The Covid-19 pandemic has been part of the world’s everyday reality for well over two years now, and as it wears on, some may still be experiencing prolonged “pandemic fatigue”.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines pandemic fatigue as “feeling demotivated about following recommended behaviours to protect ourselves and others from the virus”.
While South Africa has had low Covid-19 case numbers for most of 2022, restrictions have been eased, and the State of Disaster scrapped. A Social Listening report from the Department of Health found that many citizens have expressed their exhaustion from the pandemic.
“The sentiment is that the virus is now very weak, and Covid is over. There is questioning why we are still prioritising Covid,” read the report.
Clinical Psychologist, Cheryl Sol, says that fatigue after any prolonged and relentless life event is common.
“Our brains and bodies are well designed for coping with stress, anxiety and unpredictable events over the short term. We have been in fight, flight or freeze mode for two years and what helps over the short term starts to deplete over time.
“People eventually start to either overreact or shut down. The way people start to manage or handle day to day frustrations can be with less and less tolerance and become more over-reactive,” she said.
Sol, who has been a registered psychologist for 25 years and has her own private practice in Durban, says that repair is a long term thing.
“The brain needs time to rebuild, to rest and repair while at the same time managing the challenges of everyday life.”
Here are Sol’s tips on how to take care of yourself amid an ongoing pandemic.
- See fatigue in a holistic way. Give it time but also manage your physical, psychological, spiritual and social aspects of your life.
- This means good sleep, exercise, eating well, attending to any anxiety or depression, not ignoring relationship problems, understanding what gives your life meaning and connecting in meaningful ways to the people who you care about.
- Stay interested and care about others but see where you need to disconnect. Don’t connect to all the bad stories on the news.
- Get to know which people in your life lift you or drain you. Manage your access to each other.
- Set boundaries, and become aware of what energises you and do more of that.
- Keep plans realistic and call on practical help if necessary.
- This too will pass, but you need to work with it.
- If you need professional help, try and seek it sooner rather than when you are completely overwhelmed.