Addressing Burnout, Pandemic Fatigue and Overall Exhaustion
“I am EXHAUSTED. I cancel my subscription to 2022. I did my 31 day trial and I’m out.”
This post I saw on twitter sums up how many people are feeling right now.
Just below that tweet however, was another that said “this was my best January yet.”
I wondered what the difference was between those two individuals’ outlooks and how they are approaching their lives right now.
It goes without saying that the pandemic has amplified and exacerbated the challenges people were facing before COVID hit.
Whether it’s mental health, financial instability, conflict management, lack of vision, family challenges, health challenges… whatever was swept under the rug is now unavoidable.
According to Martin Seligman in his article Building Resilience, there are two kinds of resilience.
The first is dealing with the shock, grief, anxiety and or depression as a result of a perceived trauma and then returning to the same level of functioning that was happening BEFORE the perceived trauma.
The second is dealing with the shock, grief, anxiety and or depression as a result of the perceived trauma and then building an even greater level of functioning than what was happening before the perceived trauma. In other words, it’s finding the silver lining and evolving and benefiting from the growth of that perceived trauma.
It’s been said that pain is unavoidable but suffering is a choice.
How can one grow and evolve in our challenging times even while it is perceived that things are falling apart?
Recently I’ve been studying individuals like Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Simone Biles, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Robin Roberts and more.
Here’s what I learned they have in common:
They went through massive and traumatic trials and tribulations on their way to discovering who they truly are.
They experienced major rejection and were told they would not succeed.
They had to find their own unique WHY.
Success, money and fame did not make them feel whole or complete nor silence their inner critic or self-doubt.
They became service focused and used their achievement as a platform to serve others, not just for their own acclaim.
They become other focused and developed skills including deep listening, and mutual respect of others.
They learned how to take criticism, discerning who to take it from and who not to listen to.
They learned optimism and that getting “caught trying” was more important than not trying even if there was a chance of failure.
Self-care is essential and becomes non-negotiable.
They define their own worth and value, not the external world.
How can we apply this wisdom to our own lives?
Focus on Self-Care
Trying to create, innovate and adapt is nearly impossible when in survival mode.
Getting consistent, high quality sleep, a healthy diet, vitamin D, daily exercise and movement and stress management are essential basics to making sure your at least operating at a baseline of functioning.
Pausing your news intake, getting out in nature, focusing on what IS working, laughing, journaling, meditating, therapy, writing groups, playing games, doing puzzles, drawing-anything that gets you into awe, wonder, gratitude… Shaking up your mindset and perspective on things. Get outside your “normal.”
2. Accept things as they are.
Distress of all kinds can be broken down to two perspectives:
The fear of losing that which you admire or are infatuated with, and the fear of gaining that which you are afraid of or resent.
Many people are desperately treading water trying to survive and keep things afloat, while the world around them is changing so fast they can’t keep up. And what they are trying so hard to preserve is no longer needed, wanted or relevant to the challenges at hand.
3. Take the time to know you WHY.
History shows that all leaders, influences and game changers have been driven by an internal purpose. They knew that their lives meant something and they were on earth to do something that had meaning and impact.
Not knowing what your why is, creates an exhausting hamster wheel of following other people’s directives, advice and commands. This serves them but not necessarily you.
Take the time to figure out what has meaning for you, what really matters, and what kind of impact you want to make, in any area of your life.
When your WHY is guiding you from it, it’s easier to pivot and adapt. Because they focus is on what and how, not WHY. When criticism or attack comes your way which it will, the WHY is what helps you take in what matters, let go of what doesn’t, get back up and keep going.
When you know your why, your self-worth is measured by who you help, not what you accomplished. It becomes intrinsic vs extrinsic.
4. Shift your focus from yourself to others.
One of the most essential part of adaptation is being able to get outside of oneself and focus on the world outside.
What problems are people struggling with? Where are they stuck? Where do you perceive voids or lack? What issues do you feel so strongly about that aren’t getting solved?
How can you get involved and start doing something about it?
5. Surround yourself with people who live what you want to be.
Whether it’s in person, online or through books, podcasts, YouTube videos, or some other form-infuse your mind with the thinking and behaviors of people who are examples of what you want to become.
As Stephen Covey says, “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
It’s really hard to pivot and adapt if surrounded by people who are stuck in a state of helplessness and hopelessness.
Finally, find the silver lining.
What have you learned during these last two years? What have you been able to do or feel or experience as a result of this forced reorganization? What has become possible that wouldn’t have before? Who have you connected with? What has shifted in your priorities?
In summary, it’s not what happens outside of you, it’s how you choose to experience it and participate with it, that makes the difference.
Rest, recover, restore and get back up.
You’ve got this.