Understanding the Inter-connection of Exhaustion & Depression
Female resting her head in her hands from exhaustion.
Often, when people get exhausted, they feel depressed or easily get upset. On the other hand, when people are depressed or angry, they may feel tired and even exhausted. Exhaustion and depression are actually interrelated, with one triggering and affecting the other. Exhaustion reflects weakness in Qi - vital energy, and blood circulation, potentially leading to brain chemical imbalances and depression.
For many years, I have observed that a lot of my patients, friends, family members and even myself have a bad temper and get depressed when we are very tired. When the mental and physical exhaustion lasts and our bodies feel ‘overdrawn’, if left unchecked, depression may result.
Patient A: “I feel exhausted and depressed. I work full-time and I’m a single mum. A few years ago, I bought a house. I had to manage everything by myself, from working and obtaining and paying for the mortgage to packing, moving and redecorating. When I moved into the new house, I was too tired to even appreciate it. I felt exhausted and buried myself in my depressed mood. I suffered from stress, anxiety and insomnia. My periods became irregular, and it seemed menopause happened to me out of the blue. I felt that everything had become meaningless. The pressure of the mortgage was overwhelming, and I always got angry with my child. I hated myself, the new house, and I regretted that I bought it.” (In reality, the new house was very good.)
I explained to her that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, overexertion causes loss of Qi. It is because physical and mental exhaustion cause the Qi to become deficient that depression and other symptoms can arise. Mental and physical health are always connected.
Patient B: “Because of my son’s death, I immersed myself in deep grief. I couldn’t get out of bed and had no appetite, no energy to do anything; all I can feel is endless sadness and exhaustion.”
I told her that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, excessive sorrow dissipates Qi. Extreme mental trauma may cause the Qi in our bodies to become damaged, stagnant or weaker. This depletion may lead to exhaustion and depression.
Given the two cases here, we can see that exhaustion and depression are co-related and co-existing; one triggers the other, and one affects the other. Exhaustion reflects the weakness of Qi and blood circulation. When the Qi and blood circulation of the brain become deficient, the brain’s chemicals become unbalanced, which may lead to depression. Also, the deficiency of any other parts of the body would also lead to this psychological condition.
In modern society, due to exhaustion from physical and mental stress, a considerable number of people are diagnosed with illnesses such as anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, infertility, impotence, irregular menstruation and irritable bowel syndrome, even cancer.
What can we do?
- Take a rest before you get exhausted; otherwise, you are overspending the energy and overusing your body.
- Drink before you get thirsty. Do not drink too much coffee and soft drinks.
- Try to figure out the triggers of becoming worried, depressed, or stressed and avoid them.
- Appropriate good diet. Trying to lose weight too fast sometimes can weaken the Qi, and you might also feel mentally stressed.
- Sleep before you get too sleepy. From the point of view of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the night belongs to Yin (as in Yin and Yang philosophy); Yin is inactive. Therefore, night is the time for us to replenish the Qi and blood circulation and to get rid of exhaustion. Inadequate sleep could weaken the Qi and blood circulation, decrease the oxygen in the brain, and dehydrate the body. If we still have to work and study hard for the following day, our Qi becomes more deficient.
- Eat before you get too hungry. Make sure to have meals on time. When we feel hungry, the sugar level in our blood drops, and the Qi weakens. Bad tempers and tension are common. After having some food, the blood sugar level increases, but the Qi may not be replenished straightaway. Our bodies have to spend energy to digest food first, then the Qi can be replenished. Constant blood sugar adjustments from irregular eating can damage the pancreas and increase diabetes risk.
© Copyright Angela Zhu 2026