The phone alarm blares its dreaded tune.
“I don’t feel like adulting today,” Sarah thinks.
Already feeling overwhelmed and disheartened, she rolls out of bed. Several cups of coffee later, the energy and enthusiasm still aren’t there. She spends most of her day going through the motions, feeling a bit like a zombie on the verge of tears (Do zombies cry? Someone’s going to have to fact check that one). Everything just feels off, but Sarah can’t seem to put her finger on why. She ends the day numbing out with social scrolling and Chardonnay, only to wake up and do it all over again tomorrow.
Any of this sound familiar?
For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken away things we held dear—livelihoods, health, homes, time with friends, and loved ones. But even for those without tangible losses or diagnoses, there remains a sense of loss and a host of mental and physical symptoms that you just can’t seem to shake.
- Anxiety
- Overwhelm
- Exhaustion
- Hopelessness
- Irritability
- Lack of motivation
- Avoidance
- Brain fog
- Grief
These symptoms are telltale signs of what’s been dubbed pandemic fatigue, according to UCLA Health. The ping-ponging of intense emotions from all the chaos 2020 has ushered in has left many of us feeling everything from a little blah to downright depressed.
If pandemic fatigue has you feeling rough, you’re not alone. And it’s time to quit beating yourself up. The mental and physical fallout of the pandemic has taken a toll, no matter how it has touched your life. And while COVID-19 (and other 2020 not-so-lovelies) continues to rage on in our country, there is much we can do to change how we’re feeling.
Pandemic fatigue doesn’t get to steal your joy and health (unless you let it).
It’s time to reclaim what the pandemic has taken from you.
Right now, take this super short pandemic fatigue quiz to find out how pandemic fatigue is messing with you and what you can do to get back on track.
