7 Signs A Man Is Emotionally & Mentally Worn Out
Shooting Star Studio / Shutterstock Everyone feels tired and overworked from time to time, but we all experience it differently. It’s normal to get a little sluggish or feel like you need to stay home occasionally. Some people like to journal to process their feelings.
Women are more likely than men to acknowledge their negative emotions. While they might directly tell their friends they’re burnt out and need help, men often have a harder time expressing their feelings. They usually won’t be straight up and say they need a break. Instead, they'll start showing signs that they feel too emotionally and mentally worn out to function.
If a man is emotionally and mentally worn out, you'll often notice these signs
1. He never laughs
Men tend to hide their emotions when they’re feeling down. They’ll put on a happy face and pretend that they’re okay. They might still be able to hang out with friends and act like everything’s normal, but they won’t show up in the same way they used to. They’ll stop laughing and joking around with their friends.
A man who is feeling completely spent might sit in the corner of the room to avoid talking to people so they don’t notice he’s acting differently. Men often try to push through their exhaustion, but it’s still there. Even if they can show up, they can’t always show up with a positive attitude or with a smile when they’re feeling down.
2. He complains about work
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Men and women face different pressures when it comes to social expectations. While women might be expected to stay home and take care of a family, men are expected to provide for that family. Even if they don’t have kids, that pressure still exists.
A lot of men feel pressure to be financially successful, but that doesn’t mean they always have the motivation to get there. When a man’s feeling worn out, he’ll usually lose his excitement about work. He’ll complain about it a lot more than he used to because he doesn’t have the energy to get everything done.
He probably wants to stay home and let himself recharge, but he feels too much pressure to do that. Because men often struggle to talk about their mental health issues, he won’t let his boss know he needs a break. He’ll keep working and complain more and more about his job to his friends.
3. He’s cynical
When you push your feelings down, they don’t go away. You’ll just express them differently. Men tend to express suppressed feelings with anger. It feels like a more socially acceptable response to them than crying or saying they need help.
They may start to sound really cynical about everything that's going on. They might also make rude comments about people or be dissatisfied no matter what they’re doing. They just don’t always have another way to express that emotion. People who care about them can help by recognizing what's happening and pointing it out so he doesn’t get stuck in a toxic spiral of negativity and anger.
4. He starts spending more time with his female friends
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There’s no real biological difference between men and women when it comes to empathy. Still, women tend to be more open about their feelings and empathetic toward other people than men are. Because of that, female friends are often a lot more supportive when it comes to their friends' emotions than men are.
Some men therefore turn to the women in their lives when they need help. They'll spend more time with their female friends or family members so they can be open about their feelings. They think women will be less judgmental if they admit they’re not feeling their best.
It’s good that they have an outlet, but this can also become toxic. Some men use the women in their lives like emotional trash cans. They dump all of their emotions onto someone without realizing how much stress they're causing. A lot of women end up as the emotional caretaker for a fully grown man, and it leaves them feeling worn out.
5. He complains about being bored
While men might not be able to tell someone they’re feeling worn out, they’ll probably feel comfortable saying they’re bored. Boredom seems like less of an emotion and more of an experience. If your friend says they feel sad, you probably want to help them. But if a friend says they’re bored, you probably won’t think too much of it.
Still, this could be a crucial sign that a man is feeling physically and emotionally burnt out, as depersonalization is a common symptom of burnout in men. What that means is that a man will feel disconnected from his body and feel like he’s not truly living his life. It’s like he’s watching it from the outside. He’ll feel bored with what’s going on because he’s not able to truly engage with it. He feels too disconnected from life to genuinely enjoy it and be entertained.
6. He exercises more than normal
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It might not make sense that a man would start exercising more if he’s feeling physically exhausted. Still, exercise might be his only emotional release. When people exercise, their bodies release chemicals that make them happy. It helps stabilize people‘s mood when they’re feeling emotionally exhausted.
If a man doesn’t talk about his feelings with his friends, this might be the only way he can feel better. Some men start relying on this too much, and it only makes them more physically exhausted. He might think this will make him feel better when really he just needs to stop and reflect. If he did, he might realize what is truly wrong and how to fix it.
7. He stops hanging out with his loved ones
Men often feel disconnected from their loved ones when they’re feeling worn out. They don’t have the energy to put care or attention into those relationships. It gets worse if they start intentionally avoiding their loved ones as well.
They'll feel disconnected, so they’ll stop hanging out with them as much because they don’t think it’ll help them. They might also be subconsciously trying to avoid someone realizing there’s something wrong. Their mindset will affect their behavior, which will usually just reinforce their mindset.
Having loved ones around you to support you can be a super helpful way to feel emotionally recharged, though. These men might not be able to realize something is really wrong if they’re not acknowledging their feelings or being around others who would point them out. They won’t get the help they need to feel better.
Lily Bell is a college student studying English and Publications who covers relationships, mental health, and personal narratives surrounding the human experience.
