Blog post written by,
Yaneth Beltran, RD/LDN, CEDRD
Recently, one of the top 10 topics on magazines, news and social media is the psychological impact of the COVID-19, and quarantine burn out which includes stress, confusion, anger, fear, frustration, boredom, and anxiety among other emotions that are making people struggle with “emotional fatigue”. If that is not enough, think about the implication of the quarantine, having to wear facemasks, keeping social distance in public places, and the restrictions with socialization that could make you experience loss of control, loss of freedom, uncertainty over disease status, changes in your routines, the acquisition of different habits to pull through, confusion, and frustration. That could be exhausting! The good news is that we can mitigate the consequences of the quarantine and its impact on our health using two important concepts; wellness and resilience.
Wellness is the practice of maintaining our mental, physical, and spiritual health and we can use this concept to protect ourselves against the burnout caused by stressors. Practicing a new approach that will help to transform the burnout into resilience is the key to gradually adapt positively in the face of adversity.
Here are some tips to help you build up resilience:
1. Practice Mindfulness. Being present can help you increase awareness into the feelings you are experiencing and understand them better. This process facilitates the identification of behaviors that will help you manage feelings successfully. For example, becoming aware of anxiety related to needing to stay home during the summer break and losing control of your eating. Some of the behaviors you can use to manage this feeling are talking to a friend about your feelings, journaling, or reading a book.
2. Practice flexibility and compassion. These two important qualities are both associated with positive outcomes as they help reduce rigidity and stress. Flexibility is about being able to tolerate and manage changes, especially when these changes are not voluntary. Compassion and most importantly, self-compassion are about having empathy and offering understanding and kindness in order to reduce strong emotions. An idea on how to practice flexibility and compassion is being able to modify the schedule for meals, to include different food choices, to adapt an exercise plan tailored to your level of energy, or to make time to practice deep breathing exercises.
3. Practice Gratitude. This is one of the most important tools for resilience. It helps improve your immune system, manage stress and lower the risk of physical and emotional symptoms of anxiety. You can practice gratitude during the day talking to someone about the bounty on your table, the beauty of virtually eating with a loved one, and eating your favorite food choices.
If you are feeling are feeling burnt out by the pandemic and want to increase your sense of resilience, please contact us directly for a FREE phone consult. We would be happy to talk to you and help you understand how therapy can help you feel better. Please contact us at 561. 600. 1424 or you can email us at info@homeforbalance.com and one of our clinicians will help you determine if you are a good candidate for therapy!
