🧠 Mental Fatigue Checklist

Use this when considering whether to push yourself further or rest

Your Fatigue Score

0 / 16

You're doing well - no signs of fatigue

0-4: Low fatigue

5-9: Moderate - consider rest

10+: High - rest needed

💪 Physical Signals

I'm having trouble focusing on sentences when reading, or need to reread things multiple times

My eyes feel strained or heavy

I feel physically tired in my body, even if I think I "should" have energy

I'm craving sugar or caffeine more than usual

🧩 Mental Signals

When I think about the task ahead, it feels unreasonably difficult or overwhelming

I'm making more small mistakes than normal (typos, forgetting things, misplacing items)

My mind is wandering more than usual, or I'm easily distracted

Simple decisions feel harder than they should

😔 Emotional Signals

I'm feeling irritable, frustrated, or emotionally flat

My sense of humor has disappeared

I'm feeling pessimistic about things I'm normally optimistic about

I feel a sense of dread or resistance about doing things I usually enjoy

⚠️ Substance & Behavior Changes

I'm craving nicotine, even though I don't normally (or cravings are increased)

I'm drinking more coffee/energy drinks than usual to function

I'm reaching for alcohol or other substances to "wind down"

I'm engaging in more compulsive behaviors (excessive scrolling, shopping, gaming)

The Key Question:
If I rest now, will I be more productive overall in the next few days than if I push through?

⚡ Important Rule:

If you have to convince yourself you're not tired, you're tired.

The fact that you're checking this list probably means you need rest.

🛡️ Prevention Strategy

Schedule rest time in your calendar like work tasks
Do twice-daily check-ins (mid-morning and mid-afternoon)
Ask yourself: "How hard does this feel compared to how hard it should feel?"
If there's a mismatch between expected and actual difficulty, that's your cue to rest

💡 Remember

Substance cravings and behavior changes are late-stage warnings - you're already in deficit by this point. Try to catch the earlier signals (focus issues, emotional changes, tasks feeling unreasonably hard) before reaching this stage.