5 signs you’re mentally exhausted, not just tired

Sometimes it’s not sleep you need, it’s peace. Real, deep, brain-silencing peace. But with work stress, family expectations, and the economy doing backflips, it can be hard to tell the difference between being tired and being mentally drained. You sleep, but wake up even more exhausted. You're eating, but nothing tastes right. You’re functioning, but barely. That’s not laziness, and it’s not just “stress.” That’s mental exhaustion, a kind of burnou