After three to four months of social distancing and many other restrictions that are imposed on the general public for ensuring that majority of the population stay at home and do not go out unless it is extremely necessary or emergency has led every one of us a victim of quarantine fatigue in the outbreak of coronavirus. However, this mental and physical level exhaustion can be overcome with some tricks and tips to overcome quarantine fatigue.
Initially, people were enjoying the lockdown period as this gave an opportunity for everyone to stay at home and spend some quality time with family members and take enough rest, which was not possible in the normal days. However, as time passes on and with every new lockdown exceeding date the excitement vanishes somewhere in the air.
Though staying indoors and following the other recommendations given by the CDC and the local government of this current era pandemic affected countries are vital to follow for the safety and protection of every individual but now people are losing their courage and facing difficulty to cope up with a stay at home orders and trying to get back their pre-pandemic daily life routine.
If you are also the one who is facing all these issues and fighting with quarantine fatigue then read this article till the end as here you will get the right solution to get rid of your problems and way to utilize this lockdown period for improving your skills and self-worth.
What is Quarantine Fatigue?Â
The definition of quarantine fatigue may vary from person to person but overall it can be defined as excessive exhaustion caused by the incorporation of a very strict lifestyle routine in order to reduce and slowing down the spreading rate of COVID-19 disease. On an average people experience following symptoms under quarantine fatigue-
- Persistent thoughts run in mind
- The feeling of irritation, anxiety, and tension occurs from time to time
- The feeling of apathy and hopelessness
- Physical fatigue that ranges from mild to the intense level
- Loss of energy level
- People lack the motivation that impacts their productivity rate
- Social withdrawal out of the persistent feeling of loneliness and disconnection
- Interpersonal conflict generate
- Changes in the normal eating habit (loss of appetite or excessive eating)
- Changes in sleeping habits (insomnia or excessive sleeping)
- Depression
The symptoms of quarantine fatigue are temporarily based on the current situation that has isolated humans as a whole. However, it is important to manage these symptoms consciously and actively and stay productive and energetic even in this quarantine period.
Tips to Cope Up with Quarantine Fatigue
Isolation and loneliness are the two main things that give birth to different mental health symptoms. The symptoms of quarantine fatigue are not different than any other commonly known mental illness. However, you can well cope-up with this condition by fowling our below-mentioned tips-
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is one of the most effective ways to cope-up with the symptoms and issues associated with quarantine fatigue in people. While practicing mindfulness a person needs to live in the present moment irrespective of activity they do throughout the day.
Hence, when you start living in the present situation your mind automatically forgets about all the worries and stress that used to circulate in your mind otherwise. Practicing mindfulness teaches you to be nonjudgmental and more purposeful in life.
The more you practice mindfulness the more strengthen your brain cells such as the prefrontal cortex become that play an important role in regulating the attention work of the brain. Resulting in there is no fear of generating negative feelings like isolation and loneliness exist anymore as you stay more connected from the world around you all the time without any extra effort.
Practice Meditation and Deep Breathing
Just like the mindfulness technique, practicing meditation and deep breathing are two effective tools that help your mind to attain the level of peace and calmness. Hence you don’t get agitated, depressed, or stressed which are some common issues associated with quarantine fatigue.
However, in order to get the result, you have to stick with these healthy practices persistently otherwise if you practice meditation for few days and then take a long break then all your effort will go in vain.
Deep breathing is a quick result oriented technique as it distresses your mind immediately when you start concentrating on your breathing (with each breathing in and breathing out).
While counting the benefits of meditation practices in one term we can say, it is countless. Now, the benefit and effectiveness of meditation practices are scientifically proven. People who are the victim of serious mental health issues even they are too advised by the health specialists to practice meditation every day in order to improve their condition much faster way along with taking prescribed medications. So it works as an effective tool to cope up with the symptoms of quarantine fatigue.
Stay Conscious about Energy You Are Spending
The reason behind you get exhausted or have a lack of energy for doing even necessary works for survival because you unconsciously spend your energy on useless things like thinking about unnecessary things all day around. Hence, when you actually need the energy to perform your daily life routine activities you feel excessive fatigue and energy drained.
Do not burn energy here and there like in surfing different apps on mobile, taking long calls on mobile, etc. Though these activities are less energy consuming but all together they harness lots of energy from your body leaving behind a very low battery or energy level.
So be conscious about things in which you spend most of your time in a day. Notice mentally or note down somewhere that how do you feel after doing a certain task like decorating cabinet or any such activities. Once you get aware of the high energy-consuming works you should avoid doing them to preserve it for more necessary tasks.
Staying conscious about your everyday life activities is one effective way to prevent unnecessary spending of your mental and physical level energy. A person who remains well energetic and conscious all day around neither get exhausted even after doing lots of things nor he or she gets a victim of common quarantine fatigue associated issues such as stress, anxiety, short temperament, etc.
Find Your Purpose Even in Negative Circumstances
The reason behind hopelessness feeling due to quarantine fatigue occurs because isolation makes people forget about their purpose in life over time which is really a very fearsome condition. An aimless person in life is likely to feel depressed and develop other depression-related symptoms.
So to overcome these quarantine fatigue associated issues it is vital to find your purpose in life in the mid of this global crisis. See positive even in this negative situation. Think that this suffering has come to teach a certain lesson and you will definitely come out winning and further you can utilize this experience at the right place to achieve the purpose of your life.
Understanding your own worth and purpose will help in overcoming any kind of mental challenges which are very common with COVID-19 quarantine. You can utilize this time in learning some special activities like dancing, painting, cooking, etc that you never had tried to date in the lack of sufficient time or in the rush of everyday life’s routine.
So this is a golden opportunity to work on your hidden talent or to fulfill your dreams that were leaves behind under the pressure of life’s general responsibilities. Hence, with these kinds of positive thoughts, you will find a purpose for you that will help in staying energetic and strengthen throughout this quarantine period.
Avoid Watching News and Mobile Phones Too Much
Watching out TV and surfing mobile phones though used to be the normal part of everyone’s weekend days but as this a long term weekend without any definite date of resuming so you must avoid those normal days habits. Take a little break from your phone and television as nowadays both of them mostly show news and videos full of negativity like the presumption of uncertain events that can cause a devastating effect on the world and humanity etc.
As you want to groom and upgrade your brain in this quarantine period so you must avoid indulging yourself in these stupid things. We are not saying you to absolutely boycott your phones and news channels on the television but see them in a very limited amount of time and spend most of the time of a day in more creative things that can engage your brain in the positive and right direction. This will not only make your quarantine journey easier but also reduces the risk of quarantine fatigue associated symptoms growth.
Try to Connect with Others
Social withdrawal or disconnection from the outer world are some of the most commonly occurring incidents that people are suffering from the quarantine fatigue but this is manageable. Before you start developing such kind of negative and devastating emotions in your mind take a step proactively. Try to connect with others especially those who lead their life in a positive manner.
The quarantine has imposed rules for maintaining social distancing from everyone around us even the friends and relatives but this no way supports to cut emotional bondage with each other. So keep communicating with your friends and relatives over call and messenger as staying in touch with our near and dear ones never let us realize the feeling of loneliness or isolation. This way you can fill the gap of social distancing along with preventing the risk of social withdrawal which is really very dangerous for anyone’s mental health.
Discuss It
Don’t keep your feelings within you especially the negative emotions as it will grow like a poison causing major impacts on your health and life. Share your feelings with others whom you trust and who can understand you without any judgment.
Staying at home doesn’t restrict your communication right. So talk with your friends and relative over the phone call or on the video call. Staying connected with others gives an opportunity to share the negative emotions that you are experiencing due to quarantine fatigue and will help it to heal on time before it goes out of your hand.
In fact, talking has an amazing therapeutic effect as this way your emotions get a place to come out leaving you to feel free and cool down. Also when you communicate with others you get a resolution to your problems that you consider are unsolvable or unbeatable.
Prepare a Routine and Follow it Strictly
It is obvious that your regular life routine has been disturbed by this quarantine event which directly or indirectly impacts your mental and physical peace some or other ways as now nothing gets done on time. So to overcome these issues associated with quarantine fatigue you should create a fixed routine for you and follow it strictly without failing.
Plan a routine that will not difficult for you to follow ensuring that all your necessary tasks and responsibilities are managed under this. This gives certainty by shaping your days in a particular way. You may start your day with mindful practices like meditation and some yoga asanas then take a healthy breakfast and after that engage yourself in some productive works that will not allow any distressful and useless thoughts series in your mind to enter.
Go for an evening walk as it is important to go in the mid of nature which is the natural healer for the human body and health. Likewise, you can plan your routine in such a way that is easy to follow and keep you productive and your moods in a stable position throughout the quarantine period.
Recharge Your Battery Through Exercising, Sleeping, and Eating
One easier way to quickly boost your drained energy level is by eating foods that you haven’t tried since long past, exercising when you feel restless or energy sucked and taking sound sleep at least for 7 to 8 hours at night. When your body gets proper nutrition through food it is likely to feel energetic all day around. Taking a power nap in day time at least for 30 minutes is enough to recharge your battery and get you on track.
A good night’s sleep is vital for everyone and so it is beneficial for you as well while coping with your quarantine fatigue associated issues. Follow a fixed exercise routine at least for 30 minutes for 5 days a week as this will not only improve your physical appearance but also it is the best tool to improve your immune health which is quite essential for everyone to prevent the new coronavirus contraction risk. Also, a good exercise routine helps in improving your mental health as well.
Do Makeover of Your Home
In normal days of life, we hardly get any time to decorate our homes. However, that unfulfilled wish can be achieved in this quarantine phase. Do the makeover of your home as this is a good way to engage your mind and body that will keep away all the negative emotions that are associated with quarantine.
Redefine your house again as it will give a new and refreshing look to it that will fill your mind and body with positive emotions when you start living in your well-redesigned home including indoor and outdoor. This will keep your mind away from all the negative emotions by enhancing the feeling of wellbeing naturally when you get clean and well decorated indoors and outdoors to live.
You can do plantation of a few beautiful flowers or if good space is available in front of your house then you can plant a few fruit trees or herbs in your garden. When you will find nature around you then there will be no room left out for any kind of negative emotions.
If you are getting a victim of quarantine fatigue then there is nothing to feel shy or worried about it. There is nothing abnormal in this. However, we can try something from our level with the above mentioned some effective tips to overcome quarantine fatigue ensuring that even this hard phase of our lives too gets normal and pass away in a healthy way.
[expand title=”View Article Sources“]
- https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-cope-with-quarantine-fatigue-4844181
- https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/08/health/quarantine-fatigue-is-real-coronavirus-wellness/index.html
- https://www.massgeneral.org/news/coronavirus/quarantine-fatigue
- https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/quarantine-fatigue
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