If you’re feeling stressed, irritable, exhausted yet struggle to get a good night sleep you are certainly not alone.
“Burnout is a state of psychological (mental and emotional) exhaustion brought on by a prolonged stressful situation” – Dr Audrey Tang.
Basically burn out is a broad term for not being able to cope or feeling like you don’t have the energy to cope with the given situation. Something I think a lot of us can relate to right now.
A full calendar cycle now
We are a year into the pandemic and a lot of us are really feeling it, and have been for quite a while.
Last month we were given some dates to look forward to, perhaps a light at the end of what has been very long, dark tunnel. If all goes to plan, restrictions should lift around the 21st June. I like to think of myself as a positive person but I can’t help but question whether that is realistic. I think for a lot of people the lack of a definite end to this whole thing is wearing us thin.
Months of zoom meetings, feeling isolated, worrying about finances, our own health and that of our family and friends, it’s all taken a toll. We feel stressed and emotionally exhausted.
There have been studies showing an increase in irritability with others and a heap of research shows the longer stress lasts the worse for out physical and mental health.
Lots of us have difficult, stressful days followed by good days where our mood improves and we can continue the best we can. I’ve been continuing to PT and teach classes online throughout this whole thing and have certainly noticed attendance comes in waves and right now there is a definite lull.
Advice
Kindness and self-compassion is so important, especially right now. We might be getting on with life, functioning well but not as well as before and that’s ok. Our work and social life has had to completely change for an extended period of time.
Since the start of the year I’ve been checking in with my own clients every day with a new daily focus each month. We’ve keep going with daily exercise, daily small wins/ good things and as of this month are making sure we’re getting our steps outside.
Here are few areas to look to develop on that can practically work on improving your mental health…
Prioritise sleep
Said again and again for a reason! Getting 7- hors can help improve concentration, memory and overall health.
If you’re struggling to sleep aside from the usual advice to cut caffeine and limit screen time try 10 minutes of stretching and or meditation, write down all your thoughts in a journal if you feel they’re loud in your head the minute your head hits the pillow.
Listen to your body
Many of us are guilty of overworking ourselves, stressing ourselves about commitments made and pushing ourselves too much. If you’re feeling tired and very stressed it’s not selfish to take some time to do something to make you feel good.
Exercise wise – plans are great but sometimes that needs to change too. Some of my 1-1 zoom sessions change on the spot when I see and hear how stressful they have felt or how low they feel that night. Exercise should be something you enjoy, that makes you feel good during and after. Sometimes you’re a little tired or stressed and just need to start, other times the stress is a little much and the focus of the workout might need to change a little, and that’s ok.
Get outside
As I said, this is the current challenge for my clients and one I’ve personally been loving. My favourite time is in the morning, before breakfast, before my day starts, before I get the chance to feel overwhelmed. I stay out anywhere from 15-45 minutes and have noticed the difference to my morning. Whether warm sun shines on my face or sharp cold air strikes my face, I truly feel happier when I get back in the door. I never regret my walk.
Stay as social as possible
It’s never too late to reach out to family and friends. Maybe everyone is a bit bored of zoom calls, quizzes and other online meet ups but if you did them, didn’t it help?
Pause the self-judgement and negative self-talk
We all criticise ourselves, often doing so without really thinking about it. With less to do, we have had so much more time alone with our thoughts, more time to listen to them and if you’ve been feeling like you’ve not done enough, more time to be extra critical.
Try to make a conscious effort to observe your thoughts. I used to try to argue with them, I thought being defensive when I noticed them was the way to stop them but I never seemed to win. Instead just notice when they crop up, listen but don’t engage or judge. I sometimes write them down, seeing them physically in ink can make what they’re saying sound so ridiculous.
Celebrate the small wins
Another daily client check in post I loved reading responses to. It’s so easy to get lost in a sea of overwhelm and comparison. Feeling any accomplishment big or small is a win. Each evening check in and ask yourself what made you smile? What was one good thing that you can take from the day? Small celebrations can really add up and make a big difference.
