Are You Suffering From Corona-Fatigue?

As we are all well aware by now, the key symptoms of COVID-19 to watch out for are; a high temperature, a new, continuous cough and a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste, all of which can make you feel lethargic and tired also.  BUT, what about the other Corona-Fatigue ... the one where we're all just a bit (ok, a lot) fed up of the whole situation we find ourselves in.

Back at the beginning, it may not have seemed so bad - it was an excuse to binge-watch TV and chill out at home for a bit - maybe get some DIY done.  But now that we've had almost 4 months of disruption, and the world is attempting to get back to some kind of 'new normal', do you find yourself feeling exhausted?

It's all perfectly normal, and there's a logical reason.  Back when we were in proper 'lockdown', we all knew what was expected of us - which was largely stay at home and do nothing.  Now though, there are many unknowns, and we have to make our own decisions on what we feel is safe for ourselves, our workplaces and our families.  There's a lot of unpredictability and our brains are having to make a lot more 'on the spot' decisions than usual - probably without us even realising.  

Remember when you were learning to drive, and an hours lesson was really tiring, because you were concentrating so much on watching for hazards, changing gears, steering in a straight line, etc?  Well, life has got a bit like that, hasn't it?  

It's no longer enough to remember what you need from the supermarket.  You've got to remember your mask, follow the arrows around the store, remember what you need in order, so you don't have to go back around the 'one way' system!  Not to mention the things we hadn't even noticed before.  Did that person just cough .. is that person getting too close .. did I just touch my face?  When you think about it, it's no wonder we're all feeling a bit frazzled!!

The best advice we can give you during this time, is be kind to yourself, and others.  We'll all be coping differently.  If you just need to get yourself through the day though, you need a quick tiredness reliever. Here are a few quick things you can do at work, if you find yourself feeling like you need a pick-me-up:

• Breathe!  Ok, it's obvious, and we're all doing it already - but try focussing on it for 5-10 minutes.  It doesn't have to be a full-on meditation session.  Just a few really focussed, deep breaths - the kind that fill your whole abdomen so that your stomach and chest both rise, and then go all the way out again.  You can always search YouTube for a quick guided breaking session, or try the Headspace app.
• Drink.  Not just coffee!  Dehydration will only make fatigue worse, so make sure you are drinking plenty of water during the day.  Water intake should be little and often too, for our bodies to use it properly.  Don't just gulp down a couple of pints in one go to 'catch up'!
• Go Nuts.  Forget the sweet stuff - that'll only have you in an energy slump later.  Keep a bag of nuts in your desk drawer for a quick snack.
• Take a Whiff of something like cinnamon or peppermint, which are believed to help fight fatigue.
• Move.  Have a quick walk outside if you can - the fresh air and sunshine hit will help with the tiredness too.  You might not want to take a stroll around the building at the moment, but you could do a few squats, or walk/run on the spot, to get your blood pumping a bit, which will give you an energy boost.
• Sing.  Who hasn't turned the radio up and sung out loud to stay alert while driving?  Can you do the same at work?  It won't work if your colleagues are on the phone - but perhaps you could all pause for a quick blast of an upbeat song?  It could do wonders for morale and put a smile on your faces, at the same time as beating tiredness for a while.

Ultimately, these ideas will only get you so far - if you find yourself feeling tired often, you might need to dig a bit deeper into possible causes.  Keep your eye out for an upcoming blog with some hints and tips for increasing your energy in the longer term.

Don't keep yourself up at night worrying about the perfect location for your business.  Bucks Biz provides office space for rent in Milton Keynes, with units available for all sectors, to suit a wide range of requirements. From small one-person start ups, right up to large spaces fit for 100 people (plenty of room for social distancing!) we have the perfect base for your business.

We are more than just space to rent too. We are a community of businesses all eager to help each other. Throughout the pandemic, we have supported our residents to secure funding where it has been available and in adhering to social distancing and safe working practices, throughout our centres.