Certainly sounds that way. As it is, the anxiety around Covid wasn’t there for me. I wasn’t concerned about catching it and when I did I was just miserable that I had to stay inside for Christmas but I too have a fairly high pressure (at times) job and is shift based. Getting my sleep on track is important so that I can go back to shifts confident that the off days will get me rest for the days and nights on shift. I’ve put stress on myself to get back to work when colleagues have had it around me and have had no symptoms or very mild. I’m double jabbed but they are older and are tripled.
Yes agreed, many people I know have struggled with their mental health over the last two years. Like you I wasn't worried about Covid itself. More worried about the business I'd built up over the last 15 years going down the pan due to the ever changing Covid rules and the knock on effect on mortgage, house and kids, loyal staff etc, should it have failed. My wife has been distressed because she was not allowed to visit her dying mother in hospital in the last few weeks of her life and never got to say goodbye properly. For this she feels incredibly guilty and also seems to have developed a form of IBS which she's having big trouble with.
So for the first time in our lives we have both sought counselling this year to deal with the fall out. Must be many others in the same boat. Best thing for it though is being able to get out on the bike. Takes your mind off it for a while and with mental health being so closely linked to physical health, might just help aid your recovery from Covid and many other health issues.
On a serious note that one sentence has brought to the front of my mind the “normal” daily stress I’m assuming, as various people have pointed out this needs more personal consideration post covid.
I defiantly can relate to this. I wish I never had long covid, but it certainly has made me reflect on my daily/weekly balance, and trying to put less expectation on myself. I think this can only be healthy.
Without wanting to deviate from the Covid links, the thing to remember is everyone has a certain level of stress in their lives and everyone manages different loads in their own way. Some never seem phased by anything and really take a lot of it on, in both private and professional, and others pop at the most minor of deviations in the track. It's noticing the small things that might set of a trigger which they wouldn't usually. On reflection there's probably an element of both in my post viral fatigue, so it's hard to separate the two.
Physical health is massive for my mental health and I've come to appreciate that over the last 10 years. It gives me focus, and without going overboard, being outside makes me feel better inside.
To those who have contributed to this, thanks very much for spotlighting the danger of going too soon and for those who are in the thick of it, I hope you get better soon. I'll listen to what my body tells me over the next couple of weeks and take it easy. I'm hoping to start the year in February now and look forward to getting back to full health ready for the spring.
