Although we are still technically in a pandemic, “normal” life has resumed for most people, and I forgot how tiring it is. Prior to COVID I was working six days a week on top of school and while I was tired, I felt it was manageable. I was still making sure to exercise, eat well, and maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Then when COVID began in March 2020 it felt like the world was put on pause. I suddenly had all this free time and I used it to focus on my mental health, which was great, it was the first time in my adult life I had truly felt stress free (keep in mind I was fortunate enough to be living with my parents during this time and thus had minimal expenses). Alike most other people in COVID I did get restless and tired from being cooped up in the house all day, but I never felt physically or mentally exhausted as I was putting all my effort into maintaining mental and physical health.
When things began to open and restrictions were lifted, I started working and socializing again. At the time I was only working 3-4 days a week and for 4 hours at a time, so the transition did not seem very difficult. In fact, I was enjoying being able to socialize again even though my social battery was draining quicker than normal. I was lucky enough to work with a few of my close friends, so I was able to get my social needs and work needs fulfilled together in the span of a few hours.
As the months progressed, my workload increased to 6 hour shifts 4 days a week and I began socializing with more people outside work. I could already feel the good habits I built during COVID starting to slip, my exercise and sleep habits were no longer consistent causing me to feel tired all the time. It got me thinking about what is going to happen when I go back to full time work. Will I just be tired all the time? Will my health deteriorate if I am too busy to prioritize it? This stress caused me to start having anxiety attacks again for the first time in 2 years.
I knew I had to start prioritizing my mental and physical health again but just did not feel like I had the time. My counsellor suggested going back to the CBT basics and using activity scheduling as a means to incorporate wellness throughout the day. I started with scheduling in 30 minutes of yoga and getting back on a regular sleep schedule. It helped a little but within two weeks I found it was not enough. After that I decided to dedicate a day to mental health every week. On Sundays I do not do work, or school, I even recently began “no technology.” I dedicate the day to relaxing, whether that be enjoying the weather outside, spending time with friends and family, or doing a DIY spa day by myself.
I think the key to transitioning back to normal life means learning how to manage my time better and remembering to prioritize my mental and physical health. So, if you feel you can relate, try scheduling a mental health day every now and then and see how you feel!