Head Full and Tired? These Are the Causes (+ 6 Tips)

Do you also have a busy mind and often feel tired? It's a common complaint that brings with it restlessness, stress, and fatigue.

Your brain keeps working, and you can't relax. This is caused by the constant hustle and bustle and the overload of stimuli around you.

More and more people are experiencing burnout because of this. You're completely exhausted, both physically and mentally, and can't handle anything. You often feel irritable and restless, and you worry constantly.

Having a full head is an annoying complaint that causes a lot of fatigue.

In this article, we'll explore the causes and offer tips to clear your head so you can finally unwind completely. And that's important for recharging your batteries daily.

A busy mind makes you tired. Fortunately, there's something you can do about it. That's why we've outlined 6 causes for a busy mind.

Your brain actually functions much like a computer's memory. Your memory can become overloaded with information and facts.

Just think about how much information we have to process in a day! From news reports to updates from friends and from appointments to errands you still need to run.

Most people simply try to remember all sorts of facts, notes, and tasks. But this can quickly become overwhelming.

If you don't write down information somewhere (on paper or digitally), your brain will constantly be working on it. You don't want to forget it, so this information will keep coming back to you and replaying.

It is no wonder that this gives you a full feeling in your head and also makes you forget more and more things.

People with ADHD and ADD also often suffer from a busy mind.

Those who don't suffer from this condition have a useful filter that helps them distinguish between stimuli, what's important and what's not. Someone with ADHD has a filter that doesn't work as well. This makes all stimuli seem equally important, which can cause a lot of clutter in their mind.

If you have ADHD, everything around you hits you very hard.

Every stimulus—a passing car, leaves blowing across the road, or a dripping faucet—is distracting. And then there are all your thoughts that can react to all that stimulation and keep going.

So, having a cluttered mind is a typical characteristic of ADHD and ADD. If you have ADHD, the tips later in this blog post for clearing your mind could be very helpful.

To clear a busy mind, rest is necessary. But rest is something few people get on a regular basis.

Maybe you recognize this yourself. Whenever you have a moment when you don't have to do anything, you pick up your phone.

In the past, a walk with the dog was a wonderful moment of rest, or a short wait in line at the checkout or even a sit on the toilet.

These days, we distract ourselves from peace and quiet with our phones. And so, a constant stream of information keeps flooding in, preventing our brains from resting.

Every piece of information you receive, whether it's a Facebook post, a news item, or a funny dog ​​video, stimulates your brain.

Your brain has to work again to process this information and therefore doesn't get a moment to rest.

What most people do to relax is not actually relaxation, especially not for the brain.

We do think it is relaxing when we sit on the couch watching series or reading a book.

Isn't walking relaxing too, even if we're listening to a podcast while we walk?

But any activity that involves absorbing new information isn't relaxing for your brain. That show you're watching is certainly enjoyable, and you empathize with the characters and enjoy the story, but it's still all new stimuli.

Walking is also relaxing in principle, but not if you have to concentrate on what someone is saying in a podcast at the same time.

This prevents you from relaxing completely, keeps you restless and the most annoying thing is that your brain only becomes more full.

It is important that there are also moments in the day when you can completely relax and not receive any stimuli.

Exercise is a great way to calm your mind and clear a busy head.

Exercise (whether it's a leisurely walk or a workout at the gym) has a relaxing effect on the body. There are several reasons why.

There's a clear link between stress and exercise. The more you exercise, the less stress you'll experience.

In addition, it promotes healthy digestion, which also makes you feel more energetic and fitter. Furthermore, regular exercise helps to reduce the stress hormone cortisol [1] .

Exercising every day is a great way to relax. Not only does it give your body a good workout, it also gives you time to focus on something else and process all the events of the day.

As mentioned, we receive a lot of information and of course you have a lot to remember during a day.

Your friend calls to schedule an appointment, your child lets you know they want a certain kind of cookie, and at work, you receive all sorts of important information. It would be crazy to try to remember everything yourself.

This not only puts unnecessary strain on your brain, it also causes you to forget far too much. And that can, in turn, lead to more stress, because you're afraid of forgetting something important.

With everything you have to remember in a day, it's no wonder you feel tired and have a cramped mind.

Tired and feeling overwhelmed? That could be due to notifications on your phone. They constantly interrupt what you're doing, forcing you to switch between tasks throughout the day.

Your brain has to focus on something different every time and is constantly being stimulated. This takes a huge amount of energy, and your energy is not inexhaustible. It's therefore a good idea to turn off notifications on your smartphone [2] .

This way, you won't receive notifications that something has arrived. No beeps or pop-ups that can disrupt your concentration.

This way, you don't feel like you have to respond to anything, and you decide where to put your energy. Worried about missing something important? There's almost nothing so important that it should interrupt your work or relaxation.

You can also make a pact with yourself to check your intake twice a day. Do this once before lunch and once just before dinner, for example. This way, you can be sure you don't miss anything during the day.

Your diet can also affect how you feel mentally. This can be one of the causes of the symptoms, especially for people with ADHD, ADD, and similar symptoms.

If you suffer from a busy mind and difficulty processing stimuli, it is advisable to take a look at your diet.

One nutrient that affects your sensitivity to stimuli is caffeine. A deficiency of certain nutrients from food can also play a role, such as omega-3, iron , zinc, or B vitamins.

You can learn about the influence of these nutrients and how to prevent them in our step-by-step plan "the ADHD lifestyle".

As mentioned, a cluttered mind can arise from having so much to remember. Instead of entrusting it all to your brain, you can make it easier on yourself by writing everything down (in a paper or digital planner or notebook).

Also write down other things that are important, like ideas or anything important that comes to mind.

In any case, make sure you write these notes before you go to sleep, so that you go into the night with a clear head.

Read through what you've written again to make sure you don't forget anything. This will give you peace of mind and can also have a positive impact on your sleep.

The key to clearing a busy mind is to make sure your breaks are actually breaks.

So, if it's time for some rest, turn off your phone and don't watch YouTube or listen to a podcast. In short, you won't be consuming anything during your break, which means you'll be completely deprived of stimuli.

A break is meant to give your body and mind a rest. Get that much-needed rest by taking a walk around the block or exercising. Just do nothing for a while, lie on the couch, or stare out the window.

Because your brain doesn't have a specific task, your mind can wander. And wandering is the opposite of focusing. It's the ultimate way for your brain to relax.

We often feel like we always have to do "something." But this obsessive belief is precisely what gets us into trouble, causes a cluttered mind, and makes us tired. Try to keep your breaks empty every day and see what it brings you.

Sleep is also important for your mental health. Many people don't get a good night's sleep due to sleep problems or poor sleep hygiene.

When you sleep deeply, it helps you better process the information you absorbed during the day. It's even essential for processing this information.

You'll then notice that your mind is much less cluttered the next day. It'll also be much easier to absorb new information.

To sleep well, it's important to maintain good sleep hygiene. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

Make sure you have a bedroom where you can truly relax (avoid the blue light from your smartphone) and avoid foods and drinks that disrupt your sleep pattern.

As everyone knows, exercise is very healthy. It's not only good for training your muscles but also one of the best ways to reduce physical and mental tension in the body.

Whatever exercise you do, it helps to release stress hormones, release tension in the muscles and it is good to clear a busy head.

Try to get some exercise every day. It doesn't necessarily have to be sports; any form of exercise is good, so walk, cycle, climb the stairs, or walk to the grocery store.

But exercise is definitely important, so try to get some intense exercise once or twice a week. Find a sport you enjoy and try a trial class.

If you have ADHD or ADD, chances are you regularly experience a cluttered mind. People with this condition have a less effective brain filter and are also highly creative.

This causes stimuli to come in strongly and the brain immediately links all kinds of associations, thoughts and memories to them.

This creativity and ability to associate can be a significant advantage. People with ADHD and ADD are often excellent outside-the-box thinkers, and you often see them working in creative professions. They also have a strong imagination and are good problem-solvers.

However, it is essential that you can relax properly, otherwise you will become overstimulated and your head will become too full.

To prevent this, you can use the tips in my step-by-step plan "The ADHD Lifestyle" to turn ADHD/ADD into your superpower. You'll do this through nutrition and lifestyle.