How are you coping with lockdown this year? Are you experiencing lockdown fatigue? Last year we told ourselves, once we get out of this lockdown and get 2020 over with, things will be much better and so we were able to push through. However, one year later and we are still in much the same position with less resilience and even more anxiety around what happens next, when this will get better and what the future looks like. It is beginning to cause burnout, despair, depletion, overwhelm and people are finding it harder than ever to feel motivated.

For some there is even more pressure depending on how your financial situation has been impacted, how much security you have in your employment and if you are trying to juggle home schooling as well as everything else. I know because I’m experiencing much of the same feelings trying to run my business and continue to look after all of my patients online from home. Here are 5 things I’ve found have helped keep me motivated, productive and sane. You might find some inspiration here too.

1. Make a plan for each day. Write down the night before what you want to achieve the next day. Make it achievable. i.e. this may mean writing down just one thing you want to do. Hint. The earlier you get onto the plan, the more likely you will achieve what you want to get done. Having a plan gives you purpose and helps motivate you.
2. Keep a set time for going to bed and getting up. Most people find they drift towards going to bed later and getting up later when they don’t have a set daily routine. This generally leads to less productivity, less motivation and a shift towards despair and depression.
3. Keep boundaries clear between work and home life. With so many of us working from home it is easy to let the boundaries between work and personal time blur. It’s important to set the hours of day that you will be working and then outside of those hours, close the door to your home office, stop reading and responding to emails and actually spend quality time with your family or dedicated time toward looking after your own wellbeing. Which leads me to the next thing.
4. Make a dedicated effort to look after your own health and wellbeing, every day. Talk is turning to us having to eventually learn to live with the virus, rather than keep trying to eradicate it by locking down, which isn’t sustainable. So, it’s more important than ever to remain as well as possible, both mentally and physically. The more effort you put into your health now, the better you will feel and the better equipped you will be to live in the new reality to come. So every day, think of it as a deposit into your bank account of future health when you eat well, exercise, drink adequate water, get fresh air, sun exposure, time in nature, good sleep and social interaction.
5. Book in for a Lockdown Fatigue – Pick Me Up consult. During lockdown I’m bringing back this consult item for anyone wanting some specific help with mental health, immunity or even if you simply just want to reach out and have a chat. It goes for 45 minutes and is available whether you’re a previous patients or never seen me before.