Why are we so tired? How the pandemic affected our energy levels

So you manage to get a full eight hours of sleep, but for some reason, in-between zoom meetings and food deliveries, you want nothing more than to crawl back under the covers and sleep some more. Or maybe you have an assignment or a work task to do that’ll really only take an hour of solid work, max. But instead, you’re laying in bed scrolling through your social media feeds and not getting anything productive done.

Chances are, you’re not the only one. Repeated lockdowns have many of us constantly scraping the bottom of the barrel, looking for energy to get through the day. But why are we all so tired and unmotivated? And even now, when people are out and about again, why is the fatigue sticking around?

Since March 2020, we have been living under constant and unrelenting stress. Some of us hit that first lockdown strong, taking up new hobbies, baking unprecedented amounts of bread. But then came the second lockdown. Then the third, and the fourth. Even those who made it through the first few are running into a wall.

This is because this level of prolonged fear and anxiety is not normal. Our brains have been subjected to so much stress over the last couple of years, constantly under a barrage of conflicting information and emotions that we’re all still struggling to process. Simply put, our brains are exhausted.

Some signs that you might be suffering under pandemic fatigue are:

Emotional exhaustion

• Increased anxiety and depression
• Feeling hopeless
• Feeling trapped and powerless
• Increased irritability
• Lack of motivation
• Tearfulness

Physical Exhaustion

• Fatigue
• Headaches and migraines
• Lack of appetite
• Sore muscles or muscle tension

Absolutely.

Learning involves physical and physiological changes to the brain. When we learn new information, the brain has to encode, store, and retrieve that information by creating neurons and neural pathways. But when the brain is under stress, that process of neural growth and formation is affected. We can’t do it as quickly or as effectively.

That’s why something that usually takes you one readthrough to understand might now take a couple, or maybe even four passes. Sometimes, no matter how much you try, nothing seems to be sinking in at all.

And there is so much information to process! The news, new guidelines, new work challenges. And underneath all of that, we have our conflicting emotions; grief battling with humour, apathy, anger, etc. Our resilience to all of those things is constantly being tested. And while in some areas we can manage fine, with a constant barrage of things to deal with, naturally some will still slip through the cracks and chip away at our defences.

Work with your brain, not against it. Give yourself time to take in what you’re feeling, and work through the possible reasons why you’re feeling that way. Then, try focusing on what you can control, the things you can do right now and today to improve your situation. If the news or social media is overwhelming you and ruining your mood, set yourself some boundaries. Switch it off for a bit and reduce the source of some of that incoming stress.

Baking in some self-care into your routine is also a good idea. Try to get outside and absorb some sunlight. Now that spring is upon us, enjoy the boost in serotonin that being out in the sun can stimulate. It has proven effects as a natural mood lifter.

Do at least one thing you enjoy every day. Maybe things like cooking yourself a favourite meal, watching an episode of a show you like, or listening to music. Try queueing up something to look forward to in your plans for the day.

But above all, be gentle with yourself. If your brain is tired, you need to give it the time it needs to recover. Rest well and manage expectations. This means not booking in back to back meetings maybe, or turning down that extra shift at work. Don’t be afraid to ask your teachers for extensions on assignments if you know that you’d do better with some extra time.

This also means not expecting yourself to put out maximum efficiency every day. Settle for the little victories. You’re doing the best that you can right now, and even though that might not look like your absolute best, remember that you’re not operating at full capacity.

Things will be rough for a while yet as we transition back into a post-lockdown life. It’s okay to feel scared and apprehensive about the changes that we are facing. Resilience is a multi-layered skill that takes time and practice to develop. But you’re not alone, and there are people that are experiencing the same thing all around you. Try reaching out and having a conversation with them or seeking out a professional if you need to. Just acknowledging that you’re overwhelmed can help you to rebalance and re-energise.