and has gradually spread to other parts of the world. It translates to “overwork”.
You may think it’s the same as burnout syndrome. You could be right, as the guidelines to differentiate them haven’t been established. This is mainly a word that emerged rather informally.
The characteristics of chronic fatigue syndrome
You can identify that you might be going through it by identifying some of its characteristics:
- Impatience.
- Strong competitiveness.
- Mental exhaustion.
- Excessive commitment to work.
- Thinking too much about the future.
- The feeling that everything has to be perfect.
- Little flexibility or tolerance to frustration.
- The feeling of being overloaded.
- Progressive decline in energy when it comes to doing things.
- Insomnia.
- Physical exhaustion.
- Lack of motivation to participate in activities you used to enjoy.
- Changes in mood. This is mainly associated with aggressiveness, irritability, and indifference to others.
- Muscle and joint pain.
- Psychosomatic alterations.
A person with these symptoms could have difficulties adequately developing in all areas. Thus, it’s something you must address. You must know how to manage it in order to increase your well-being.
How to deal with chronic fatigue syndrome
Firstly, you must know how to identify it. Everyone feels stress. In fact, stress is normal, as it helps you be alert. It’s an essential mechanism for your survival. However, the psychological muscles also have a limit, and straining them could erode your state of mind.
Now, you must be attentive to the signals in order to recognize this, especially those emitted by your environment, body, results, etc. These alone will indicate that you’re going through a particularly vulnerable moment.
Similarly, you could try to put an end to your day and disconnect. This is because mulling over the things you must do or those that didn’t turn out as you expected will only harm you further.
In addition, you could work towards your emotional intelligence and achieve a greater sense of security about your own abilities. Thus, be more optimistic. Begin by discarding negative thoughts.
Final notes
Procrastinating might be one of the reasons why you reach your limits. Thus, be more productive in order to avoid chronic fatigue. That is, be clear about your priorities and redirect your concerns.
Similarly, pay attention to the other areas of your life. This is because focusing only on work will lead you to leave aside other activities that are great reinforcers.
Chronic fatigue can afflict anyone at any time. Thus, staying away from it helps you attain a better quality of life. As Jordi Cebrià-Andreu stated in his article entitled “Commentary: the professional burnout syndrome as a public health problem,” overwork can lead to extreme behaviors. These can distort your self-esteem and install you in permanent dissonance.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Cebrià-Andreu, J. (2005). Comentario: el síndrome de desgaste profesional como problema de salud pública. Gacera Sanitaria, 19 (6), 470.
- Nervo, A. El agotamiento intelectual, sus presuntas víctimas. Del armario, 67- 69.
- Gil-Monte, P.R, & Moreno-Jiménez, B. (2005).El síndrome de quemarse por trabajo (burnout). Un enfermedad laboral en la sociedad del bienestar. Madrid: Pirámide, 36-37.
