How do I manage pandemic burnout?
Dear Career Curator,
While burnout can occur at any point, it's definitely peaking during the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of what I have seen and personally experienced is a combination of over indexing into work and the uncertainty of what is to come. Our lives are usually predictable. We generally had an idea of how the day would go, with very few surprises. We were able to plan activities and events in advance with very little thought about the plan falling completely apart. Disruption of our day to day was limited to small fires at work or an accident that extended our evening commute. Then suddenly everything changed and I believe each of us has been trying to make sense of it ever since. There's a constant impending threat looming, while we do our best to continue on as if everything is normal. It isn't normal. The best any of us can do right now is to take care of ourselves as a priority.
Give yourself grace. It's not possible to operate at a 10 at all times. The combination of pushing yourself to operate at your highest capacity while simultaneously experiencing a silent (if you're lucky) and persistent adrenaline rush is too much for the human body to bear. There will absolutely be people who believe they are unaffected and can continue to operate at the same level 10 output they were used to pre-pandemic, sadly the impact of that choice may not show up until a few years from now. Don't be that person. Choose where it makes sense to modulate your output or down shift, if you will. You can still be great at your work without it being at the expense of your sanity. Decide right now what you need to change in order to give yourself breathing room. Of course, after two full years of the pandemic many people have decided that they have had enough and have chosen to take a break from work altogether. Not everyone has that option and often times having the routine of work may actually be the only thing saving you from completely falling apart. Only you can be the judge of that. At the bare minimum, use your PTO! A day of doing whatever you choose, is a day well spent.
Take care of yourself. More than the typical self-care rhetoric, focus on drinking enough water, eating whole foods, moving your body, and talking to someone (preferably a therapist). Just those seemingly small tweaks can create a huge shift in your mindset and overall well-being. If you don't know what brings you joy, set out to do the work to find out. Journal to uncover the things that make you happy and the things that send you into a tail spin. Create more joy in your life and reduce the annoyances. If you are experiencing this pandemic alone, make an effort to connect with others. Yes, even if the person that never calls you, take the initiative at least once and make the first move. Join groups, whether safely in person or virtually. Community is an important aspect of being human that we tend to casually dismiss. Get out of your head as much as you can by reading books, solving puzzles, or whatever you enjoy that is not tied to your work.
If you can get outside, do so. Fresh air is always helpful, even if it's just a brisk walk around the neighborhood. If you feel up to venturing out a bit, start to do that more often, as safely as possible. We all know someone that has been living it up for the past two years and you are either that person or they terrify you; there are few people in the middle. Do your best to move toward the middle. It's very clear that at some point, we will be living with Covid-19 and as scary as that seems today, it's much easier to digest if you start leaning into it a bit now (again, safely). I can't imagine going from hermit to socialite overnight, but without testing the waters a bit on your own terms, I imagine that's how it will feel when your country decides that it's time to "get back to normal". Whatever that means.
With encouragement,
Career Curator
P.S. Vaccinations work and they will give you peace of mind.
Change at least one thing about your work circumstances today. Do it again tomorrow and the next day, until you find your footing.