A Second Wind

I don’t know about you, but after a year of lockdown, a huge part of me is starting to yearn for the good old days when there were no restrictions.

Considering my personal preference for introversion, I can’t imagine how others with a preference for extroversion are feeling right now.

We can’t be blamed for feeling tired, burnt out and, frankly speaking, fed up. It’s been a very long journey from the start of the pandemic to now.

Birthdays, weddings, milestones, Christmas and new year celebrations have been low key or online affairs. Funerals have been conducted via online platforms with many unable to say a proper goodbye to their loved ones.

So it is understandable that we’ve had a challenging year that we can’t wait to see the end of. While we are not quite there yet, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel as the vaccine roll-out and other measures progress.

This is as much a battle of the mind as it is a battle against a virus. Mental and emotional healths are being challenged everyday and we need to fight back against any burn-out that we feel.

This is not too dissimilar to experiencing burnout in the workplace. We can’t do nothing.

So how do we get a second wind? Here are a few tips from me:

Acknowledge your feelings

It’s okay to admit that you don’t feel like your usual self. You are still the same amazing, exceptional and wonderful human being that you were before the pandemic or burn-out.

Things are different now for reasons outside your control, so don’t sweat it or give in to the frustrations of feeling out of control. Focus on gratitude for life, health and other blessings.

Control what you can

Figure out what you can control and start there. You can control how you spend your day, what you eat and drink, your sleeping patterns and what you watch.

You can pick up a new hobby, learn new skills or set yourself reading challenges. You can even download online games that you can play with others or join groups of like-minded people as you. You are not as alone as you think.

Leverage your routines

Do you stay in bed long past your waking time? If yes, change that. Make a decision to spring out of bed as soon as you wake up, grab a shower and act as if you have an important meeting.

Carry that feeling into completing your tasks. Change your walking route, try a new exercise routine and some new recipes.

Rely on routines instead of willpower or motivation to get you through. Do something that gets you out of your head.

Try watching some new contents. Nature documentaries remind me of the wonders around me.

Connect for Change

This is a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends, join your old school groups and enjoy the company of your current friends.

Yes, I know we can’t meet up but you can have a Zoom coffee and chat time, and go on walks while on the phone to your friends showing them pictures of your route. Just because you’re out walking alone doesn’t mean you have to be alone.

Everything comes to an end

We must remember that everything eventually comes to an end and this too shall pass. The virus will be contained and life will get back to normal. Make a decision today that you will outlast the challenges.

In closing, remember this is not the time to throw caution to the wind because you are fed up, and it’s definitely not the time to break the rules.

This is the time to hunker down because we are right at ‘turnaround’ corner and if we stick together, take all the precautions and look after each other, we will soon burst out into the future that we desperately want.

Thank you for reading my post. Have an amazing week and a Happy Valentine’s Day.