Hey, poker playas.
A lot of people are currently suffering from lockdown fatigue due to the pandemic. It has been a long year and we are still struggling to control the pandemic.
We are here to offer advice on how to cope with lockdown fatigue.
What is lockdown fatigue?
lockdown fatigue is the impact of experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions and feelings, combined with underlying anxiety, future uncertainty, and a lack of control over part of our lives.
The main reason it’s become so prevalent is that the pandemic has impacted our well-being in a multitude of ways and we have no choice but to adjust at a dizzying pace.
Routines have been interrupted, schedules have been changed, and many individuals are working from home, working on the front lines, and educating differently.
Our wellbeing is also heavily affected by difficulties such as financial struggles, which require having to learn to change and do things differently.
What are the symptoms of lockdown fatigue?
The impact of lockdown fatigue on our mental and physical wellbeing presents differently in different people, but the overarching feeling is one of “exhaustion, lack of focus, and lower motivation,”
This can cause physical tiredness, muscle tension, and headaches, leaving us feeling agitated and irritable,” he says. Then, mentally, there’s the inherent sadness of missing physical interaction, the anger at a lack of control of the situation, and the frustration of a lack of clarity on what freedoms we do have. “With many people’s sleep disrupted, our emotional regulation is even harder to keep in harmony
What are the best ways to treat lockdown fatigue?
Start with Sleep
Improving our sleep-wake cycle by aiming for a consistent sleep routine is a great start,
It provides an anchor in our day and allows us to honor our circadian rhythmicity, positively impacting our energy, emotional balance, and hormonal regulation.
because stress and anxiety can cause sleeping problems, it’s also important to cultivate an evening routine that allows you to disconnect from technology, media, and high-intensity activities, and embrace more mindful activities that help you destimulate and relax.
Follow a Schedule
creating a schedule for our sleep, eating, work, and relaxation, we have a structure to operate in and a level of certainty and control that helps us to feel less anxious and more stable. And while a little bit of flexibility goes a long way, we need a routine when in lockdown as it gives us some psychological separation between parts of our day, which is essential when we are staying in our domestic environments
Stay active, exercise, and eat mindfully
While exercise may tire you out in the short term, it is both mood-boosting and boosts our resistance to stressors, both valuable tools in combatting fatigue.
Ensuring you eat nutritious meals will give you the energy you need and you will feel better equipped to navigate your emotions,
Stay connected with positive people
Lockdown is a shared human experience we are going through together, and it’s crucial that we don’t feel like it is just us who are fatigued.
To combat loneliness, find intentional ways to interact with others and invest in some self-care that’s meaningful to them, while also finding ways to be kind and helpful to others. After all, doing nice things for others has been found to boost serotonin, which is the neurotransmitter that gives us the feeling of satisfaction and well-being.
Stay safe poker playas!
