Why you don't feel better even though lockdown is "over"

Hey! Is anyone else wondering why they don’t feel better even though the pandemic is “over”? This is something I hear a lot at the moment, lots of people feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and in turmoil but then feeling guilty or confused because they “should” feel grateful/happy/better now that the pandemic is over. 

Well, friends, lockdown may be over, and we may be allowed to go out and about and socialize again but the thing is - when something as colossal as a global pandemic or any sort of huge trauma happens, our bodies initiate what is known as survival mode- the adrenals fire up, we get a load more cortisol flooding our system and we work predominantly in fight or flight mode. We can’t take time to process what is happening to us because the reality is actually far too huge for our brains to cope with and our smart instincts know that if we do- we will likely go into complete freeze mode and be unable to move forward. 

For most of us, the past two years have been spent in fight or flight mode. We’ve been focusing solely on surviving and when we are doing that, we can’t take time to process what is happening. It is only after the fact that we are able to take stock of what we went through and in this situation, we have been thrown into the world opening up again - we’ve gone from not being able to do anything - to doing everything again, all whilst trying to process the shit show that was lockdown. Not to mention that for some people lockdown brought up some huge red flags in their lives, some may have realized that they work far too much and are super frustrated at having to go back to that, and some might have really enjoyed the removal of the pressure and expectation to be “doing” all the time and now that is back, maybe feeling anxious about how they implement those boundaries. 

It’s no wonder most of us feel full of angst and on edge and as we navigate this return to “normal” we are also faced with the economic damage of the pandemic, which is seeing a cost of living crisis that the media are hell-bent on using to terrify us! 

So friend if you feel a whole mix of feelings and have no clue why - some of the above might be it, another thing to consider is that in order to stay safe we were told to be distant and as humans, we need social and physical connection, whilst most might not be aware of it, this distance between us all will have had a huge impact on our mental and physical wellbeing, feelings of isolation and loneliness are at all an all-time high right now and of course when we were forced to stay at home most of us turned to social media to nourish that need for connection… unfortunately we are now seeing the mental health impact of social media and constant blue light exposure which is leaving lots of people with feelings of low self-esteem not to mention that because of the addictive nature of social apps, most people are finding themselves spending less time outdoors or doing the things that are supportive of our mental and physical wellbeing. 

So what can we do? We can’t stop the world from turning, most of us need to work and look after our families, meaning the option to retreat into the forest and let all the shit that has been building up come out, isn’t really an option but there are things we can do to help navigate this time and I’d love to share some things that help me: 

1- Breathe

Simple but the most effective tool you have in your arsenal. Ineffective and irregular breathing can cause a whole host of problems and shallow breathing is a signal to your body that you need that fight or flight response. Taking 5 minutes in the morning to engage in some deep breathing can be genuinely life-changing, it doesn’t cost anything, you don’t have to be anywhere specific to do it and it’s something we can all easily accessible. I have some guided breath works on our youtube channel and you should also check out our friend Andrew at Performance Breathworks who is a champion of the power of our breath.

2- Pause before you react

Most of our capacity cups are not just full right now they are absolutely overflowing, we are facing so many micro stressors on a daily basis and there is a collective “on edge” energy with all of the changes that are happening in relation to the cost of living, etc that many people are finding they are having multiple “straw that broke the camels back” moments. You might find yourself shouting more at your kids, being snippier with colleagues or your partner/friends, and even having drastic reactions to things at work. Often these reactions aren’t really in response to the reality of what is happening but are a result of the build up of all those micro stressors. My son has a book- it’s called “Fergal is Fuming” and honestly it’s one of the best life lessons! The story follows a dragon who keeps loosing his shit and when he does he blows up or burns the world around him, the message is to take a moment- count to ten, run on the spot, do a dance, shake it out… whatever works for you - BEFORE you react to something. It’s a tale as old as time but it is SO important right now. Even when you feel you are being attacked, think of Fergal and take a moment, allow yourself to respond not react and you’ll find it easier to navigate those tricky situations we are all facing on the daily right now. 

3 - Ask yourself “what am I really feeling here”

As humans when we feel out of control we panic- and our natural instinct is to try and regain that control. For most people, they feel completely out of control because SO much is being imposed on us by the government right now and so the only places we feel we have control are at home or at work. This can mean  that we start to want to make drastic changes in our lives in order to feel in control again. Hey, I’m not saying to stay in situations or jobs you hate but what I am saying is ask yourself “what am I really feeling here?” before you have those big explosive reactions to things. You might find that what you are feeling doesn’t actually relate to what you think it does and taking a moment to sit with that question can really help you understand your own needs. 

4- Spend less time online and more outdoors

Honestly I can’t say this enough. Spend less time online. It’s making us all miserable. Yes it has its ups and its positives but social media apps, in particular, are robbing us of precious time - a resource we cannot replace and be online constantly has most people believing that their life is less than because they are watching the highlight reel of someone else’s. Set boundaries with your online usage and replace it with time in nature. Being outside has major healing properties. I am a firm believer that there is little a good walk or bath in daylight can’t help with and I’d urge you to make it a priority to help you navigate the chaos that is the world around you. It’ll feel grounding, and supportive and it will give you the clarity to tackle whatever challenges you are facing. 

5 - Connect with people in person

Loneliness and isolation are at an all-time high right now. I believe social media plays a huge part in this. We have so much access to people’s lives that we genuinely believe we connect more than we do. But nothing can beat speaking to or being in the company of good friends or people who help you raise your vibe. We thrive off of social connection. It’s one of the reasons I created my brand. I wanted a place where people could connect, move their bodies and let go of or process the challenges they were facing in a safe and supportive space. If this is a tip you want to embrace then we would love to welcome you to SLAM - you can access a 4 week trial here and experience what it’s like to connect with amazing humans, lift heavy shit and be just you for an hour or so! 

I hope these tools help, I also hope reading this perspective allows you to practice some self-compassion, we have been through SO much these past few years and although we were all wavering the same storm we weren’t exactly all in the same kind of boat, for some of us it’ll have literally felt like paddling up a stormy river on a raft and for others, there may have been a bit of luxury catamaran in there… your journey is your own and it’s absolutely ok if you are struggling, you’re human and life is allowed to be hard sometimes <3