Pandemic Induced Emotional Exhaustion.
I embrace my humanly emotions as a way of coping with all things… human. Taught and practiced self-forgiveness and totally simplified my life. Not so long ago, somethings would stress me up, grrrr! then I would get stressed for being stressed, you get the drift? Yeah! that vicious cycle from hell!
We are living in a time like no other, even the best of the best, the “Zen guys” are beginning to crack. So I suppose it is ok to feel like you are about to lose it.
When it hit me that we are having yet another lockdown, our third…seriously!…
…all I could do, to cope, was have an early lie down.
I went to my bedroom, hopelessly tried my bedtime routine and luckily slept really well.
What is Emotional Exhaustion?
Emotional exhaustion is a state of feeling emotionally worn-out and drained as a result of accumulated stress from your personal or work life, or a combination of both. Emotional exhaustion is one of the signs of burnout.
What are the 5 signs of stress?
There are some psychological and emotional signs of stress e.g.
- Depression or anxiety.
- Anger, irritability, or restlessness.
- Feeling overwhelmed, unmotivated, or unfocused.
- Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much.
- Racing thoughts or constant worry.
- Problems with your memory or concentration.
- Making bad decisions.
(Oh! Oh! Anyone?)
It is paramount to look after oneself, more so now, than ever before.
People will let you down, your government will let you down, your practitioner may not have all the answers you seek, just play your part.
Research says that 50% of our happiness comes from our perspective, how openminded we are, how resilient we are and our general outlook on life.
In as much as we inherit a lot of our attitude, thanks genes, we still have control and can change them.
Managing your emotions:
1. Take a piece of paper and write down as many positive emotions as you can think of.
2. Close your eyes and recapture pleasant emotions you have had and relive them.
3. Then, be aware of your emotions throughout your day. Catch yourself when you are having a negative moment and replace it with a good thought.
With daily practice it becomes second nature. Don’t stop trying.
Chemicals in our bodies
Emotions release chemicals in our bodies which affect our physical state. We need hormones like serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins that promote feelings like pleasure, happiness and even love.
1. Think about positive affirmations, go ahead and even shout them off a rooftop for all we care. I wish I could join.
2. Act and make believe. When your body is getting all tensed up, emulate things you would do when you are happy e.g good posture like walking tall etc
3. Play music that makes you happy. Always have a playlist that works like magic. Abracadabra!
4. Go for a walk or a jog, this is natures way of releasing the right chemicals to re-establish equilibrium.
Mental Resilience
1. It is ok not to be okay, ask for help, find professional support.
2. Focus on your priorities, your life purpose, vision and goals.
3. Form good habits like scheduling activities that build your mental and emotional wellbeing, just like a muscle it needs to be trained.
4. Take time to spoil yourself and reconnect with yourself.
Lastly, congratulations for reading this, it means you are looking after yourself.
Remember
1. Mental wellness is not a one blog read and this is not substitute for professional advice.
2. Ubuntu, I am because You are.
I would like to hear from, you can also grab my free eBook https://nicollehanselmann.wordpress.com/product/free-ebook-unscratched-not/ it dives into how we can thrive during difficult times.
More on practical ways on how to develop a resilient mind.
©Nicolle Hanselmann 2021
Resources
Life Lessons by Nicolle Hanselmann 
Leave a Reply