Covid-fatigue, too-much-going-on fatigue, just fatigue?

Life is stressful. Somehow, however, we have this illusion built up that it shouldn’t be, or that if you do everything right, you won’t feel stress or overwhelm and you will always be insta-happy and life will be perfect.

(Cue the record-scratch noise.)

Well guess what? It’s a lie. Human beings all struggle with something and right now, when the planet itself is struggling and the pandemic is making life weird and difficult, it seems even more pronounced.

But what can be done, because it’s not a very nice feeling?

Well, there are lots of things that can be done…practical and technical things, and none of these is new or earth-shattering, but I thought I’d just offer you a reminder that you CAN control some of what is going on with you, even if you control just your own thoughts about the stress or how you respond to it.

What is stress and why is it bad?

It isn’t all bad, surprisingly. Sometimes, a good dose of stress is useful, helpful and even fun! Walking down the aisle…giving a toast or a speech…running to catch a plane (and making it!)…pressing “go live” on your live-stream and sharing your real life with the world….riding an amusement park ride…whizzing down a freshly powdered slope. All of these involve some measure of stress and yet every single one of them is a good thing.

Stress is your body’s way of responding to things that happen on the outside and on the inside…at the cellular level and more frequently, in the mind. You can trigger your hormonal response and put your body into fight or flight mode by simply thinking of something that scares you or that did in the past. Your body cannot tell the difference.

When stress is chronic or immense…the body goes into it’s  protective program and can manifest all sorts of bizarre and sometimes terrifying symptoms: everything from gastrointestinal problems, sleep disturbances, headaches and exhaustion, to an increased drive to self-soothe with substances that may not be healthy or safe. There are multiple ways the body copes with regulating itself, and sometimes it is just forced to force you to STOP…so you get a wicked headache or have a panic attack or are overcome with fatigue. (The body is pretty clever and efficient.)

If you don’t act, however, to de-stress, you can head into dangerous territory…like overwhelm or burnout or depression. If you think you are already on that path, please talk to your doctor or other health care professional. Stress that is not resolved or managed is serious business.

So what can you do?

• understand your triggers and your own unique stress signals
• step back and assess what you can do to remove some of the things that are causing you stress, whether that involves letting go of activities or outsourcing them, or whether it involves getting better at saying “no” more often.
• find ways to decompress in the moment, for example, deep breathing exercises, taking a walk, exercising or meditating, calling a friend or getting more sleep. There are numerous ways to relieve tension and stress and gain perspective.
• dig in to why you are stressed to begin with. Many times the stress is short-term and situational, which then will resolve itself. It’s when it is ongoing, repeated, or increasingly present that you need to do some intervention so you don’t head down the burnout path.

Change one thing at a time.

You don’t need to reorganize your entire life in one fell swoop. Take one item off your plate. Say “no” to one invitation, opportunity or request. Tell yourself to cool it with the perfectionism or the relentless need to be productive. Give yourself some downtime and maybe even a treat.

It’s normal to be feeling anxious and stressed in general right now…and please know that you are not alone. But it is critical to keep an eye on your own stress levels…to be gentle and patient with yourself and your capacity right now, and to listen to your body closely, so it can continue to keep you safe. YOU can do this…one calm breath at a time.

Free Live Class Feb 23rd, 2021 at 4pm Pacific, 7pm Eastern:

If you would like to explore the topic of Calm in Chaos and how to de-stress your life even more, join me here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/calm-in-chaos-how-to-de-stress-to-carry-on-tickets-137944205833?aff

7 Day Transformational Journey on Overwhelm: How to Take Back Your Life and Thrive

And if you read this after the date above, I have a longer 7-Day transformational Journey on the subject of Overwhelm that can be accessed by downloading the Huddol Journeys app in IOS or Android.

**Photo of woman on kitchen floor  by Zachary Kadolph on Unsplash