Can you believe we are almost approaching a year of this pandemic?
It feels like years ago but also just yesterday when we were encouraged to work from home. Life as we knew it was normal and something we wouldn’t be feeling for quite some time. Well fast forward 10 (!!) months later, we are still in the thick of it. Many of us, myself included, are feeling the ‘quarantine fatigue’ and it is definitely tough to beat. There are 2 different routes that people are taking it… people no longer believing in the virus / refusing to wear masks anymore OR people, like me and hopefully you, just feeling burnt out but knowing the pandemic is still live and well and now is not the time to get our guard down. Now is not the time to drop everything and go back to normal life when 4,406 deaths in a SINGLE day.
Anyways, I wanted to put together a couple of key points on ways that I am trying to beat the fatigue. It definitely isn’t easy nor will it fully take it away but I’ve learned over the last few months that little things do add up and make a difference in my mental state.
put your camera on during meetings when you work
I started a new job last Monday and my new team is ALWAYS on camera during all of our meetings. At first I thought it was the end of the world and I complained about it to everyone and their mother but after doing it for 8 days so far, I am realizing it is actually a blessing in disguise. I can see the people that I work with and feel part of a “team” but it also forces me to concentrate on the conversation and not be distracted. I know I am not the only one here but I used to join calls and check emails, ping friends, and occasionally scroll on Instagram. I never fully realized how bad of a habit it was until now when I can’t do those things and my body wants to. It is so strange but boy am I glad this has changed as I know it is for the better.
schedule weekly weekend FaceTime gatherings with friends
I bet everyone feels like this but at the beginning of quarantine I had FaceTime calls with all my friends almost daily. It slowly started to fade where it went to weekly calls and now calls are rare BUT I want to bring it back especially on Friday/Saturday night. If you think about it the weekends are the times that we always hang out with friends so why can’t we do that when we are at home? When is the last time you got off the phone with your best friend and said ugh I wish I didn’t talk to her for 30 mins? Never. We have to realize we are all going through so much right now and the least you can do is offer 30 mins of your time to speak with someone you love.
add some new decor for your space or redecorate
Since the majority of us are fortunate to be working from home, it is so important to have a space that you feel comfortable in to be productive but also feel comforted. Sure you can’t change your “space” but you can definitely switch up your decor or direction of your desk to make it feel different. Add some pops of color, add flowers, get a new candle, get a new pillow to go behind your back on your chair, you name it! Small changes to spruce up your space can make a significant different on your mood and inspiration!
switch up your routine
I think doing this more often during this time is critical. Being confined in a small space just makes everything feel so receptive and you get sick of it quick. I am switching up my daily walk route, when I eat my meals, what I make to eat during the day, how I’m drinking my coffee, you name it. I am a creature of habit and routine is my middle name but you can change it up without being thrown off. It has really been helping me from keeping things stale and I encourage you all to try to do the same.
remind yourself it will be worth it in the end
At the end of the day, we are still in a deadly pandemic. This is not easy for you, me, your family, your neighbor, etc. Remember that. We also have to think DAILY about the nurses and frontline medical workers who are living in complete hell for TEN months and are sacrificing their lives and their families lives for us. It just makes me sick seeing these large gatherings and thinking a nurse will see this on the news and immediately get frustrated and defeated. We owe them EVERYTHING and we need to end this for them.
What are you doing to help with quarantine fatigue?
Thanks for reading Elle’s Edit. If you have any topics that you would like for me to discuss, feel free to email me at elizabeth.lane.dooley@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you! xo
