Do you notice that you’re feeling more tired or fatigued these days? Maybe you’re having difficulty concentrating or find yourself more impatient than usual? It might be that you just flat out feel more depressed or anxious. Whether you’re noticing symptoms or not, you are likely suffering from what’s now known as coronavirus fatigue or pandemic burnout. Today I’m going to teach you how to identify your symptoms and my top tips to help you stay calm and focused right now.
What’s Pandemic Fatigue or Corona Burnout?
The symptom I see the most? An overall feeling of being exhausted. Sometimes that’s a physical lethargy and sometimes it’s a type of inner weariness.
Some of the symptoms you may (or may not) have noticed include:
- Feeling “snappy” or nervous
- Being more easily frustrated and impatient
- Eating or sleeping more (or less) than usual
- Drinking or using drugs more than usual
- A general lack of motivation (your get up and go has got up and went)
- Isolation and withdrawal from people
- Constant negative or racing thoughts
- Increases in symptoms related to a previously diagnosed mental health issue such as depression, anxiety, PTSD or your mood generally being unstable
Here are my top 5 ways to stay calm and focused right now:
Tip #1: Start your day with intention.
Tip #2: Practice mindfulness throughout the day.
I’ve got a ton of stuff on mindfulness so if you want to learn more, check out how to make mindfulness a consistent habit.
Tip #3: Increase your optimism
One of the best ways to be able to tolerate more uncertainty is to increase your optimism level. Raising your optimism set point to balance your negativity bias shifts your brain to a more neutral state that anticipates both positive and negative outcomes more evenly. Now you’ve got a different choice and a calmer brain.
I’ve got a great, FREE workshop for you to change your optimism level today!
Tip #4: Take Care of the Low-Hanging Fruit.
Whenever I speak with clients about their anxiety or upset feelings, the first thing I do is ask questions to assess if the easy stuff is handled. There are some easy things you can do to ease yourself towards comfort and a sane mind.
- Limit alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine which all aggravate anxiety and depression and can trigger panic attacks.
- Get enough sleep.When stressed, your body needs additional sleep and rest. So get your butt to bed on time!
- Move your ass. Even a little bit of movement every day will help you feel good and maintain your health.
Tip #5: Think physical distance NOT social distance!
Relationships and social connections are the key to a happy life. Find ways to connect with others. Friends reduce our anxiety! (Or at least the calm ones do).
Also keep in mind who you allow in your inner circle. Who do you interact with most? Our emotions are contagious so others can make you feel fear and panic. In the same way, make sure that you’re not the one infecting others with a fearful mood.
Resources and Links:
How to Make Mindfulness a Habit
Why Sleep is the Secret to Great Relationships
If you want to take all this learning deeper and really integrate these concepts, you can take my Optimism Jumpstart Workshop for FREE and start feeling more ease, joy and connection in your life today! (It includes a quiz!)
Ready to find out what goes on inside that crazy mind of Abby’s?
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