Are you suffering from Crisis Fatigue?

Are you suffering from Crisis Fatigue? It may be you’ve not heard of this before but I am seeing it more and more in my work with clients.

Life is full of stressors but in the last few years we have had far more serious life events that have impacted all of us, in addition to personal events which can be enough on their own. Brexit, Covid, the cost of living crisis, as well as events such as those happening in the Ukraine and the middle east feel like one inescapable crisis after another. We are bombarded with them on the news, social media and in the press. It feels like there is no escape. It is no wonder we feel battle weary. And this, in itself, is creating yet another crisis. Or perhaps you want to call it another pandemic.

What is Crisis Fatigue?

Crisis Fatigue is a sense of constant onslought of stressful events which have a negative impact on your energy, physical and mental wellbeing as well as motivation. It is similar to burnout. This is particularly true where the person has a sense that they have no control. And, let’s face it, most of the events listed above we have little or no control over. So the resourcefulness you might normally feel when life throws a curveball at you becomes significantly depleted. Your ability to bounce back eroded.

What are the symptoms of Crisis Fatigue?

The symptoms of criss fatigue can vary from person to person but may include the following:

A sense of helplessness and/or hopelessness
Fatigue
Insomnia
Lack of motivation
Feelings of anxiety, such as rapid heartbeat, shallow breathing, trembling, muscle aches/tension
Digestive problems
Headaches
An increased susceptibility to colds and flu, etc
A sense of detachment
Molehills look and feel very much like mountains
An increase in unhelpful ‘coping mechanisms’ such as comfort eating, drinking too much, spending too much time on social media (which can exacerbate the problem), online shopping, gambling. These behaviours are used as a way to ‘escape’ life’s problems. But sadly, they can make a bad situation worse.

10 tips to overcome Crisis Fatigue?

The best thing is to notice the symptoms early on before they become too ingrained.
Minimising exposure to the news, press, negative people and social media (or at least unfollowing negative sources) are going to be key.
Spend time doing things you love with people you care about.
Do things which give you a sense of achievement (this will help you feel more in control of life). This can be as simple as finishing off something, tidying a cupboard, doing a craft.
Do/watch/read things which make you laugh. Laughter is a wonderful antidote.
Write down everything you are grateful for: another wonderful antidote.
Spend time out in nature where you can marvel at the wonder of it – always a mood booster.
Create a “smile file” (not a name I came up with but one I heard earlier this week and I love it!). This can be all the lovely things people have said to you, your achievements, happy memories (especially involving people you love), funny things that have happened, inspirational quotes and anything else you can think of that will make you smile.
If you are experiencing Crisis Fatigue, it can even feel like PTSD where you are easily triggered. In this case, you need to see a professional as soon as possible as this won’t go away on its own.
Know that life is full of ups and downs. Appreciating those times when things are up rather than focusing on all the bad news helps to balance it out. Remember that whatever today’s bad news is will become old news. Until then there is plenty to enjoy. It’s all about where you put your focus. Thinking this way isn’t about being in denial, but about choosing not to be consumed by what you can’t change.

The Inconvenient truth

Left too long it can lead to burnout or breakdown so please take care of yourself. It can be an inconvenient truth to know that “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it” (so says Charles R Swindoll). Inconvenient because it can be really difficult to change your reaction when you are overwhelmed and run down. Get in touch if you would like to explore how I could support you.