Welcome to 3-2-1 Tuesdays with Better Wellness Naturally-Functional Health and the Hidden Exhaustion No One Talks About
- Admin
- Nov 24
- 4 min read
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Quick bits of therapeutic info and learning, ideas, concepts, and quotes.
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3: Keys
2: Concepts
1: Quick Article
“Sometimes the most exhausting thing in life is hiding how exhausted you feel.”
— Unknown
3 Keys
The Energy Drain of “Always On” Mode
You know that feeling when you’re not technically doing anything, but you still feel drained? That’s the hidden exhaustion of being “always on.” Our brains are constantly processing notifications, endless to-do lists, and background worries. Even rest doesn’t feel restful when your mind refuses to switch off. Sometimes the cause isn’t just mental load—it can also be physical factors you can’t see, like nutrient deficiencies or inflammation quietly sapping your energy. Functional health testing—such as what Function Health offers—can uncover these hidden drains so you know exactly what needs attention.
Invisible Labor, Visible Burnout
From emotional caretaking to mental planning, there’s often a silent load we carry daily. It doesn’t show up on time sheets, yet it eats away at our energy. That’s why you can feel completely tired even if you didn’t “do much.” The hidden tasks—keeping peace in relationships, remembering birthdays, anticipating others’ needs— add up. Couple that with physical depletions, and you have a constant energy drain that no amount of willpower or extra sleep can fully fix.
The Guilt of Needing Rest
Many people carry a quiet guilt for slowing down, like rest needs to be “earned.” This mindset only deepens exhaustion. Real rest isn’t just sleep—it’s permission to unplug without guilt. It’s giving yourself space to breathe, recooperate, and recalibrate, not just collapse at the end of the day.
A Couple of Concepts
Cognitive Load Theory & Mental Fatigue
Science shows our brains have a limited “working memory.” When we juggle too many open tabs in life (literally and figuratively), our cognitive load spikes, leading to mental fatigue. Even if your body isn’t moving, your brain is burning through energy—think of this like a phone with too many apps draining the battery in the background.
Allostatic Load—Stress Hidden in the Body
Another sneaky source of exhaustion is allostatic load—the “wear and tear” from constant stress. When the body is stuck in alert mode (fight-or-flight), stress hormones like cortisol keep pumping. Over time, this hidden stress shows up as fatigue, brain fog, or even physical aches. What feels like “just being tired” might actually be your body asking for what it needs and sending warning signals before it demands a full stop.
A Quick Overview:
We often think of exhaustion as the result of doing too much, but sometimes the deepest tiredness comes from things no one else sees. The mental juggling, the unspoken responsibilities, and the endless emotional balancing act quietly pile up. That’s why even after a full night’s sleep, you can wake up already feeling worn out.
Sometimes the culprit isn’t just mental load—it’s hidden physical drains you can’t feel until they’ve taken a toll. Functional health testing—like the kind offered through Function Health—can reveal nutrient gaps, inflammation, and other silent factors that quietly pull your energy down. When you see what’s really going on, you can take targeted steps to restore it.
Studies on cognitive and allostatic load reveal that our brains and bodies have limits. Chronic micro-stresses build up over time, and even if they don’t feel huge in the moment, the accumulation quietly drains energy reserves and makes recovery harder. Physical stressors—like nutrient deficiencies, low-grade inflammation, or hormonal imbalances—can quietly add to that load, amplifying fatigue in ways you might not connect until you see the data.
Important Note: That’s why setting boundaries, taking mindful breaks, and allowing “non-productive” rest aren’t luxuries—they’re essential maintenance, much like servicing a car before it breaks down. Addressing those unseen physical drains is part of that maintenance too.
And here’s a fun trivia twist: the average human brain, though only about 2% of body weight, uses roughly 20% of the body’s energy each day. This explains why mental overwork can leave you physically depleted, even if you haven’t moved a muscle.
So, if you’ve been wondering why you feel tired “for no reason,” you’re not imagining it. Your body and brain are likely working harder than you realize—both mentally and physically—and one of the smartest things you can do is to honor your limits, recharge without guilt, and uncover the factors that may be quietly draining you.
References:
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive Science, 12(2), 257–285.
McEwen, B. S., & Stellar, E. (1993). Stress and the individual: Mechanisms leading to disease. Archives of Internal Medicine, 153(18), 2093–2101.
Raichle, M. E., & Gusnard, D. A. (2002). Appraising the brain's energy budget. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 99(16), 10237–10239.
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