We’ve had COVID-19 in the States since February, and it’s been relentlessly dominating every news-cycle and aspect of life since March. California and New York residents have been under lock-down for two months. Burnout and crisis fatigue are real.
Many of us are feeling it without realizing and addressing it, so here are some tips that help anyone – even if you’re not sure you’re feeling burnout or not.
The goal is to get out of survival mode – mindfulness is a great practice to decompress
Take a moment to observe your emotions at a given moment. Labeling them can be a great trick to help get into the mindset and add some separation between yourself and them.
Then take a minute to calm yourself. Let your muscles stretch tall, and relax. Then breath. 3 seconds inhale through your nose… and a six second exhale through your mouth. When you’re feeling super restless you can start with jumping jacks or running in place before coming back into the present moment.
Let your judgments roll past yourself.and continue to observe the present moment as it is. When your mind gets carried away to another thought, label it as a thought and return to the present moment. Don’t worry when your mind wanders–that’s how they work–recognize when it happens and gently bring it back.