Mental fatigue is the experience of persistent mental exhaustion. It can affect your focus, motivation, and more.
There are many reasons why you might be feeling mental fatigue, including mental health conditions and adverse life experiences.
This quiz can help you reflect on whether you might be dealing with mental fatigue and if it’s time to seek professional support.
Mental fatigue is something that can happen to anyone. It can also show up in different ways. You might feel mentally exhausted after a tiring workday or after a restless night’s sleep. You might find it hard to concentrate during conversations, forget simple things, or feel emotionally flat during activities you normally enjoy.
Even small tasks — like answering an email, making a phone call, or washing the dishes — can feel overwhelming when you have no mental energy left.
If you’re feeling consistently mentally drained, it could be worth exploring what’s causing this feeling. This mental fatigue test can be a helpful first step.
Take the mental fatigue self-assessment
Our brief mental exhaustion test can help you reflect on your current energy levels in different areas of your life. You might already know there’s an issue with your sleep or mental clarity, but these questions include scenarios you may not usually associate with mental fatigue.
As you review the questions, know that there are no right or wrong answers. It’s OK to answer “sometimes” as often as you need to.
Read the following questions and choose the answer that best describes how you usually feel.
How often do you feel mentally “foggy” or like it’s hard to think straight?
Rarely
Sometimes
All the time
How often does low motivation get in the way of doing what you want to do?
Rarely
Sometimes
All the time
Do you tend to get stuck while making small or simple decisions (like what to eat or wear)?
Rarely
Sometimes
All the time
Do you tend to feel emotionally drained, leaving you unable to connect with those around you?
Rarely
Sometimes
All the time
Do small tasks tend to exhaust you?
Rarely
Sometimes
All the time
How often do you feel tired after a full night of sleep?
Rarely
Sometimes
All the time
Do you notice yourself “zoning out” at inappropriate times?
Rarely
Sometimes
All the time
Have others told you that you’ve been more irritable lately?
Rarely
Sometimes
All the time
Do you avoid seemingly small tasks because they feel overwhelming?
Rarely
Sometimes
All the time
Does it feel like you just go through the motions during your day, rather than experiencing the present moment?
Rarely
Sometimes
All the time
Quiz content written by Lolly Coleman, MS, LMFT.
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Interpreting your results
If you answered mostly “rarely”, you may not be experiencing mental fatigue. If you answered mostly “sometimes,” you might experience a “healthy” amount of fatigue, but it’s worth discussing your tiredness with a healthcare provider. If you answered mostly “all the time,” you’re likely experiencing mental fatigue, and seeking professional support can help.
How this mental fatigue test works
This mental fatigue test is designed to capture your overall experiences around your mental sharpness, focus, energy, sleep, and more. Your capacity for investing emotionally into your relationships can also be a clue into your mental fatigue. It can feel draining to give your all emotionally, or even just a little, when your brain is exhausted.
Trauma may also be another reason you’re fatigued. You might be dealing with undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health conditions from trauma that cause tiredness. It can also be helpful to consider that brain fog can result after traumatic events.
Your insights around your mental health are reflected in the quiz results. But the quiz isn’t a replacement for a professional evaluation or a mental health diagnosis. Rather, you can use it as an additional resource during an appointment with a mental health provider.
Next steps after taking the quiz
You might not know why you’re experiencing mental fatigue, and that’s OK. Take some time to sit with your results, and then decide if seeking professional support would be beneficial for you.
You can talk with a therapist about your symptoms. They can help narrow down what's causing them and provide a diagnosis, if applicable. For example, they might find that work burnout is the reason why you’re always so fatigued. Even though burnout isn't a clinical mental health condition, your therapist can help you figure out coping strategies to manage it.
A psychiatrist is another valuable option. Like a therapist, a psychiatrist can provide a mental health diagnosis and create a treatment plan. This plan might include lifestyle changes like prioritizing sleep, incorporating movement, or practicing mindfulness.
One big key difference is that a psychiatrist can prescribe medication, and a therapist can't. If depression, or any other diagnosable condition, is the reason for your fatigue, medication could be helpful.
Many factors can contribute to mental fatigue. And, with the right support, you can manage its impact and feel more present.
The most helpful first step to help with mental fatigue is to pause and give your brain permission to slow down. Even carving out 10 quiet minutes a day can help you reset and see what your mind truly needs.
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Clinical reviewer
Find care with Rula
Everyone feels mental fatigue at some point. But for some people, mental exhaustion goes beyond an “off” day. Mental fatigue can be a consistent presence that negatively impacts how you live your life. A therapist and/or psychiatrist can help you figure out what’s behind your exhaustion and how to manage it.
At Rula, we’re committed to delivering a comprehensive behavioral health experience that helps people feel seen and understood so they can get back to feeling their best.
Rula makes it easier to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who accepts your insurance so you don’t have to choose between affordable care and excellent care. With a diverse network of more than 15,000 providers, 24/7 crisis support, and appointments available as soon as tomorrow, we're here to help you make progress — wherever you are on your mental health journey.
Siobhan Neela-Stock
Siobhan Neela-Stock is a writer and journalist who focuses on health, particularly mental health. She earned her master's in journalism from Northwestern University in 2018 and worked at Mashable for over two years where she focused on social good reporting.
Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, SELF, Fortune, Verywell Health, among other publications. Neela-Stock also teaches writing and journalism at several universities.
She enjoys traveling, dancing, playing dodgeball, and spending time with her loved ones.
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Having faced challenges like childhood abuse, neglect, and the loss of her father to suicide, Brandy Chalmers is deeply passionate about providing compassionate care. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and Registered Play Therapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy.
Brandy also teaches at a university, sharing her expertise with future mental health professionals. With over a decade of experience in settings like inpatient care and private practice, she specializes in helping clients with perfectionism, trauma, personality disorders, eating disorders, and life changes.
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Members of Rula’s clinical leadership team and other expert providers contribute to all published content, offering guidance on themes and insights based on their firsthand experience in the field. Every piece of content is thoroughly reviewed by a clinician before publishing.
