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12 Reasons Why We Are All So Tired And Exhausted

12 Reasons Why We Are All So Tired And Exhausted, fatigue, pandemic, Covid, Pandemic Fatigue, chronic stress and tiredness, insomnia, anxiety, grief and trauma, sadness

In this week’s Success Newsletter, I would like to like to reveal the 12 real reasons why you and all of us are feeling so tired and exhausted.

First a quick update: 

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10 Ways To Overcome Loneliness, Fear and Panic During The Pandemic

It is natural and okay to feel and experience stress and fear during the Covid Pandemic. Here are 10 ways to alleviate the stress, overcome loneliness, and neutralize anxiety and panic. Watch the video­­

Are you feeling extremely tired, exhausted, and fatigued?

You are not alone.

We are all experiencing it.

Yes, the pandemic is causing this exhaustion in 12 specific ways, but did you know that:

When you identify, label and validate the emotions that you are experiencing, you lessen their intensity and control over you?

When you can describe and understand the psychological and physical impact of the pandemic, you ease some of the pain, you recognize that you are not alone in feeling tired and exhausted, and you potentially feel heard and validated.

Further, with new clarity, you have the option to be patient and compassionate towards yourself, to take better care of yourself and others around you, and to ask for help and support.

How Does The Pandemic Makes You Feel Tired and Exhausted?

The pandemic causes trauma, and trauma leads to mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion.

Trauma is your response to a perceived threat.

Trauma is the psychological wound or injury caused by the fear of harm & threats or from the actual harm that occurred to you – physically, mentally, emotionally, sexually. https://www.patrickwanis.com/trauma-therapy/

As I will elaborate, the pandemic leads to hypervigilance and hyperarousal with chronic stress, which in turn, depletes and weakens your body.

Chronic stress and fear negatively impact your sleep – making everything worse – and they cause inflammation in the body which then leads to more illness and exhaustion. Long-term anxiety exhausts your body; the fight or flight response creates muscle tension, increased heart rate, weakened digestion and absorption, and insomnia or inadequate sleep.

More Than 2 Years Of Fear, Worry, Anxiety & Exhaustion

We have all been experiencing threats to our security and stability for many years now. And the threats just seem to have been ramping up: terrorism, followed by political and social divisions and polarization, violent protests, natural disasters (fires, tornadoes, droughts, floods and climate change), the pandemic entering its third year, and next the variants.

Additionally, your individual circumstances can worsen the pandemic’s physical and psychological impact on you – personal health issues, parenting at home, home-schooling children, work and/or financial losses, death or illness of friends and family.

12 Specific Ways The Pandemic Makes You Tired and Exhausted

1. Extreme Uncertainty

No one knows how or when the pandemic will end. No one knows what will happen tomorrow: will there be another lockdown or another variant?

2. Instability, Insecurity & Unpredictability

The uncertainty leads to a feeling of instability and insecurity. Our routines, work, and lifestyle have changed. Some of those changes are permanent while there are more changes regularly.

3. Constant and Rampant fear

Again, there is no end in sight, and there are new variants. This causes more fear, along with the media’s pounding message of danger and Armageddon.

4. Confusion

The advice by authorities, the medical establishment, political parties, the media, and social media is conflicting, contradictory, inconsistent and often rapidly evolving or changing. Further, the advice also includes conspiracies and more fear, warnings and alarms. It seems everyone wants you to be afraid: The media, the politicians, and the conspiracy theorists or extremists on both sides.

5. Sadness, Grieving

The world has changed, and change results in the experience of grieving – the feeling of loss. We have lost routine, stability, security and certainty, while others have lost health, jobs, career and lives. It is natural to feel sad and to be grieving over the changes and loss.

6. Loss of Direction/Meaning/Purpose

The shock of social isolation, and a sudden end and loss of routine and stability, (loss of motivation) creates an existential crisis. The extreme uncertainty makes it difficult to create meaningful goals. We need to set and pursue goals and dreams.

7. Anxiety

Anxiety is the feeling that your world is out of control, coupled with the attempt to control that which you can’t. In response to the anxiety, many people drown themselves in more news and more doom and gloom, and that action only worsens the anxiety.

8. Lack of Fun and Excitement

Constant fear, confusion, loss, and isolation (no outings, dinners, vacations, travel, routines, family traditions or get-togethers) rob you of fun, excitement and connection to others.

9. Depression

Loss of motivation (goals, meaning and purpose), loss of excitement, social isolation, and hopelessness result in depression.

10. Brain Fog

Chronic hypervigilance and chronic stress cause brain fog: you make mistakes, struggle to concentrate, and find it extremely difficult to make decisions.

11. Loneliness

Lack of social connection and group activities (even working remotely rather than in person with others) leads to feelings of isolation and disconnection. And if you are not involved in group activities or you are not working in an office like before, you could easily feel that you don’t belong and you have lost your family/tribe.

12. Helplessness & Frustration

There is little you can do to control the pandemic, to end it, or to make things the way they were. There is very little you can do to end the uncertainty, confusion or loss. This leads to feelings of frustration and helplessness.

15 Tips To Help Ease The Feelings of Being Tired and Exhausted

This is a very brief list with links to more reading.

1. Exercise – even though you feel tired, go for walks, do some aerobic activities

2. Do deep-breathing to reduce stress and improve sleep and relaxation; yoga and meditation

3. Do fun activities – watch fun shows and movies rather than sad or depressing ones

4. 17 Tips to help you sleep better

5. Eat healthy – avoid processed foods, add more fruits and vegetables, stop consuming sugar and sodas

6. Focus on human connection; meet friends in person rather than online or via social media

7. Change your routine slightly to create more excitement without overloading

8. Avoid sensory overload: simplify your life

9. Avoid internet surfing when it generates more anxiety; beware of doomscrolling

10. Are you on new medication which might be making your more tired and exhausted? Antihistamines and antihistamine-based sleeping pills (Advil PM) cause grogginess the next day.

11. Do this to become more resilient  

12. Ask for help and support

13. Give yourself permission to take break and to rest

14. Practice setting boundaries and saying “No”

15. Deal with the psychological issues that the Covid pandemic has triggered; book a session with me

If you or a friend need help to deal with the pandemic or to set yourself free from the past, from pain, abuse, hurts or disappointments, do what so many others have done: Resolve it rapidly and be set free of the pain with my SRTT process. Book a one-on-one session with me.

You can add to the conversation below.

I wish you the best and remind you “Believe in yourself -You deserve the best!”

Patrick Wanis Ph.D.

Celebrity Life Coach, Human Behavior & Relationship Expert & SRTT Therapist

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