I know you are tired of COVID-19. I am tired of it, too. For months, we all had to deal with the constant threat of this virus, deaths, and layoffs while being denied our typical coping methods such as social gatherings, going to the movies, or eating out. It has led to widespread emotional exhaustion which, is known as “COVID fatigue”. These days, COVID fatigue is increasing for many people as we get worn dealing with it. It hurts more than our mental health. It causes us to get sloppy about the precautions we know we should take like, washing hands, maintaining physical distance, wearing masks, etc.
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WHAT IS COVID FATIGUE?
Just like any stressor, COVID-19 causes our bodies to respond to the fight-or-flight response.
- Resisting the threat
- Evading the threat
- Becoming paralyzed in the face of the threat
- Giving in to the threat
Fatigue and weakness are considered normal; post-COVID recovery. But, this pandemic has not given us a break to handle this stress. Hence, it gets difficult to come out of a situation like this and deal with it.
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WAYS OF DEALING WITH THE POST-COVID-FATIGUE:
- Exercise to help cope with COVID-19 fatigue:
Medical experts say that exercise is one of the best ways to release the energy that builds up from stress and worry. It helps us in avoiding mistakes or having emotional outbursts. Exercising releases endorphins that make us feel better and boost our sense of pleasure. Not only exercise, just taking a walk through the park or your neighbourhood helps relieve stress.
- Talking about your frustrations:
Finding someone to talk to about your anxieties and frustrations is extremely helpful. Ignoring your feelings or emotions doesn’t make them go away. By sharing how you are feeling-whether through talk, playing a musical instrument, writing in a journal-we release the worry and stress, we have been holding in before it builds up to a traumatic level.
- Practicing mindfulness and gratitude:
Simply- try being in the moment, looking and breathing around at what you have. Mindfulness is also about cultivating an awareness of the present moment. Redirecting your focus to the now helps release anxiety about the future. It helps you stay safe. So, try doing; a mindfulness exercise out of washing your hands or listening to the sound your breath makes while wearing a mask.
- Engaging in constructive thinking:
Always be compassionate with yourself and others. Feelings come from our thinking and, it somehow reflects a situation. So, if you can’t change a situation you can adjust your thinking. Always remind yourself, “I am doing my best.”
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- Watch what you are watching:
Staying informed is important. But deluging yourself with information can add to your COVID-19 fatigue. Always try limiting yourself to a few trustworthy new sources, as well as how much time per day you spend consuming the news. Be very mindful of social media. It is the source of spreading disinformation, and its content might mislead or upset you.
- Be gentle with yourself:
Don’t expect perfection, and don’t wallow in mistakes. Nobody prepared us for dealing with this COVID-19. We are making it up as we go, and it is OK if you don’t have all the answers or always know what to do. So, be as compassionate as you can with yourself and take your time to deal with this situation.
- Stay physically distant, but not socially distant:
Using technology to stay in touch with your friends and family while keeping a safe physical distance is mandatory. You can attend virtual meet ups or join online groups. It will make you feel better and will help reduce COVID-19 fatigue.
- Taking it moment by moment:
Do not look too far down the road. Realize that you will have good days and bad days too. You will have some good moments and bad moments too. But in all this, realize that things come in waves. So, think about what you can do to make yourself feel better.
- Finding things to look forward to:
It could be like walking with your friend or watching repeat episodes of your favorite TV shows. There might be these little things that make you happy. So, go for it, have fun to look forward to in the middle of uncertainty.
Taking proper rest is essential to healing as your body is fighting off the infection. So, try to relax. Listen to calm music; massaging oils can help you to relax. Also, avoid stress and heavy workouts while your body is weak and still recovering from COVID.
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- Keeping activity levels low:
Try not to do heavy workouts as they require energy. Do not do work that needs physical strength. Just take off from work as well and focus on rest and self-isolation till you get fully recovered.
- Let yourself laugh, have some fun:
Laughter can induce physical changes in the body and can even set you up for overall long-term health. So, do some fun activities that relax your mind and body. If you have got nothing to do, just put on your favorite comedy or read through the comics in the newspaper.
COVID fatigue is not long-term stress. Doing your favorite activity will make you feel better. So, continue to follow what you love doing. Also, make sure that you eat healthy, stay hydrated and take adequate sleep and rest. Always, wear a mask while going out and follow all the government guidelines.
