Burnout. A term that is now used to describe a state of experiencing a high level of stress for a prolonged period of time. The impact, of chronic stress for a long time can leave us feeling "burnt out". For many of us, it is a new year, same scenario – a stressful situation that seems to bear no end in sight.
We are stuck at home working all day. Our "outdoors" are narrowed down to a backyard or park and we are experiencing no or limited social contacts. In a nutshell, most of our life this past year has taken place within the same four walls, and for many behind a screen, day after day. It is difficult to separate business and pleasure from one another, as it is all going merging into one big blur.
Furthermore, it is suggested that more people find it difficult to cope with the second round of lockdown, as we are now realising that the pandemic will last much longer than first anticipated. Therefore, a new term has come forward – “Lockdown Burnout”.
7 signs that you may be "burnt-out" due to lockdown:
- "Normal daily tasks" become much harder to do
- Brain-fog
- Poor motivation
- Low mood
- Inability to concentrate
- Poor sleep
- High stress levels
If you relate to all of the above, then it's time to put a plan in place:
1. SET BOUNDARIES: This is one thing that we have asked many of our clients to do time and time again. It's essential that you try and separate work from "daily living" like allocating time for movement, eating without distractions and stopping work at your "normal" time.
2. ROUTINE: Set a template for what you want your week to look like. Times for rest, movement, food, and breaks, both indoor and outdoor, must be included!
3. JOY: Engage in things that make you happy and feel good. As much as you may feel it's all "doom and gloom", find the little things that can lift your day up a little higher. Try to have a laugh every day, even if that means searching for silly videos in youtube.
4. SOCIAL MEDIA: Take a break from social media and the news, if you feel that it upsets you or makes you anxious. Another option can be to allocate a specific time bucket to look through the news/social media e.g., 2 times per day, to protect yourself from the emotional roller-coaster you might experience.
5. OUTDOORS: Make sure that you manage to get out of the house at least once per day in order to get some fresh air, exposure to daylight and see the world from a different angle.
6. SLEEP: Create a good "wake and sleep" routine. Practice getting up in the morning and going to bed at night at approximately the same time every day. Create some good morning or bed-time routines that gives you the sense of self-care, such as lighting candles, reading a book, practicing yoga/meditation, enjoying a nice cup of tea/coffee without any distractions etc.
7. WINNING: Count your wins. Instead of focusing on all the negativity around us, channel your focus on the positive things in life. Ask yourself what you managed to do today, rather than what you did not do.
With these tips in mind, we would also encourage you to live in the moment. Now is the time to take each day as it comes, as we cannot plan far ahead.
Please seek help if you're worried about any aspect of your mental health. We are well connected to therapists so drop us an email if you need at info@nutrition-az.com and we will happily connect you to our list of therapists we work with.
