Healing From Pandemic Level Burn Out
Jenn Bovee, LCSW, CRADC, CCHt
EMDR Trained
There has been growing angst and discontent in the world around all of us. And yet, that does not even begin to describe what we are collectively feeling. But those are the only words my human brain can use to describe what we are all experiencing. The amount of discontent and disdain we hear people express daily has grown on an exponential level.
I could talk about the hows and whys we all got here for hours upon hours. I can explain the rationale behind why this level of burnout is so severe down to the subconscious level but is that going to be helpful? Will it be beneficial to talk about how we were all collectively working towards getting back to life as we knew it and the carrot kept getting moved? Is it helpful to know that the outcome measures we were all working towards looked different for each of us? Is it beneficial to know that we all were not on the same page, in the same book, and often not even in the same library? I would rather talk about how to heal from this exhaustive level of burnout than focus on how we got here.
If you would prefer, we can look at how the political climate fed into this massively exhaustive fatigue. We can research how the lingering and brooding fear of getting sick contributes to the comprehensive drained and emptied point. We could also focus on the havoc that the fear of the unknown is playing for everyone involved. Or we can feed into the growing anxiety that your specific coping skills are not cutting it for this level of pandemic style burnout. Sleeping more, hydrating more, talking about doing more self-care is not fixing the problem. So how do you improve this deep level of burnout?
My suggestion is to begin to heal from the deep level of burnout created by a pandemic, which is first to recognize that it is a process, not an event. Also, please keep in mind that not all of these are going to work for you. Additionally, what works in one moment may not work in another moment. My recommendation is to approach these things with as much flexibility as possible. When we are too rigid, we miss the lesson at the moment. My recommendations are as follows:
Begin Tracking As Much As Possible: I know many people who are thriving from tracking. We have all found so much benefit in tracking so many different things. Some of the things we have benefited from tracking include mood, emotions, sleep, energy level, etc. Some people enjoy tracking their food and their movement. This is not something that we recommend for everyone because it can be a massive trigger for disordered eating behaviors. Regardless there is a lot of validity in tracking things like mood, sleep, and emotions. The rationale behind it is it can help us to see our patterns and put together pieces of the puzzle we did not see previously.
Learn Non-Work Things: Commit the time and energy to learn non-work-related things. It nourishes our brains to have an outlet, specifically if you feel like you live a groundhog day-like experience where you feel like nothing is changing. And you keep living the same day over and over again. Nourishing your brain with new information is so healthy and helpful.
Create a sense of community: I can not stress the importance of developing a sense of community. Even if in the beginning, that sense of community is just two people. It is crucial to leverage our energy and effort to renew and revitalize our organizational culture. Developing a sense of community eliminates the deep sense of isolation that many have experienced during this pandemic. Additionally, it serves to defeat the anxiety-driven thoughts that you may be the only one on the planet experiencing whatever you are going through.
Set Small Manageable Goals: It is critical to set measurable, achievable, and realistic goals. Let’s be honest for a moment. The vast majority of us have had super wonky sleep schedules for MONTHS now, right? It would be setting you up for failure if I were to suggest that you go from getting four hours of sleep a night to 7 or 8 hours a night as a goal. That’s not only unrealistic; it’s a recipe for failure. A more realistic approach is to increase your sleeping in 15 or 30-minute increments.
Practice An Attitude Of Compassion: Do you remember the grace with which you treat your best friend when they are experiencing a horrible tragedy? Or how about how loving and kind you are to your favorite coworker when they are just having the worst workday ever? Remember how kind and loving you are to that young child you know and love when their world erupts into tears and broken hearts? This is precisely the type of empathy and compassion I am referring to. I would love to see you use this as a guide in your daily life. What would be different in your life if this was your default setting?
I hope these suggestions have been helpful to you. If you are finding yourself in a position where your burnout is beginning to feel chronic or bothersome, please consider seeking out professional help. To read more about the providers please find more information here: https://www.thementalwellnesscenter.com/providers