7 Signs of Pandemic Fatigue by Donna Platt

       When I participated in my first marathon, I didn’t know standing at the start line what I had in store for me in the miles and hours ahead; pain, joy and a million other emotions and sensations. It was challenging to run 26.2 miles all in one morning, but sufficient training helped, as well as preparing mentally for what was ahead. All that preparation helped me gain the perspective I needed to finish the race.         Imagine not training or preparing mentally for such an endurance race, then unwillingly being thrust into it with no foreknowledge. Dealing with the long term mental and emotional effects of the pandemic can feel much the same way. We feel like we’ve been through so much already and we can sometimes feel overwhelmed, depressed or exhausted. Trying to manage these intense emotions day after day can drain our energy, causing pandemic fatigue. It’s a very real feeling of exhaustion caused by the effects of COVID-19 on your life — from stay-at-home orders to the fear of losing our job to becoming ill. 

What Is Pandemic Fatigue? 

Here are 7 signs of Pandemic Fatigue:

1. Isolation, sadness and loneliness – Do you feel that you don’t have anyone to talk to about your struggles?
2. Anxiety, racing thoughts - Is your mind constantly worrying about your health or the health of those around you?
3. Inability to consider other people’s emotions – Do you have a hard time thinking about how other friends or loved ones may be feeling?
4. Using unhelpful coping sources – Have you increased your amount of drinking, sleeping, TV watching, social media consumption, etc.?
5. Concern over finances – Do you find yourself frequently worrying about money and yet feel unable to make a plan?
6. Constant childcare woes, frustration and irritability – Are you still experiencing a disruption in normal school routines?
7. Inability to perform daily tasks – Is it difficult to perform the most basic of tasks?

If you’ve experienced any number of these signs, you’re not alone, but you do need to think about creating a plan to take care of yourself. Fatigue doesn’t go away without intentional steps put in place to alleviate them.  

Healthy Ways to Cope

So many of us are feeling burned out right now. It’s also important to stay the course and slow the spread of coronavirus. Below are some ideas of what you can do to feel better while staying safe. 

#1: Take care of you

When we’re overly focused on other issues, we have difficulty making our health and well-being a priority. As the saying goes “We can’t pour from an empty cup.” Make sure you’re getting sufficient sleep (seven hours minimum) and maintaining a healthy meal plan. Though it may be difficult to get the motivation, exercising every day is super important. Doing these things will boost your energy, lift your mood and strengthen your immune system. Make a plan, possibly with friends or family members, to walk regularly or attend an online or in-person exercise class.

#2: Take a technology break

It’s good to stay up current on the latest coronavirus information. However, it would be helpful to consider taking a break from the news for a day or two and notice the difference. If that’s out of the question, then try to limit your news consumption to once a day for an hour or less.

#3: Lower your stress

Focusing on activities that are calming or bring you joy can lower your stress level — whether that’s cooking a healthy meal or bird watching or practicing meditation for 15 minutes a day. Anything that offers you stress relief can be helpful. Activities to consider include:

• Pray or meditate. A majority of American adults identify as spiritual or religious. Spirituality has been with a sense of well-being, particularly because it gives us a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
• Guided mindfulness exercises – CLICK HERE to try one from the UCLA Health website. 
• Yoga – search for classes at a nearby gym, local studio or find one online. Here’s one you might enjoy: 

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• Take a walk, run or bike “mindfully”; focus on your 5 senses and try to let go of thoughts as you notice them.
• Read a fun book or maybe some work of non-fiction or self-help that you’ve been putting off reading until now. There’s so many to pick from; one I like is Brene’ Brown’s The Gifts of Imperfection.
• Watch something funny; The Office or one of your favorite stand-up comedians on YouTube. 

#4: Connect with others

Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, humans are social creatures by nature. Being alone and feeling isolated can be stressful and downright unhealthy. So it’s crucial to stay connected with others during the pandemic. Although you should limit your physical contact with people outside your household, there are other ways to connect socially. You can:

• Give back to your community by getting involved with a charity or religious group.
• Make time to call a friend.
• Arrange a hike or a run outside with a group of friends.
• Write a letter (I know, it’s a lost art!)
• Join a book study through your local church or other religious organization.
• Attend religious services online or in-person while socially distancing.

#5: Accept your feelings - and the feelings of others

Challenging situations bring up a mixture of emotions. Some of us are “stuffers” and some are “exploders”. Stuffing painful feelings down or exploding and taking them out on others doesn’t make them go away. Instead, acknowledge and name your feelings.If you are suffering with depressed mood or anxiety, consider seeking professional help. Psychology Today is a good online resource for finding a therapist in your area.  Click here to begin exploring options.   It’s also critical that we can share our internal world with friends and family and to support one another in a safe and empathic way. Here’s a funny clip from Modern Family that I use in my couples therapy to illustrate how to help one another manage our stress:[fusion_youtube id=" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hFAv8z8xmw" alignment="" width="" height="" autoplay="false" api_params="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" css_id=""][/fusion_youtube]

#6: Try positive self-talk

Sometimes fear and anxiety can make our minds leap to the worst scenario, even if it’s most unlikely. You might become plagued with “what if” thoughts. Try catching those negative thoughts and replacing them with more realistic statements. For example, replace thoughts about acquiring COVID-19 with telling yourself all the things you’re doing to stay safe.DBT Therapy and ACT Therapy are two modalities that have good outcomes for the improvement of mood disorders and address negative self-talk. You can find many books and workbooks online to help you develop new coping skills to help address painful thoughts and emotions.

#7: Create new Rituals of Connection

Bring more joy into your days by creating new traditions with family or friends. You’ll have something fun to look forward to and you might even decide to keep it up once the pandemic has passed.Decide to get up earlier in the morning and take a quiet time, read a devotional, or schedule time after work or school to process your day with a loved one. Another idea to stimulate conversation with your partner is to ask open-ended questions (“what” or “how” questions that don’t require a yes or no answer). There is an app you can purchase through the Gottman Institute, called the Gottman Card Decks, that will provide you with interesting questions to ask one another.  Click here to check it out.  What is one step that you’re doing to address pandemic fatigue in your life?If we can support you in any way as you navigate pandemic fatigue, please don’t hesitate to click here to schedule a free 10-minute consult.