What Are The Symptoms Of Language Learning Fatigue?

Language learning fatigue is something that can creep up on you and you might not even realise you are suffering from it at times, so I will go through some of the common symptoms so you can try and catch it early and take action to prevent it getting worse.

Really learning fatigue is just when your brain becomes too tired to work properly anymore and really you need to stop and rest. You may want to continue studying, but you will just be wasting your time.

It’s good to know your limits, as then you can make sure you are actually using your time productively and are actually benefiting from the effort you are putting in. 

(You can read more about – How Can I Avoid Language Learning Fatigue?)

You Will Feel Tired

One of the first things you will notice when you are studying is that you will get start to get tired. This is also usually one of the most noticeable feelings and it makes sense as we are talking about “fatigue”, which is of course a type of tiredness.

You may notice you are yawning, or just generally want to stop and go do something else. Sometimes this is just your mind trying to trick you and are just trying to avoid doing actual work, but a lot of the times you will actually be tired.

If you have been studying for a while this is totally normal and to be expected. The problem only starts when you try and ignore this and you keep pushing on. You will reach a point where you just become too tired to function correctly.

You Will Start Having A Lack Of Concentration

Another early symptom of fatigue is a lack of concentration. You will find that your mind will very easily wonder and if you are not aware of this you can end up wasting a lot time just sort of day dreaming.

It might take you a while to be able to recognise that this is happening, it’s very easy for the mind to wonder off and as you are self studying there is no one there to pull your focus back in.

If you start noticing that you are struggling to pay attention then you should consider taking a break. It is better to rest than try and fight through it.

I generally find that once I reach this point, I have to just stop.  A break can help me refocus, but usually I will lose focus again very quickly so it’s basically a losing battle for me. There is no point in fighting against it, you should listen to your body and stop.

Your Memory Will Not Be As Good

Another symptom that you might not recognise right away is problems with your memory. This can be subtle, but basically you will start forgetting new things, or just generally struggling to recall words that should not be an issue for you, either when speaking or spelling them when writing.

Everything just becomes a little more effort and it’s like your brain is not working at its full capacity.

I usually find this a lot more noticeable when I am trying to learn new words. Normally I can look at a word and retain it for a while, but when I am getting fatigued, it just will not stick. I will look at a word and then 30 seconds later it will be like I’ve never seen it before. The whole process just seems 10 times harder and it can be a real challenge to try and remember anything.

If I start noticing this, then I know I am starting to get fatigued.

You Might Be Confused

When I say “confusion” this word is maybe a little too strong, this type of confused feeling is more subtle, so it can be harder to spot. 

Basically you will find that you are just not as mentally sharp as normal and you will struggle with things that would normally be very easy.

You will notice this most when you are trying to learn about a new concept in the language. If you are reading about a grammar point for example, you may notice that it is not clicking as easily.

Normally you can read something like this and it will just make sense. When you are entering into fatigue you may have to read something a few times and even then you may just not be super satisfied that you fully understand it.

You will probably just question your abilities, or assume that this particular grammar point is more complex than previous ones, but actually it’s just that you are fatigued and your brain isn’t working at full power and is causing you to be confused.

If you come back to this same point when you are feeling fresh, it will just make sense. It might only be then that you realise that you where previously fatigued. 

You need to learn to recognise when this happening, as it is a waste of your time if you are trying to study when you can no longer take on board new information easily.

You Will Lose You Ability To Notice The Little Details

Another common symptom you may start to notice is that you can no longer spot the little nuances in the language, but again, this can be subtle and you may not realise it is happening.

A good example is when you start making mistakes (which are normal) but you can’t spot what is wrong, even when you are told it’s a mistake.

I have done spelling exercises and failed, and I just can’t see what I did wrong. Usually it is one letter that is missing, or in the wrong order and if it is taking me a while to actually work out what I did wrong, that is a clear sign I am fatigued.

As a French learner I am constantly dealing with silent letters and random –s and –e added to the end of words. When I am fatigued all this goes drastically wrong and I make so many mistakes, but the real sign that I am struggling with fatigue is when I then spend 30 seconds looking at the word and I still can’t work out what I have done is wrong.

I will also notice this is happening more and more and basically my ability to do anything correct is drastically declining. This is a real sign that I am way past my limit and need to stop. I am no longer being productive and I am now just wasting my time.      

Your Productivity Drops

If you have read everything above, you will probably notice it can be summed up by saying “your productivity will drop” as this is exactly what happens.

All the above symptoms will just take the edge off your abilities and you will find that everything you are doing just seems to take longer and is that little bit harder.

This only gets worse as the fatigue gets worse. This is why we need to be able to spot it is happening and then take a break.

(You can read more about – Should You Push Through Language Learning Fatigue?)

Physical Symptoms From Language Learning Fatigue

Everything I have mentioned so far has been symptoms you will notice in your performance. Basically your ability to perform will start to drop.

However, if you pay attention to your body you will also notice a lot of physical signs that you are starting to get fatigued. 

You may start to notice you suffer from the following problems:

You Might Get A Sore Head

One of the first signs that I am going too far with my studies is a headache. This can be worrying, but it is normal. You are using a lot of brain power, so it just gets sore after a while.

You Might Get Blurry Vision

Blurry vision can be terrifying, but it can happen. I notice this if I am reading a lot. I will struggle to focus both mentally and physically on the page.

You Might Feel Dizzy

I have sometimes also felt dizzy when I really push myself and get deep into fatigue. This is normally quite rare, as you will have probably stopped long before this, but it can happen.

You will Be Hungry

You might not realise it, but I am certain you will be hungry when you start getting fatigued. You may be craving some sort of sugary snack or you may try and ignore the feeling, but if you stop and pay attention you will be hungry. 

This does make sense; you will be low on energy, so you need to eat.

You Might be More Irritable  

Being irrigated can be hard to spot, as you are probably sat on your own and no one is bothering you, but you can still start to notice it. You may start getting annoyed at random noises in the background or even angry at yourself as you are not performing as efficiently as normally.

I always notice that when my performance is dipping and I start getting frustrated that I am struggling to work as well …its then I realise that this poor performance and the fact I am annoyed at it, is a very clear sign that I am very fatigued.   

Language Fatigue Is Basically Low Blood Sugar

If you have gone through the above physical symptoms and think they sound similar to low blood sugar, you would be right.

This is because this is actually what is going on. You are pushing your brain hard and you are using up all your energy to keep focus …and then you run out energy and then your blood sugar levels drop and you get all the problems I have mentioned above happening.

This can be a surprise to a lot of people, but studying hard is like a form of exercise. You will use a lot of energy, even if you are just sat there and while it isn’t quite the same as physically exercising, your brain is still working hard.

This is why some rest and food can help, but really once you reach fatigue you need to stop and just give yourself a proper amount of time to recover, including having a good night’s sleep.

Conclusion

As you can now see, there are a lot of different signs and symptoms you can look out for that will let you know that you are getting fatigued.

You need to pay attention to your body and mind and you need to start recognising what is happening. Trying to study when you are fatigued will just not be as effective and you will be wasting your time, so you need to spot it and then stop studying.  

(You can read more about – What Are The Causes Of Language Learning Fatigue?)