9 Ways to Prevent Burnout or Manage Anxiety as Lockdown Ends
Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash
Are you in a country where lockdown is starting to ease?
Are you worried about overdoing it once you are able to go outside and get back into your activities? Or, are you the opposite, thinking “I don’t want to get back out there yet, I’m not ready!”?
If you said yes to either of these questions, this article is for you. I will give you 9 steps to help you look after yourself, prevent burnout and manage anxiety as lockdown ends, wherever you are in the world, and whenever it is that your local area starts to open up.
Whatever you are feeling it’s ok
In some countries including the UK, pubs are back open. You can go to the shops. Get your hair done. Dine outdoors with friends. The streets are suddenly busy again with people fed up with having been cooped up inside for the best part of a year.
Some people ecstatic about this. They will run, full tilt, back into life when the lockdown starts to lift. So excited about being ‘free’ that they’ll have a pint in their hand within minutes of the pub doors opening. Others won’t. Others will stay firmly put indoors.
Understandably, many people are feeling apprehensive… Wishing lockdown would be over, while also fearing what life will be like when it ends - worrying how they will socialise and what life will look like. Or wishing lockdown was over, but also feeling understandable fear about another lockdown happening should we be free to do what we please too soon.
Wherever you are on this continuum, whether you are emerging with caution, or cannot wait to be back in the full swing of life, it is ok to feel however you feel. And, it is important to prepare yourself for the transition, as it has the potential for being an exhausting time - whether you are exhausted by overloading your calendar or by the anxiety that comes with thinking about socialising again.
9 tips to manage the post-lockdown transition
Whichever end of the spectrum you fall on coming out of lockdown is going to require some balance. We will all fare better if we take time to reconnect with people and the activities we love, while also making sure we take time for ourselves. To rest if we need to.
To do this:
1. Review what worked well during the lockdown, and what you would like to keep in your post-lockdown life. Maybe you learned to cook, garden, or started to appreciate the quiet moments in life. If you enjoyed these activities how will you ensure you keep these activities going post-lockdown?
2. Pay attention to your energy levels. Rather than filling your calendar with activities and social events post lockdown, take it slow. Arrange one or two for the first weekend (when this is allowed) and simply see how you feel after each one. You may notice that even short social encounters tire you out, as you haven’t been around people for a prolonged period. This is normal and as you slowly increase your activities, your stamina will increase too - as long as you build slowly.
3. Schedule rest the way you schedule play. This isn’t just a post-lockdown tip, this is a life skill. Put downtime into your diary. Read a book. Have a bath. Disconnect. Don’t wait until you are exhausted to do this. Preventing exhaustion and burnout is easier than having to cure it.
4. Schedule side-by-side activities as well as face-to-face activities with friends. Pre-lockdown most of us were used to doing activities with friends and family. Going for walks, to galleries, the cinema. During lockdown, the only option for connection was video/phone calls. Face-to-face activities that required direct conversation. People ran out of things to say very quickly and became tired by the pressure to perform and be entertaining. When life opens back up, arrange to do activities that require less talking and more shared experience. This will take the pressure off socialising, will preserve your energy, and will help restore the connection between you and your friends as you will have shared an experience you can talk about at a later date.
5. Practice saying no, or no thank you! If you do not feel ready to get back out there yet, or that is totally ok. You can say no to requests to meet up and you can be direct and tell people that you simply aren’t ready yet. If you aren’t used to saying no to friends, saying no may feel hard but I guarantee you will not be the only one feeling this way, so people will understand.
Likewise, if you feel bombarded with invitations, you can say no to any of those that you don’t want to or don’t have the capacity to do too. We often say yes to too many opportunities because we don’t want to let people down, or because we don’t know how to say no or delegate. But this means we can end up so exhausted that we have no time left for ourselves or for the things that matter to us.
Top tip for people who fear saying no: When we say no (or no thank you) we aren’t saying “no, I don’t ever want to do that activity”, we are simply saying “no thank you, not right now”. (If saying no is a real issue for you, read this blog post on boundaries).
6. Be aware of FOMO. During the lockdown, many people were relieved to no longer feel the fear of missing out (FOMO). They knew everyone was at home and no one was able to have fun, and therefore it felt like a reprieve. (I also realise that some people felt the opposite, feeling FOMO as they looked on at those who learned to bake or took up other hobbies during the pandemic). As lockdown ends, notice where FOMO arises. Be aware of the moments of panic that make you think :”I must do more, everyone else is doing more”. Breathe through it, and ask yourself, “do I actually want to do more? Or am I just responding to my fear?” If the answer is “I want to” and “I have the time and the energy, then get out there, say yes to the invitations. If the answer is anything else, remind yourself that you can do more activities when you truly want to and when energy and time is on your side. And that there is simply no rush.
7. Be gentle with your friends. If someone says they aren’t ready for that catch-up you offered or that they are already busy then, don’t assume they mean they don’t want to see you. Remember, we are all feeling our way back into life at our own pace. Let people know that you understand this, and you can arrange for a time that suits them.
8. Look for balance. Try to ensure each day isn’t solely filled with tasks that ‘have to be done’. Make time for something you enjoy too!
9. Manage anxiety and stress by:
Learning about anxiety and stress by clicking here
Practicing a breathing exercise or a grounding exercise (click on each word for each different skill).
Sharing how you feel with someone you trust, you never know they may feel the same as you, and you can support each other through it.
Reminder: Any time anxiety or stress feels like it is getting in the way of your life, please seek support from friends, family, or a mental health provider.
That’s it!
Whatever you feel about lockdown easing up, it makes sense. If you are excited, wonderful! If you are anxious, that’s also ok. Take your time. The slower we ease back into the world, the less likely another lockdown will be. So, let’s take it slow for our own energy levels, anxiety levels, and for each other.
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I am a Clinical Psychologist trying to get effective psychological advice out of the therapy room and into everyday life.
If you found this article useful and want to learn more about why you feel the way you do, and how to cope with whatever life throws at you… Pre-order my book “A Manual For Being Human”, which is out on July 8th.
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