What to do about covid burnout? Follow these 6 Strategies to deal with your stress & anxiety

You begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Vaccines give us hope, and knowledge of the situation brings peace of mind. However, there is a situation called 'pandemic burnout': a set of sensations and emotions experienced by the covid-19 pandemic due to the prolongation of the health crisis, measures, restrictions and the feeling that we won't get back to normal again.

The Guardian states in this article that Psychologists are reporting a rise in "pandemic burnout". Data indicates people are finding it harder to stay positive, with 60% of people in the UK saying they are finding it harder to stay positive daily than before the pandemic – an 8-point increase from November, an Ipsos Mori survey found.

Covid burnout is prevalent among the Health Care staff who have been working on the frontline. Some nurses have reached out to us in the last few months reporting exhaustion and sleep issues. Being able to switch off when getting home has been the biggest challenge for them.

For many of us, adapting to the whole new COVID-19 situation wasn't easy in the beginning. We had to incorporate face masks, hydroalcoholic gels, distance, and restrictions in our Social life. Many of us experienced sleep disorders and sleep difficulties and an changes in our emotions with fear and frustration being the new norm. We got used to all of that, but the coping capacity right now is burntout. Consequently, many people are struggling to take control of their stress and anxiousness. No doubt, COVID has had an ongoing impact on our mental health. It's time to be kind to ourselves and have a Wellbeing recharge!

Ready to recharge your mind, body, and spirit? Would you like to manage your stress and anxiety? Keep reading to find out our 6 top Strategies! 👇

 Top 6 Strategies to Manage stress & anxiety

1. Prioritize your sleep 

Try to sleep 7 to 8 hours a day! In times of stress and burnout, we tend to ignore our basic needs. Sleep is a powerful stress reducer. Having a restful sleep calms and restores the body and makes you see life with a brighter lenses! We are all guilty of letting our priority for sleep slip from time to time, but here are some simple reminders of what you can do to boost your sleep hygiene practices! Simple things such as switching off devices two hours before sleeping, have a bath or relaxing shower or allow yourself to switch off after working can make the difference.

If you can't switch off at night and your anxiety levels prevent you from sleeping well, check out our top 6 relaxing techniques to fall asleep. We hope they help you! Once you fight anxiety, sleep comes easier!

You can complement these routines with an extra shot of natural relaxation in your body with the help of Kocoono ™ weighted blankets.
The concept of Kocoono Blankets is based on Pressure Therapy. When you put a Kocoono Blanket on yourself, you gently touch your body's pressure points which activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System, helping you calm down. The effect is similar to a massage or a hug. This calms you down and helps you to reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone).

2. Exercise to boost stress-busting endorphins

To reduce stress and prevent burnout, try as best as possible to exercise for at least a few minutes daily to maximize the release of endorphins. Walking is a great stress reliever! If you enjoy an outdoor workout surrounded by nature, its benefits multiply. Many studies showed that those who walked in nature showed less anxiety and less rumination on life's little worries. 

Another stress reliever that boosts your mood and gives you energy throughout the day is to swim in cold water!. The Wim Hof Method believes that exposing your body to cold temperatures has many health benefits, from improving sleep, reducing stress, enhancing focus, and boosting your immune response! You can practice Wim Hof Method in Ireland and the UK by swimming in our Atlantic Ocean. If you are interested in the benefits of this practice and want to check some alternatives to Wim Hof Method that you can incorporate easily in your day-to-day and find out some tips to get started, visit this blog.

For those who can only exercise in the evening, Yoga is the best option. It does not tend to affect your sleep, and many studies have shown that a regular yogic practice reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improving sleep patterns.

3. Keep up your basic needs: keep hydrated and have three balanced meals.

It might sound too obvious but in the same way that sleeping, drinking and eating enough tend to be ignored when in times of stress.

Don't forget to keep hydrated throughout the day. People who are not well hydrated often find that they feel tired, lethargic, or fatigued. Staying dehydrated can also affect your sleep! Health experts commonly recommend eight 8-ounce glasses, which equals about 2 litres per day minimum. This is called the 8×8 rule and is very easy to remember!.

Eating at least three balanced meals every day can be quite challenging when you work full time. Some companies provide fresh and healthy meals every day to your home. If you feel hungry before going to sleep, go for sleep-friendly snacks. Specific snacks activate your magnesium and melatonin levels, such as almonds, nuts, a glass of warm milk, bananas, kiwis, as well as hummus.

4. Set up your list of non-negotiable self-care routines.

 Maintaining habits and routines that include enjoyable activities will help you cope with your daily stress and anxiety. We encourage you to prioritize yourself and set up a list of non-negotiable self-care routines for the rest of the year! September is a great time to reset and renew your commitments with yourself! We say "non-negotiables" because you need to promise that you will stick to your self-care routines no matter what you do because you are conscious that they are key for your Mental Health and Wellbeing. These routines are things you do every day and help you feel good and show up as the best version of you!

Your list of non-negotiable self-care routines can be small healthy practices that you commit to every day or every week. Here are some examples of easy daily and weekly self-care routines to add to your list :-) You can pick the ones you like and add your own ones! 

5. Practice relaxation daily.

Incorporating relaxation techniques in your day to day will not only help you fight stress but also prevent anxiety problems, and, why not feel better and more rested. The best times to perform these relaxation techniques are right after waking up or before going to sleep. 

Meditation is a great relaxing technique to help you with stress in your day-to-day life! Try to find a quiet space where you can focus for 5 to 10 minutes each day, sit down, find a comfortable position, close your eyes, relax, and focus on breathing as long as you can. Our Mindfulness Bundle can help you draw your attention inwards and focus on your breath. There are two powerful tools in the Mindfulness Bundle: the  Kocoono Shouder Hug that will help you get the correct position, provide pressure therapy over the shoulders and bring you deep relaxation to your body.  The Kocoono Eye Mask will block the light, avoiding any distraction from the environment, helping you draw your attention inwards. 

Here, you will find 6 Relaxing Techniques that you can try at home such as deep breathing techniques and body scan meditations guides. 

The Kocoono Weighed Eye Pillow is the perfect combination during your relaxing techniques. How it works?  Weighted Eye Pillows stimulates the vagus nerve, which is the main component of the parasympathetic nervous system (and rests on your eyelids), which makes your body enter into the “rest and digest” response. The activation of the PNS slows your heart rate, reducing cortisol levels associated with stress, which naturally release happy body chemicals such as oxytocin.

6. Self exploration : Find your own strategies to cope with anxiety and stress

Dr Julie , a Clinical Psychologist and Wellness online educator from England explains with the stress bucket metaphor how your own coping strategies can help you to not feel overflowed with stress! Watch her video below to think about how we can try to control the build up of stress in our lives 👇

Everyone is different, and what works for one person does not necessarily work for everyone. One of your coping stress strategies could be to listen to music in the morning or, on the contrary, being in silence. It can be about having time alone with yourself or, on the contrary turn to your loved ones. There is no better person than you to decide your Strategies to combat burnout and deal with stress!
There are many online workshops to learn to manage stress and anxiety. They are so needed in these times! Coaches and psychologists across Ireland, UK and the US are sharing their experience and knowledge to help people to be the best version of themselves!

In these workshops you can have the opportunity to learn more about what makes us stressed, share experiences with others who find life stressful, and discuss and try out practical approaches to reducing our levels of anxiety.

We recommend the Managing Stress and Anxiety Workshop hosted by Kelly O'Malley, a Wellbeing coach from Mayo, Ireland. During this 90min interactive workshop, you will learn valuable strategies to manage stress and anxious moments. You can find out what topics are included and read more information here

Recognize when we should ask for psychological help.

As a Wellness company we always research and share the best wellness practices that can help our readers and customers not just to sleep better but also enhance their Mental Wellbeing. We hope you find these techniques helpful to take control of your stress and find the best version of yourself! If however you feel hopeless, and your anxiousness is all consuming then I urge you to ask for psychological help.

Leave your comments below!

What has worked best for you to cope with stress and recharge your wellbeing? Is there any activity that has helped you and that you would like to share with our community. We would love to know them! Leave your comments below! 👇