Coronavirus Isolation Is Making Me Exhausted

The isolation required by coronavirus is exhausting me. I find this odd as isolation doesn't require that you "do" anything, per se. We're not talking about a state in which one must exert oneself. We're talking about a state in which one must binge Netflix. It doesn' seem like that would make a person tired. It turns out, that's wrong, however. Make no mistake about it, coronavirus isolation is making me exhausted.

Mental Health Effects of Coronavirus Isolation

I've written about the mental health effects of coronavirus isolation a couple of times now. It's completely understandable that things like mental illness-specific symptoms, general anxiety and other mental health effects would be present when you're isolating because of a pandemic. But as I said above, I don't think being exuasted is an easily-predicted effect of isolation.

Being Exhausted Because of Coronavirus Isolation

I'm finding, though, that exhaustion and tiredness are plaguing me right now. I'm feeling so exhausted during the day that doing anything feels impossible and all I want to do is sleep, or at the very least, lie down. And while these feelings could be as a result of depression, I don't think they are. I think my exhaustion is coronavirus isolation-related. And what's more, it seems to be getting worse the longer I this goes on.

Of course, as I have acknowledged previously, this is not the only mental health effect the pandemic and its isolation is having for me. Since the COVID-19 pandemic has occurred and required isolation, I've been experiencing lots of COVID-19-related anxiety and plenty of negative emotions thanks to COVID-19. 

And what I think, is because my body is buzzing with anxiety and negative emotions, that, in turn, is exhausting the heck out of me. I'm trying to deal with these mental health effects in the best and most positive ways I can and that is tiring. Basically, more mental health effects piled on top of an already overworked brain is a lot. (Of course, you don't have to have a mental illness to feel exhausted due to the coronavirus, I just do.)

Additionally, leaving the house now does take a lot of extra mental energy. I'm worried about touching anything, touching my face, staying away from people, wearing a mask, and so on. That's all certainly exhausting too.

Dealing with Coronavirus Isolation and Exhaustion

Dealing with exhaustion is dealing with exhaustion, in some sense, but coronavirus isolation exhaustion may include a couple of differences.

First off, I think it's critical to recognize that coronavirus isolation can cause exhaustion and that if it's happening to you, it's pretty normal and okay. It's important not to beat yourself up about not dealing with this situation "well enough." Remember, this is a global pandemic and most of us have not lived through anything like it. We're all doing our best and there's nothing wrong with whatever you're feeling right now.

Next, I think it's important to deal with any mental health effects that might be inducing or increasing your exhaustion. In other words, if you're like me and feeling intense anxiety, relieving that COVID-19 anxiety may make you feel less tired in the long-run. This might mean having a heart-to-heart with a loved one or turning to a therapist if one is available. There are also prescription medications that can help if the anxiety is truly debilitating. (If this is the case for you, be sure to discuss it with a doctor.)

And finally, if you're dealing with coronavirus isolation exhaustion, you need to rest. I spent all day yesterday resting. I know this isn't a luxury that everyone can afford, but I do believe you need to rest when you can -- and remember, watching TV is not the same thing as resting as TV doesn't give you whole body (including your brain) the same break. And again, don't beat yourself up for having this need. Being in such an extraordinary situation is going to create extraordinary needs that you may never have had before, and that's okay.

All in all, no matter how much I rest, I think I'm going to have to deal with coronavirus isolation exhaustion until this whole thing ends and I have a chance to fully recover. That said, I'm going to do the above to mitigate its effects in the meantime. 

Are you finding coronavirus isolation exhausting? What are you doing about it?