In the previous blog posting we discussed how the pandemic is affecting the mental health of employees in the workplace. However, as a leader of an organization, it’s just as important to address the status of your own mental health.

There is a new term floating around – Quarantine Fatigue – you may have read about recently. According to Austin Hall, MD, medical director for the UNC Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health, “The COVID-19 crisis has transformed so many aspects of our lives in a short time. Many of us, probably most of us, are experiencing it. We need to acknowledge it as normal and forgive ourselves and each other when it hinders our ability to cope.”

What are some of the reasons we are experiencing Quarantine Fatigue?

• Feeling anxious about the uncertainty of everything and when we will get back to normal
• Missing face-to-face human interaction, shaking hands, hugging, etc.
• Mourning the loss of our old lives and the freedom that went with it
• Experiencing real fear even when performing our day-to-day activities, like going to the grocery store

Connecting with others in creative ways might help combat Quarantine Fatigue

Block Dinner Parties

Everyone in the neighborhood brings a table out to the street and has dinner together. Make sure to separate the tables far enough apart so you can maintain a sense of camaraderie while still adhering to the rules of social distancing.

Drive-In Movie Theaters

Does your town have a drive-in movie theater, or perhaps a restaurant with car hop service? These are great ways to enjoy the company of other people, while still remaining a safe distance apart in your own car.

Viewing Parties

You can chat with a friend via text while you both watch a classic movie, a rebroadcast of a historic baseball or football game, or, tour a museum virtually.

Acknowledge It

Just being aware of the effects of this lock-down fatigue can make it easier to cope. “Acknowledge your fatigue, hold compassion for it, find ways to work with it. Be sure the fatigue doesn’t lead you to make decisions that put you and other people at risk,” says Beth Darnall, Ph.D., associate professor and psychologist at Stanford University School of Medicine.