Convo Over Coffee: Are You Feeling Covid-Induced Burnout Too?
I’ll admit that living in isolation during the current Covid-19 pandemic didn’t affect me too much until very recently. For most of 2020 I was pregnant and then lost in the dark hole known as the “newborn stage” with a little baby, so being at home — Covid or no Covid — was required. However, stepping into 2021 things Covid-wise started looking better in Bangkok, my son’s school opened up, and life looked and felt somewhat more normal (even though we are still being extra careful). Only to have a third wave hit Bangkok and push us back into the confines of our homes.
This time around my patience and positivity is waning thin much quicker than I expected. I think I’m experiencing some kind of Covid-induced burnout: I’m just tired of the waiting and hoping for all this to end but with no idea when that end will be. Does that make sense?
On reading and learning more about burnout and how to avoid / manage it, I discovered there were some pretty clear signs.
Being cynical and negative
Recently I reached a low point when I felt very resentful about the fact that I had to go back to online learning with my toddler son because his school closed again (after being open since the start of the academic year). I didn’t want to do it because it meant giving up the precious few hours I have in a day for myself, which I usually dedicate for writing, exercise, and errands, before I am with the kids and focused on them. I said to a friend “My son is 3. Does it really matter if he’s learning or playing? I just don’t care. I can’t be bothered with online classes and making sure he’s sitting still and focusing. I’m not supposed to be his teacher”.
Feeling like everything is drudgery
For the past few weeks I went to bed just dreading waking up the next because it meant dealing with a full house and everyone’s needs. Adjust lunch menus, slot in online learning and a full day’s worth of activities with my toddler, manage two kids at once (when I’m not used to it), work late at night when I’m already tired etc., I sound like I was complaining because I really was…and a lot. Everything just felt like a chore I didn’t want to do.
Experiencing low productivity / feeling “tired” all the time
Every Monday I write a weekly to-do list and it includes everything: work deadlines, content calendar, things I need to do for the kids, meetings, errands and house-related things. And it helps me stay focused and manage my time, so that I do get to check off as many items as I can from the list. Whatever gets left behind rolls over to the next week. But in the last few weeks I have been feeling like my to-do list is getting away from me. My mind isn’t clear. I can’t seem to focus on simple tasks. I resort to complaining about feeling “tired” a lot and procrastinate more than usual. It’s my biggest burnout tell. I may not actually be physically exhausted but I feel that way and that has a negative effect on my motivation to get things done.
I’ve been feeling some combination of all of these feelings for a few weeks now. I let myself wallow for a bit. I think it helps me process, so that when the time is right I can snap out of it.
Recently I felt ready to snap out of my funk and made a few small changes to my routine to combat the burnout to the best of my ability:
Being outdoors, getting fresh air and some sun exposure
I am spending on average about one-two hours a day outdoors. I go for long walks everyday once or twice a day and it’s the ideal way to get some me-time and do my exercise at once. Feeling the fresh air in my hair and warm sun on my face is rejuvenating.
Doing activities as a family vs focusing on kid-centric ones only
I am done pressuring myself to do special activities with my toddler to keep him engaged at home. I switched it up for more family-oriented activities where I can have some fun too. We’ve been spending a lot of time by the pool and going for walks at an outdoor park / organic farm.
Giving into guilty pleasures
I am thoroughly enjoying Korean dramas on Netflix and home decor vlogs on YouTube right now. So I watch whenever I feel like it. I don’t have a set time of the day. Whenever I need a pick me up, I will watch something and it really helps me to relax and unwind.
Listening to podcasts
I have discovered so many amazing podcasts in the past few months and I shared some in this post recently. I was never really a big listener of podcasts but I see the appeal now: there is so much interesting content available and so much to learn once I discovered a few podcasts that I really connected with. I like listening to other peoples’ stories and journeys because I find them inspiring; I will note down quotes and make notes on my phone quite often as I listen.
Having a creative outlet
I write everyday. Whether the content makes it onto the blog or not, I spend about an 30 minutes to an hour writing. Some days I get lucky and what I’m writing about feels right and I will publish it. Other days the writing serves a more cathartic purpose and I find that very helpful too. I have let go of the pressure that whatever I am writing has to be “perfect”; I am leaning more into the process of ideating and writing and I am really enjoying it. I feel inspired, energised, and don’t feel time at all when I’m in my writing bubble.