How to Get Rid of Fatigue after Covid-19?

• Posted by Thomas Kholer April 21, 2021 - Filed in Health - 1,587 views

  More than 22 million people have recovered from the COVID-19 infection, thanks to the tireless efforts of healthcare professionals. However, COVID-19 recovery can be difficult. According to studies, people who experience severe COVID-19 problems can experience long-term symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue and a lack of appetite. COVID fatigue has a negative effect on our physical and mental health. It even jeopardises our physical well-being. We get lax about the steps we feel we should take (wearing masks, washing hands, maintaining physical distance) due to COVID fatigue. We can't afford to let our guard down if we hit a second round of COVID-19 events. (Information source: https://www.getsavvi.co.za/)

  What is a Covid-19 Fatigue?

  COVID-19, like any other stressor, stimulates our bodies to react with the fight-or-flight response which, unlike its name, has four possible responses:

  1. Fight (resist the threat)
  2. Flight (evade the threat)
  3. Freeze (become paralyzed in the face of the threat)
  4. Faun (give in to the threat)

  The majority of stresses aren’t meant to be long-term or lasting. When we are stressed, our fight-or-flight reaction is triggered, and we use a combination of coping mechanisms to calm down until the stressor has passed. COVID-19, on the other hand, is not giving us a break. We're just not equipped to deal with such prolonged tension. As a result, we're becoming more prone to freezing or fawning, which is commonly interpreted as COVID fatigue.

  Symptoms of fatigue

  • Forgetting to do things often
  • Being more irritable than usual
  • Being uncommunicative
  • Being frustrated by tasks
  • Having difficulty concentrating
  • Falling asleep for small amounts of time
  • Feeling tired or yawning all the time
  • Finding it increasingly difficult to perform more than one task at once.

  Overcoming COVID Fatigue

  To get rid of the fatigue symptoms and cope up with good health, there are certain ways and exercises which you can get indulge in so that you can overcome the Covid-19 fatigue effect. Some of them include:

  1. Practice Mindfulness- Mindfulness is the practice of maintaining a sense of being in the current moment. Redirecting your attention to the present moment will make you feel less anxious about the future. It can also assist you in remaining healthy. Try creating mindfulness exercises out from washing your hands or listening to the sound of your breath when wearing a mask.

  2. Exercise- Exercise is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress and worry-related energy, which helps us prevent making mistakes or emotional outbursts. It also activates endorphins, which improve our mood. If you don't feel like going to the gym, you can still get the workout you need. Take a stroll in the park or your neighbourhood. Perform floor exercises while watching a YouTube video. Play outside with your children. It makes a difference even though you take longer routes across shops or park farther away from your destination.

  3. Keep the stress away- You must eliminate stress factors because they will leave you emotionally and physically exhausted. Engage in any artistic endeavours or something else that makes you smile. Reading new books, drawing, doing arts and crafts, or watching your favourite movie will all help to distract you from your fear.

  4. Conserve your energy- It is important to save your energy when you recover. Here are the four P's to consider when you're recovering:

  • Planning: Plan the workouts around the time of day when you're feeling the most energised. Planning ahead of time would allow you to complete the more stressful tasks in that time frame while allocating other time to less exhausting chores.
  • Pacing: Break your tasks into tiny steps and pace through them to keep your energy levels high for as long as possible.
  • Prioritising: Prioritize the activities depending on their value. Put off all of the unimportant stuff until you feel better.
  • Positioning: Keep all of your essentials within easy reach of your resting spot. This will save resources by avoiding the need to retrieve them each time.

  5. Stay physically distant rather than socially distant- Keep in contact with friends and relatives using electronics while maintaining a healthy physical distance. Participate in offline Meetups. Enter online chat forums. Even if it might not be a complete replacement, remaining socially involved is more important than ever.

  6. Take it slow- Your body has suffered from a disease that has left it fragile. Do not overwork the body by delegating duties that can easily be postponed. You will need to rest well in order to regain your fitness. Engage in simple tasks such as watering the plants until you have fully recovered.

  Maintain the above steps and keep exercising regularly to keep yourself fit and get fully recovered from the fatigue.