Addressing Pandemic Burnout and Fatigue, Yes It's Real

In December 2020, we reached the one-year mark of Covid-19, and the whirlwind it took us all on does not look like it is going to stop anytime soon. In a time where schools, malls, and airports have shut down, it also came with a lot of changes in the world. Everyone was forced indoors, we had to learn how to work from home, how to connect via screens, and to also share love and laughter through technology.

Pandemic fatigue classified as the "demotivation to follow recommended protective behaviors, emerging gradually over time and affected by a number of emotions, experiences and perceptions" by the WHO is an issue that is plaguing all of us. After more than a year of lockdowns and the "new normal", a lot of people have been saying that they are just done with what's happening and have gotten to a point where they feel like they do not see the end in sight.

Pandemic burnout or fatigue is painful and it has been a huge problem for a lot of people. For the first time, the entire world is experiencing the same issues. Hopefully, it has made us all more empathetic but it does seem like it is starting to take its toll on a massive amount of us.

During this pandemic burnout these things are extremely common:

1. Mental breakdowns or mental shutdowns happen a lot due to all the uncertainty, fear, and changes that have happened in such a short amount of time. Everything that we are used to has changed. Life does not look the same anymore, and no one knows when we will go back to the way things were. 
2. Isolation gets extremely tiring, triggering boredom, anxiety, and depression.
3. Financial anxiety is real. We are hearing that just in Canada alone, we have lost over 213,000 jobs making the unemployment and jobless rate go up by a whopping 9.4%. With unemployment, there is of course the fear of not being able to provide for your family. That kind of stress has been affecting almost everyone. 
4. The fear of the disease. Everyday hearing about new cases rising and the death toll increasing with no indication of stopping can take its toll on you. We are still in the middle of a global pandemic, facing a disease that we 
5. The lack of social contact is also a huge contributor to this time of pandemic fatigue.
6. A lot of research on psychopathology that I have done has also shown that the absence of social support is a crucial contributor to the increased depression and anxiety. 

 

Some of the symptoms of pandemic burnout or fatigue that you might face are: 

• Feeling tired even though you've fully rested.
• Not enjoying yourself or your life in general.
• Feeling lonely.
• Feeling depressed and sad.
• Either sleeping too little or sleeping too much.
• Change in appetite (eating too much or too little).
• Easily angry or triggered.
• Feeling frustrated and stuck.
• Feeling pessimistic about your future.
• The lack of hope and expectations for your future.

There is nothing wrong with feeling these emotions, but if it goes on for too long and you feel like there is no way out - you might want to start trying some coaching methodologies that I have come across. After being a professional coach for more than a decade, I have realized that a lot of the Flow Coaching Institutes’ coaching methodologies can be transformed to fit these current issues happening across the globe. 

• If you are a practical person that is usually satisfied when you see results, you should focus more on short term goals and tasks that will help you. Think one day at a time or even an hour at a time. Smaller thinking helps, especially in these situations.
• If you are a visionary, you should set a long term vision. Continuously striving to reach these long term goals will help you get through the day. 
• However, regardless if you are a visionary or a practical person, I want you to think about meaningful goals that you want to achieve that will allow you to overcome this fatigue. Then ask yourself, how can you turn this goal into a meaningful intention?
• Always stay active. One of our Flow Coaching principles talks about focusing on what we can change versus what we cannot. What’s happening with the world is something we cannot change, so let’s control what we can. Being active. We recommend at least moving around during the day. Take some time to take a walk around the house, get some jumping jacks in, or even just walk in the park down the street.
• Shift the way you view this time. Move it from the restricted concept of not being able to leave the house and having the work exclusively from home to perhaps a time where you can try to grow yourself spiritually. Take some time to meditate and journal. 
• Expressing your emotions. Emotions are just forms of energy and being able to express that is the best way to fully understand your feelings & emotions. It can be journaling, painting, or even reading. Take some time to express these emotions in the best way you would like to. 

If you believe that you have reached a place in your life where none of these methods help you, you might benefit from getting professional support in the form of a coach or a mentor.

The world is a very different place today and it does get overwhelming sometimes. This is why here at Flow Coaching Institute, we have made it our mission to help people through these trying times. 

Let us know how we can help. We want to help. As the agents of change in the world, I believe that coaches hold a very special and important role during this time. I take this responsibility very seriously and I would love to know if there is anything I can do for you now. 

If you need anything, please reach out to one of our certified Flow Coaching Institute coaches. You can email us at info@flowcoachinginstitute.com or fill in one of our forms on the website.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.