‘We’re over it and we want to get over it’: Mental health counselor gives tips to fight pandemic fatigue

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The nation is into year three of the pandemic. However, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the coronavirus could be behind us come spring.   

So, how do we stay strong until we reach the finish line? 

News 8 spoke with Kimble Richardson, a licensed mental health counselor at Community Health Network, who says one reason we’re all exhausted is because our emotions have been buried for so long. 

“We were asked to pivot so quickly and become task oriented,” Richardson said. “We had a goal. We had a focus. We were told what to do and we did it, and we did it and did it. And what happens is, even though those skills were going very well for many of us, what we also did was we had to put emotions on the back burner. And what I mean by that is we would’ve been so overwhelmed by our emotions we would have been falling apart if we didn’t.”

But now as we inch closer to the end, Richardson says those emotions are ready to come flooding back. He offers the following tips to stay the course:

Make a list of things you do and do not have control over

Having an understanding of each can keep you focused until the pandemic is officially over.

Break time down into smaller increments

Spring may be right around the corner, but at this time it still feels like a lifetime away. Put yourself at ease and avoid looking too far into the future. Instead, take things one day at a time.

Make a list of what kept you safe during COVID

This will help you adhere to guidelines through the final stretch.

Keeping these tips in mind, Richardson says, will help prevent your emotions from getting the best of you until the pandemic is in the past.