First off: what is pandemic fatigue?

“It’s a very real feeling of exhaustion stemming from the effects of the novel coronavirus on your life — from stay-at-home orders to the fear of getting ill to losing jobs…Wrestling with intense emotions day after day drains your energy, causing pandemic fatigue.
The hallmark sign of pandemic fatigue is a sense of inner weariness.” –  uclahealth • July 7, 2020

If you’ve been feeling any of the following, or if it’s been more intense these past few months, you’re likely experiencing pandemic fatigue:

• uncertainty
• despair
• chronic high-level stress
• burnout
• sore eyeballs
• loneliness
• exhaustion
• depression
• anxiety
• sleeplessness
• hopelessness

It is not an exaggeration to say that 2020 has been a life-altering, world-changing year.

While understandably there has been heavy emphasis on physical health and safety measures, there must also be heavy emphasis on the mental + emotional toll of the pandemic (including our economic and social responses to it), and the impact that is having on our overall mental health and emotional well-being.

“As the pandemic worsens, and disruptions to daily life worsen, mental health professionals need to be prepared for an increase in mental health and substance abuse problems.” – Research brief from the Parenting in Context Research Lab, U Michigan, March 31, 2020

The shutdowns taught us that the reality of our daily lives could dramatically change, and quickly. This paradigm shift intensified the focus on the climate change crisis, and also a badly needed wake-up call in terms of racism and the systemic racism entrenched in our societies.

The conversation became about education, awareness, expansion of consciousness, and mindfully co-creating a better world and future.

But here’s the thing my friends: it’s easy to give up and stop caring, or stop fighting, when you’re tired.

The stressors introduced, or heightened, by this pandemic have hit people hard, especially for those on the lower-end of the social and economic scale:

• fears of getting sick, job/income loss, of not being able to pay bills
• greater levels of overall uncertainty
• increased responsibilities of caregiving, child care, and education, which has required extra multi-tasking to the point of overwhelm
• loneliness and isolation, especially for the marginalized and elderly
• disruption of regular routines including diet, exercise, and sleep

The concern is that all of this will push us collectively to a mental health breaking point – but it doesn’t have to, we can find healthy ways to respond that will help pull us, our families, and our communities through, better and stronger!

Response is a key word here: response belies a feeling of consideration, wisdom, and empowerment. It’s a choice, as opposed to reactions that are often triggered by our wounded or fearful selves.

Our reaction to any of the above stressors or symptoms of pandemic fatigue may be to isolate, self-medicate, binge, overeat, attack, go into denial, feel extra sensitive or vulnerable, or criticize.

Please don’t judge yourself if you have experienced any of these reactions recently – at least now you may have a greater understanding as to why, and I have outlined below some healthier coping practices you can put in place to support yourself.

Read original article at: Krista Mitchell ~ Crystal Healing for the Pandemic