Feeling tired even after doing nothing? Doctors reveal warning signs of ‘depression’: You can’t get excited about things you love

Even though I haven’t done anything, I always feel tired; Activities I used to enjoy are no longer interesting to me, and I find it difficult to respond to messages or even go out to interact with people. Psychiatrist Yang Congcai said this phenomenon is likely to be a warning sign of depression. Depression does not mean that the personality is weak or that the person is not working hard enough. When a person is under prolonged stress and lacks sleep, it can affect mood, motivation, and ability to carry out daily life. Once a bad mood persists and life is affected, you should seek help as soon as possible.

Yang Kangkai pointed out that everyone will experience emotional ups and downs, and the mood is like the weather, sunny days, cloudy days, and rainy days. Mental health doesn’t require you to be happy every day, nor does it require you to be completely stress-free. This requires that you are able to recognize your feelings, gradually adjust when you encounter setbacks in life, and know how to seek help when you need it.

Yang Congkai said that sadness may reflect loss, anxiety may reflect a sense of danger, and loneliness may remind oneself of the need for interpersonal connection. Emotions are not the enemy themselves, but signals sent by the body and mind.

He said that modern people face many pressures such as school work, work, interpersonal relationships, relationships and future careers and are prone to problems such as anxiety, fatigue, insomnia and inattention. Some people clearly know that they have to achieve something, but they are unable to get started, and even constantly blame themselves for laziness and lack of self-discipline. However, from a psychological perspective, motivation, attention, emotion, and executive functions are all related to brain operations. Chronic stress and sleep disorders can consume psychological energy, and depression can also reduce motivation for activities. This cannot be explained simply by lack of willpower.

Yang Kangkai reminded that if you find that you are often unable to be motivated, have lost interest in the things you originally liked, do not want to communicate with others, or have long-term sleep disorders, fatigue, and negative thinking, you should pay attention to your physical and mental state to clarify whether these are symptoms of unbalanced life rhythm, excessive pressure, or depression. Especially when bad mood persists for several weeks and affects study, work, interpersonal interactions, and basic life functions, you should get evaluated by a psychiatrist or psychosomatic therapist.

As for how to take care of mental health, Yang Kangkai suggested that you should first practice recognizing emotions, do not force yourself to be positive every day, and do not blame yourself for temporary decline; Secondly, maintain a regular schedule and adequate sleep, and arrange appropriate exercise and rest to avoid long-term accumulation of stress; Third, maintain contact with relatives and friends, and reduce the psychological burden through conversation and peer support.