Blue skies and the blues, guys.
Lockdown Fatigue.
The months have turned into years, since we first learnt about Covid 19 and began our first faltering steps to deal with a pandemic.
It would have been apt to have felt depressed then.
At the point where our liberty became restricted, we learnt to work from home, we adapted, adopted and managed.
“Unprecedented times” kept us physically apart but drew us together psychically, nationally.
Unable to actually stand together we metaphorically united in the common fight against the pernicious peril, Covid 19.
We Got creative.
We found a new way to live.
People worked from home where they could.
Essential workers adapted to face masks and gloves.
Little by little people started learning new skills in the vacuum where we would normally go out into society and meet with others
We found the best ways we could to support and keep connected with those who could no longer be with us.
Social media was festooned with evidence of newly learnt skills from macrame to carpentry.
We Began to Thrive.
It felt like a war.
The enemy was an invisible parasite that would indiscriminately kill one person and reside unnoticed in the next.
The local government rallied around.
We asked after our neighbours.
And shopped for our vulnerable, self-isolating friends leaving groceries with an extra treat or two on doorsteps.
It felt a bit like the good old days. And though times were tough, our hearts sang a little.
It felt positive. Amidst tragedy and fear, it still felt positive.
Then It Went On... And On.
Soon, working from home became the new norm.
We got used to not eating out, stopping off at the pub, meeting a friend for coffee. We laughed over zoom.
Photographs of holidays from previous years were pushed aside as we cracked on with that home renovation project with the saved cash.
We felt bad for the many thousands who lost their jobs and businesses and silently thanked our lucky stars that we were able to keep hold of ours.
We worried frantically in the silent hours.
And then we got bored with it all.
Spring is upon us.
And the world still turned.
Soon we were a year down the line, spring was almost here and we started having a few bright days, with blue skies.
Just in time as we started to plot our pathway out of lockdown and look forward to the actual possibility of life returning to normal.
So Why Do so Many people feel deflated?
After dealing with a massively difficult time, we have pulled through and survived.
The threat of the pandemic has been all but defeated.
We are on our final triumphant charge.
And here at the very last relay, like a popped balloon you find yourself feeling unsettled, unfocused, low and lethargic.
We are almost at the point of celebration and yet you feel irritated, depressed, numb and demotivated.
It has been traumatic!
Some people have lost loved ones to this awful virus and have been unable to hold a full funeral and conduct the normal rituals of saying goodbye and honouring the precious life lived.
Many have lost their jobs and businesses and face financial uncertainty.
Our vulnerable and those with underlying illnesses have felt isolated and alone.
Meanwhile, keyworkers feel overworked and under-appreciated.
The effects are far reaching.
For the vast majority, we’re getting through it largely unscathed.
There have been minor losses, a bit of discomfort, and some new opportunities born on the back of the pandemic.
And yet there is a free-floating feeling of uncertainty. Just as the end seems to be in sight, there is a low cloud of despondency settling.
It's ok not to be ok.
Even if you feel you do not have the right.
Humans are a tribe. We experience at a personal level and also at a social and societal level.
You are affected by what happens directly to you and also by what you see, hear and feel about the wider world.
Acknowledge, accept, resolve, grow and help.
Aargh!
Acknowledge that you are an essential part of this wider picture and allow yourself to feel what you feel.
You will then be able to allow and accept your feelings without denying the very real right to have the feelings you do. It is never a question of whether you are allowed to feel the way you do, so don’t punish yourself further with accusations of self-pity. Your feelings are your feelings.
With acceptance you can then begin to resolve what is moving within you and make sense of your experience.
Growth always follows when true inner connections within self are made.
Then we are more able to reach out and help our friends and colleagues.
Be compassionate about self and give yourself a break!
If you are struggling with free-floating anxiety, feelings of listlessness, and lack of fulfillment and are considering the help of therapy please do not hesitate to contact me, to discuss a plan.
Your mental and emotional wellbeing is as important as your physical health, look after it.
With a smile and warm regards,
Symantha x