By Subashini Rajasuriah
The world is gradually regaining some semblance of normalcy and people are psyched to dive back into their lively pre-pandemic activities but instead of feeling this new high of being out and about there is this sudden fatigue and weariness that is settling in.
There are many reasons behind this feeling of exhaustion, a key one being the lifestyles we have maintained pre-Covid and post Covid.
Back then, our much more rigid schedules led to a certain sense of acceptance or conditioning towards a constantly busy routine that involves the hustle and bustle of getting to places accompanied by large crowds milling about.
We had also become accustomed to shrugging off exhaustion and being inattentive towards our health be it physical or mental by relying on filler activities such as movie nights, parties, social gatherings, shopping and other recreational elements to compensate for the dullness of our routines and to drown out underlying mental health issues.
While the pandemic has brought about its own set of challenges it has also drudged up the ugly side to our pre pandemic lifestyle choices and has provided the much-needed push to make changes to the way we have lived and perceived life.
People are recognizing they are not taking enough time for themselves and have used those 18 months to re-discover their passion, take up new hobbies, examine their career choices, prioritize their health, and finally derive true meaning from the term relaxation.
With that being said, there are elements to our old life that are positive and joyful that most of us are eager to launch back into after an eternity of staying at home. However, cramming too many activities back into your schedule in an attempt to compensate for nearly two years of inactivity may just sour the experience altogether as the body and mind hasn’t had time to adapt.
One way to combat this is to space out your activities so that you have time to breathe in between.
Also, try to map out a new routine that consists of a balance between your quarantine routine and post pandemic plans without having them become a chore. For instance, if resuming work in the office is non-negotiable you may choose to balance it out by coming home and setting time aside to take nice long baths with your favorite playlist playing in the background as you might have done during the pandemic.
For those that tend to suffer from anxiety, being exposed to large crowds, noise and social interaction after months of silence might cause waves of anxiety to surface and leave them feeling a little frazzled and drained at the end of the day.
In situations like this, it’s best to avoid sugar and caffeinated beverages for a while. It is also vital to prioritize rest when interacting with the world again more frequently as it allows the body to unwind after a long day.
