Wake-up, login, work, logout, repeat… at least 5 days in a row, followed by 2 days of eating, TV, eat, TV, repeat.

Ok, maybe it’s not that dramatic, but if you feel that monotony has become your second nature, during this pandemic’s lockdowns, you are not alone! It is definitely not qualitative life spending, and might even not feel like you are actually living, just being alive.

And while you feel alive, you want to hide under a rock and sleep it off. You lose energy in those dreadful online meetings and kill your spine by sitting on your office chair even more hours than before.

Mental, just like physical health should not be neglected but taken up very seriously. Modern societies have introduced the concept of ‘burnout’, or taking sick leave for not feeling mentally apt to work. The tricky thing about mental exhaustion is that it cripples also your body. It can push you to not being able to walk, really bad backaches, stomach aches, headaches, and many other forms depending on how affected you are.

Triggering a nocebo?

In all fairness, being burnt out and mentally exhausted is definitely not where you want to be, even if you can claim sick leave and get paid monthly without working (for a while). Why?

If you heard about the placebo effect, you know that there is also the nocebo effect. By extrapolating the concept, getting diagnosed with burnout, or mental exhaustion might actually make you feel sick even more and consider yourself an ill person.

This is definitely where you don’t want yourself to be. And going on with it is a slippery slope, which will take time to overcome.

Steer the wheel (will)

Putting a medical diagnosis on it could actually be counter-effective to what you aim for: recovery, feeling better, motivated, emotionally strong, positive.

Start by understanding what is the trigger of your current emotional situation? Is it work or school-related, is it relationship-related or family? This is the first step towards your recovery. Then, try to lay down, even in writing, what makes you happy, what gives you daily energy? Start focusing more on those key elements, from now on. Gather your thoughts and strength and identify your viable options to change the current situation. Make a list, draft plan A, plan B, etc, and eventually set deadlines. If it’s your work, then build up your CV and search for new jobs, apply, apply, and apply until you get interviews. Or even find other sources of temporary income that could help you break the current pattern and steer the wheel.

If it’s your relationship, assess its pros and cons objectively. Any healthy relationship should give you more energy than consuming it. The theoretical measuring scale should always lean towards positive.

Remember, we know that we have only one lifetime, and we should try to make the best of it, as we can! New beginnings are always challenging, but they also come with the new experience energy. And this pandemic will also pass, and life will be fun again.

Labeling yourself as sick is not a real exit from your current situation, but your steered mindset is. Check this book on Amazon for some interesting takes on life 😉

---

The author of this article is not a medical professional; all the content shared is purely based on the author’s own experience with the topic.