By Dr. Clark Hammond – Co-founder/Executive Director
For the majority of 2020, humankind has been battling – battling a global pandemic, AND battling the fallout of such an unprecedented, life-altering reality. Back in April, I recruited a few colleagues and submitted a presentation to a professional conference addressing “the lessons learned” from coming face-to-face – as programs and mental-health professionals – with these unfamiliar threats unleashed upon society. Although we were navigating uncharted territory and doing our best to manage relentless uncertainty, it felt as though we should have had all the answers.
But we didn’t. No one did.
As leaders, the ensuing months were like guiding our troops through unknown, treacherous terrain, having to blaze new trails in the darkest of nights, with only a very dim light illuminating just a few steps ahead of us. We’d consult with one another, create a policy, and announce to our own troops the plan of attack. Seemingly, after a day or two, as information changed we’d have to repeat the process, doing our best to stay ahead of it all.
I had a naïve expectation that by the time the conference rolled around, we’d be able to present key strategies centered on preparation and policies that grew from our collective wisdom and experience, looking back at the novel coronavirus from the rearview mirror.
That would have been in June. It’s now nearly December.
Needless to say, a lot has happened since then, and in many ways, I’m not sure that we’re any better off with the additional experience under our belt. That initial conference was cancelled, but the presentation is now scheduled for January, 2021. My colleagues and I recently revisited our initial proposal and were shaken a bit by just how naïve some of the thinking was (completely on my part). But then again, we’d never traveled this road before. We spent most of our Zoom meeting sharing war stories of how COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our lives – personally and professionally. Not surprisingly, the common theme was exhaustion. Mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion.
Dr. Vaile Wright, a psychologist at the American Psychological Association who studies stress in the U.S., stated the following in a recent New York Times article: “In the Spring, it was fear, and a sense of ‘we’re all in this together.’ Things are different now. Fear has been replaced with fatigue.”
Similarly, Dr. Jacqueline Gollan, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Northwestern University noted, “When the outbreak first began, people were energized and eager to work hard and flatten the curve, but the combination of prolonged isolation, strict health and safety protocols, and increased stress levels has left us all feeling tired, less motivated, and less careful.”
But you don’t need a Ph.D. to see, feel, and experience this whole sense of “just being done with all this ‘covid nonsense.’” We now find ourselves battling the fatigue that comes from battling the virus.
To be clear, I’m not referring to the individual exhaustion that follows a bout of the novel coronavirus. Being a “COVID-19 Survivor” myself, I can tell you that the exhaustion is real, and can linger for a long time. Here, I’m referring to what others have called “Pandemic Fatigue,” which I define this way: the ongoing feelings of being mentally, physically, and emotionally overwhelmed by the constant state of vigilance and adherence to imposed or expected restrictions.
Going back to the recent conversations with my colleagues, the theme among our small group resonates with the experience of humankind the world over: we’re weary, tired, nearly out of answers, and doing our best to stay informed and engaged in the battle. At times, we may find ourselves on the verge of simply throwing up our hands and giving in to the pull of the “I don’t care anymore, and I’ll just do what I want” sentiment.
Given that we’re not alone in this struggle, I thought I’d focus this post on offering a few reminders of strategies that may help effectively manage the deleterious effects of the mental, physical, and emotional fatigue brought on by the nearly year-long pandemic:
Connection.
This may sound like exactly the opposite of what officials are telling us to do. The whole concept of “social distancing” is at odds with our innate need to develop and maintain meaningful relationships. So, we need to get creative. At STRīV, we work hard to prevent the spread of the virus, and embrace the idea of PHYSICAL distancing while increasing our social interaction. Stay connected to those you love through texts, video chats, or good old-fashioned phone calls. This can be great for you, but can also provide an opportunity to check-in with others for mutual support.
Exercise.
Experts agree that exercise is the best thing we can do to cope with the challenges of COVID-19. Exercise can be a healthy way to get the heartrate up, delivering more oxygen throughout the body. It also releases endorphins, which help reduce stress and boost our mood. If possible, exercise outside to get some fresh air and sunshine. Like one of our core principles at STRīV reminds us: “Hike More, Worry Less.”
Gratitude & Mindfulness.
I know – as one of my clients recently questioned, “why is gratitude and mindfulness the answer for everything?” While that’s not necessarily true, these concepts are indeed powerful exercises for putting us back in the driver’s seat of our moment-to-moment experience. Especially in a time when there is plenty to complain about or become frustrated with, the ability to simply find peace in the moment, breathe, and generate feelings of gratitude for the good around us can be a welcomed, internal oasis.
Kindness.
It goes without saying that this pandemic has taken an immeasurable toll, on innumerable levels. Couple that with the social unrest and political divisiveness our nation has been battling, and the journey feels pretty rough. I recently came across this quote that really stood out to me: “Kindness is a wonderful way to let another struggling soul know that there is still love in this world.” There are a lot of “struggling souls” right now – including, perhaps, ourselves. Let’s show kindness and self-compassion. Let’s share the love.
Laughter.
The devastation left in the ongoing wake of this pandemic is hardly anything to laugh about. As I write this, the global death toll of this heinous virus is 1.34 million, with over a quarter of a million covid-related deaths in the United States (252k), and the numbers are on the rise. The economic and emotional costs may never be fully known or understood. But within our own ways of dealing with it all, perhaps the old phrase still applies: “laughter is the best medicine.” According to psychiatrist, Dr. Kavita Khajuria, laughter is “one of the best ways to manage perceptions of stress and to develop resilience and improve psychological sturdiness…” She goes on to say, “given the brain’s neuroplasticity, it’s to our benefit to make our lifetime experiences as positive and hilarious as possible.” So, while we’re striving to deal with the craziness of the times and make sense of it all, allow yourself to laugh. A lot.
As we experience a resurgence of positive cases of COVID-19, or what is being called the “second wave,” we must not give in to the disruptive potential of pandemic fatigue. While it is definitely exhausting, we remind ourselves, and invite others, to dig deep to preserve and restore our mental, physical, and emotional well-being through connection, exercise, gratitude & mindfulness, kindness, and laughter.
We’ve got this. Together.
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