Lockdown burnout is a sign of the times we're living in and it can take a toll on us mentally and physically. We speak to experts on what to know and how to manage it
Burnout is a word that we often hear these days, especially during the pandemic. Burnout takes on many forms, burnout from work, burnout from studies and burnout from lockdown. Many of us may be adjusting to the new normal, but that's not to say it hasn't taken a toll on us. Finding our footing in the difficult times we're in, especially with the prolonged quarantine and lockdown affects us both physically and mentally. It's difficult to find any aspect of society that hasn't been hit by the pandemic in some way.
Isolation, being away from family, the lack of travel, working from home, maintaining work-life balance and the need to social distance, are all new––leaving us feeling overwhelmed and potentially leading to lockdown burnout.
To offer you some words of comfort and advice, we sought the help of Allison Heiliczer, counsellor, psychotherapist and head of corporate psychology at OT&P as well as Dr Joyce Lai a registered medical practitioner to give us the lowdown on what is lockdown burnout and how to deal with it both physically and mentally.
See also: Learning From Lockdown: Lessons From Our Tatler Community
What is lockdown burnout?
Allison: A lockdown burnout is a regular burnout that has happened to due to the recent lockdowns.
Technically, a burnout is the crystallisation of mental and physical exhaustion due to prolonged and excessive stress. Therefore, lockdown may be one of the contributing factors that leads one to experience burnout amongst the more common reasons such as work, family or financial stressors. For some, lockdown alone may be what causes burnout as it can result in people feeling mentally and physically exhausted.
See also: The Tatler Guide To Surviving Quarantine In Hong Kong