Early morning. As the city awakens, millions of people shuffle between bed and kitchen, already tired. It’s the new one collective state of mind of an era that preaches the well being but it produces exhaustion: one Italian in 10 lives with one exhaustion which does not pass, not even after a night’s or holiday rest.
The great tiredness that doesn’t go away
There great tirednessagainst which they are of no use holidays, Relax, vitamins, supplements, massages. It appears invincible and becomes more acute, thanks to the transition fromdaylight saving time to that solarjust as happened on the night between 25 and 26 October. It makes us perform less at work, in social and family life. We tend to blame a thousand things — stress, insomnia, change of season, wrong diet, frustrations — but we almost never think about what could be one of the main culprits: the brain.
The cerebral short circuit of fatigue
A new study conducted by scientists fromUniversity of Veronawithin the European program Mnesys on neuroscience, imputes the tiredness to a little one cerebral short circuit which alters the perception of effort and amplifies the fatigue.
A subtle mechanisma sort of “error” that makes the gray matter less capable of realistically evaluating how much effort is needed to perform an action. To demonstrate this, analyzing both people with neurological pathologies such as Parkinsonboth healthy individuals who however perceive greater fatigue than normal, have been Mirta Fiorio And Angela Marotta of the Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement of the Scaliger University.
The brain and the perception of effort
In practice, when we want to perform a gesture, the brain predicts the sensations he will experience when facing it and regulates the perceived intensity. But in patients with pathological tirednessthe motor sensations are felt more strongly: the brain makes prediction errorsattributing a greater level of effort, and this makes the actions considered completed more tiring than necessary.
Mitochondria and mental energy
Theories that identify in nervous system the person in charge of chronic fatigue however, they do not start with this research. It was already known that among the culprits there are also mitochondriathe cellular energy powerhouses they produce adenosine triphosphatethe “chemical currency” that powers every neurological activity.
The brain does not use all available energy blindly: it manages it with thrift and, through hormonal and nervous signalsdecides how much fuel to give ourselves and how much to hold back reserve. But our life stressful and hyperconnected it puts him to the test, to the point of making him go haywire.
The evolutionary reserve of the brain
«The brain always maintains one substantial reserve for emergencies: it is an evolutionary legacy” he explains Stefania Paola Cortineurologist at the University of Milan. «Paradoxically this mechanism is activated today for “threats” such as work deadlines or digital notifications».
The latter repeatedly activate the dopaminergic reward system and thestress axiswith the consequence that each interruption takes minutes to recover deep concentration.
Digital detox and posture
All this contributes to mental tirednesswhich then becomes physics. «It would be important to allow yourself periods of relaxation digital detox» continues Corti. «Because they seem to reduce the cortisolimprove the quality of sleep and restore the attentional capacity».
But it’s not just digital notifications that exhaust us: even the posture and the long hours sitting they contribute to the work. «When the posture is incorrect or the muscles are chronically tense, i proprioceptors they send constant alarm signals. The nervous system interprets them as indicators of physical fatigueeven when stationary.”
This “proprioceptive fatigue” activates brain areas associated with effortcreating a “proprioceptive noise” which the brain translates into tiredness.
A global and shared effort
We don’t have much hope of avoiding it: and if we also focus on the Christmas holidayshoping to rest, we know that won’t happen. In the United Statesone in three Americans wakes up exhausted; at midday the average worker is already out of energy. The cost of low productivity surpasses i 100 billion dollars the year.
The diagnosis of tiredness
Not all tiredness is harmless. Understand them causes — mitochondria, brain short circuits, proprioception — is fundamental. “There exhaustion it is the most common and least specific symptom” he recalls Nicola Montano of the Milan Polyclinic. «It can mean all or nothing: from one poor quality sleep to one depressionfrom one chronic disease to an infection.”
The key is in signals: tiredness “different from usual”, never felt before, or associated with pains, palpitations, anxiety. In these cases we need to investigate further. More and more studies confirm the role ofchronic low-grade inflammationa risk factor for many pathologies.
Fatigue as a mirror of time
These inflammatory processes can drain energy, fueled by chronic activation of the sympathetic nervous system. We need a reasoned diagnostic process, based on medical history and objective examinationwhich explain the diagnosis in 70% of cases. Do comprehensive exams remains a frequent mistake.
Really catch up during the holidays
To alleviate tiredness it is necessary I commit even on holiday. Studies published in The Journal of Occupational Health Psychology indicate that the benefits of vacation quickly disappear if you do not practice true recovery: psychological detachment, physical movement, positive social relationships.
We live tired to defend ourselves
There great tiredness it is not an accident of our time, but his more faithful mirror: a brain on alerta body constantly sittinga humanity hyperconnected that consumes energy as if it were infinite.
Except it’s not. If once resources were used to escape from predators, today we need them to survive deadlines, like And notifications. But i neurons they do not distinguish: we live tired to defend ourselves from a danger that no longer exists.
