Dealing with COVID Burnout
When you thought this "virus thing" would end months ago ...
COVID burnout or “safety fatigue” is the feeling of stress, fatigue, and/or burnout due to the ongoing safety precautions related to COVID-19. We all expected this to be over by now. When those expectations were not met, it weighs on us. We do not like being uncomfortable. We need routine to feel safe, and this season has been anything but routine.
You have likely experienced some of the effects of COVID burnout. Here is an abridged list of some of its effects.
- People are sleeping later in the mornings and going to bed later in the evening.
- Less disciplined with food choices, diet, and exercise
- More anxious and stressed about our financial position
- More likely to retreat, become angry, or irritated
- Major mental health side effects have increased
- Anxiety, which can lead to panic and poor decisions
- Depression
- Chemical dependency: alcohol is always a concern during stressful times. Cigarette smoking, vaping, and opioid use have increased since January 2020.
- Suicide at a higher risk: those with a psychological diagnosis such as depression, PTSD, bipolar, schizophrenia, and substance use are at a higher risk (Walker & Diforio, 1997). Economic difficulties, increased isolation, loneliness, interpersonal loss, and limited interpersonal contact present a uniquely high-risk factor for suicidal ideation as well.
6. Financial strain
- The majority of online searches in 2020 were related to job or money strain (Halford, E. A., et al., 2020).
7. Emotionally and physically exhausted
- May lead to a serious depression and a lack of desire to do simple chores.
8. Socially
- Reduced social interaction is a notable risk factor of loneliness on mental and physical health (Cacioppo, Grippo, London, Goossens, & Cacioppo, 2015).
9. Marriage
- The divorce rate has increased in 2020 with many people citing COVID as the reason for their breakup (Moric, 2020). Couples are also expressing romance and sexual difficulties in their marriage. Some couples feel a need for more “space” due to being in close proximity compared to life before COVID.
10. Being annoyed easily with family members
When parents are not regularly around their children, patience can run out quickly. Especially when trying to get something done for work. Some countries are not allowing children in public but 30 minutes every other day. This can certainly add to the lack of patience. This is more of a burden with a single parent.
11. Educational strain
- Children and adolescents: Online learning is foreign to this age group, especially children. This new pedagogy is untested with this age group and presents major issues and complex logistics when living in the field. Some children and parents are learning to homeschool, which brings its own difficulties.
- College age: Many college-age people have had their timelines postponed and some cannot go back due to financial strain. Some struggle with whether to return to their family’s field country or stay in the U.S.
12. Stress between team members
- There is always the possibility of tension between team members in the field. COVID safety protocols can exacerbate those tensions, causing harm to the team dynamic.
Knowing the effects of COVID burnout can help us better understand why you feel a certain way. Let’s move to some action steps. What are some helpful strategies for dealing with COVID burnout?
- Value yourself and what you do.
- Missionaries tend to identify themselves with what they do more than other occupations. Even though much of what you do is unavailable or not possible, you still have value. Re-evaluate the “who” and not just the “what” you are.
2. Concern yourself with what is in your control.
- There is a lot happening in the world that is out of our control. It is a fruitless and frivolous task to try to control things out of your control. Jesus taught us to concern ourselves with the matters of today and not so much with what may or may not come tomorrow – Matthew 6:34.
3. Good time to work on language skills
- You have probably heard this one a thousand times, but are you doing it? Language is one area where you can always improve your skills.
4. Telehealth
- This is becoming more common due to quarantine. Take advantage of this, if needed. If you do not know where to start, contact OMS Member Care.
- Also, contact your Member Care specialist for your region if you need to simply talk through something.
5. Be intentional with boundaries.
- It’s okay to say no to people entering your home or vehicle. Do what you think you need to do to stay safe (social distance, wear a mask, etc.).
- HOWEVER, stay in touch. Online, face-to-face visits are better than nothing. Seeing someone’s face increases happiness. Better to Zoom or Skype than doing a phone call. Better to call than email. Better to email than do NOTHING. Stay in touch! You may be “Zoomed-out” and have had enough of meeting with people online, but do not let that stop you from meeting with others. If meeting online is all you have, do it.
6. Be aware of triggers.
- What makes you anxious or stressed? What are your pet peeves or what annoys you? Take time to talk with your spouse or any confidant about these. You have to make the effort. Ultimately, you are responsible for how you respond to others.
7. Be aware of bad habits and isolating yourself.
- Avoid isolation of any kind (gaming, internet, social media, etc.). Bad habits can be made worse in isolation. Talk to your spouse or others when possible. Online accountability is better than nothing. Get out of the house/apartment/flat when you can.
8. This is probably the hardest one, but accept that the world and life in general has changed and will NOT go back to how it was prior to the virus. If you remember the terrorist attacks on 9-11. That and other terroristic incidences after changed airport security forever (e.g., taking off shoes going through airport security). 9-11 was 19 years ago. We will reach herd immunity with the help of a vaccine. When that happens, we will find some normalcy, but life will be different. We will develop a new routine and try to find safety and comfort in that. God is faithful and is the one constant through it all.
9. Do not give up!
- There has never been a virus that lasted forever. God has this.
Maybe you have been doing some of these. Let us know what has worked for you. Maybe you have something not on the list. Send us your ideas.
Troy Backhuus, Ph.D., LIMHP, LPC, CPC
Director of Member Care, One Mission Society
tbackhuus@onemissionsocity.org
For more information, contact: https://legaltemplates.net/resources/personal-family/divorce-rates-covid-19/
References
Banschick, M. (2020, April 24). Marriage in Quarantine. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-intelligent-divorce/202004/marriage-in-quarantine
Banschick, M. (2020, April 27). How COVID-19 Affects Marriage—and How to Adapt. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-intelligent-divorce/202004/how-covid-19-affects-marriage-and-how-adapt
Cacioppo, S., Grippo, A. J., London, S., Goossens, L., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2015). Loneliness: Clinical import and interventions. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10, 238 –249. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/ 1745691615570616
Gruber, J., Prinstein, M. J., Clark, L. A., Rottenberg, J., Abramowitz, J. S., Albano, A. M., Aldao, A., Borelli, J. L., Chung, T., Davila, J., Forbes, E. E., Gee, D. G., Hall, G. C. N., Hallion, L. S., Hinshaw, S. P., Hofmann, S. G., Hollon, S. D., Joormann, J., Kazdin, A. E., … Weinstock, L. M. (2020). Mental health and clinical psychological science in the time of COVID-19: Challenges, opportunities, and a call to action. American Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000707
Halford, E. A., Lake, A. M., & Gould, M. S. (2020). Google searches for suicide and suicide risk factors in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS ONE, 15(7), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236777
Moric, M. (2020, July 29). US Divorce Rates Soar During COVID-19 Crisis. Legal Templates. https://legaltemplates.net/resources/personal-family/divorce-rates-covid-19/#divorces-increase-in-couples-with-children
Parish, C. (2020, August 11). How to Deal with Coronavirus Burnout and Pandemic Fatigue. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/how-to-deal-with-coronavirus-burnout-and-pandemic-fatigue
Walker, E. F., & Diforio, D. (1997). Schizophrenia: A neural diathesis- stress model. Psychological Review, 104, 667–685. http://dx.doi.org/10 .1037/0033-295X.104.4.667