I believe the official name is "Pandemic Fatigue". Eleven months into this COVID-19 pandemic and I am done with it. I am tired of the constant myriad of changes. I am tired of not being able to take my kids out places. I am tired of wearing a mask (although I still do!). I am tired of there being sadness and grief for so many.
When the pandemic first hit, I remember telling Pam Formosa (owner/director of Brain Fit Academy) that I thought the whole world was thrown into "Stop and Think" mode all at once. If you aren't familiar with what I mean by that, I suggest you read my blog post titled "Out of the Loop". But basically, it means that we were thrown into this mode where we could no longer just "sail through" life. We needed to "stop and think" about things we previously didn't need to think too much about.
Really, it was more like a re-think of things. Re-thinking just about everything. Re-thinking the way we worked. Re-thinking the way we played. Re-thinking the way school worked. Re-thinking just leaving our house!
Now, I know I'm probably preaching to the choir here when I say all of that because all of you are here just as much as I am. You are living this same reality that I am. So sorry if it's redundant information- but just bear with me for a minute, will you?
When we spend too much time in "Stop and Think", and can't get to "Move and Think" easily, we're more likely to get bopped "Out of the Loop". Again, I refer to my previous post for a more in-depth look at what that means. But, "Out of the Loop" is where frustration happens. It's where meltdowns happen. It's where worry and overwhelm happen. It's not a great place to be and so many of us have spent way too much time there over the last eleven months.
Way. too. much. time.
The way I look at it, it's like our brains and bodies have been on "high alert" this whole pandemic. We're all in the mode of "please- just get me through this". Just get me through this next hour, this next day, this next month. Just get me past this time in my life-past this unprecedented time in human history!
So if we think about that for a minute- think about how we're all on "high alert". We're in our fight/flight/freeze response and we're all just getting by. We're all running on the stress hormones of adrenaline and cortisol and we can only keep that up for so long. Right?
Right?!?
I mean even marathon runners can only run so far before they have to stop. Run so far before their muscles are so fatigued that they just can't run anymore.
Pandemic fatigue.
And so- that's where we are. Pandemic fatigue. We are the marathon runners that are so fatigued that we're getting to the point that maybe we feel like we just can't run anymore. We've spent so much time "Out of the Loop" that maybe we find it even that much harder to find a way back in.
Harder to find a way back into the loop to normalcy. Harder to find a way back to living a life where we can once again move easily between "Stop and Think" and "Move and Think". Harder to find a way to stop the "I'm done" feelings.
And this, this...is where Brain Fit Academy comes in!
We specialize in this very thing. We specialize in helping people find a way out of the fatigue. We specialize in helping people find more joy in their life. We specialize in helping to ease stress and anxiety. We specialize in helping people be their best selves. Be they kids, teens or adults- we specialize in this!
So, so many of us have hit pandemic fatigue and may need a helping hand to find a way out. A helping hand to pick up the pieces of life and to move on.
There does seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel, but it's still the end of a marathon and everyone is fatigued.
There's no need to finish the race alone. Reach out to Brain Fit Academy.
We're here. We have tools. We can help.
