More than a half year now into covid-19 crisis, general population as well as staff members are reaching a point of emotional exhaustion.

This can manifest as frustration, anger, hopelessness, and disappointment. People choose social media to express their feelings towards governments, China, or whoever they think is responsible.

Anxiety and Grief Are Natural

It is not only Covid-19. Yemen is in civil war since 2015; the economic status is struggling, the fuel is not available, cooking gas, electricity and water supplies are all adding up to the crisis. the health sector itself is suffering deeply. Most human beings are equipped to manage one crisis or two simultaneously, but more than that for longer periods is tearing on the nerves of every one. When many things come to a head all at once, there comes a time where our mechanisms of coping are overwhelmed resulting in fatigue, and other symptoms.

Crisis fatigue is not an official diagnosis, though it is a common symptom.People feel unmotivated and they are not sure how to move forward.

Feelings of anxiety, despair, rage, exhaustion and grief are common in crisis fatigue

Working from home appeared a privilege at the beginning, but with with time it became apparent that if we work from home we lose the division between work and home.

Gradual return to normal life is also hard. People cannot travel, cannot attend training, everything is getting virtual and digitalized, making life so artificial for some, since virtual is not equal to real, and this results in feelings of disappointment, rage, and grief.

A New Threat

Covid-19 threat is real and scary. In contrast to terrorist attacks and natural disasters, it is pervasive. In other situations the impact is severe initially, then with time communities recover with linear improvement. But with Covid-19 there is no recovery yet, people still in the middle of it with no clear end in sight. Its effects are somewhat similar to long wars, displacements and refugee camps.

How To Move Forward

Intentional spending of energy

Instead of watching helplessly, prioritize one thing or two where you want to make an impact. Use efforts, writing, voice, or money to contribute to one meaningful purpose.

For example, dedicating your Facebook account to guide people and give proper information on Covid-19 , or donating to some local hospital or organization fighting the disease.

Pursue joyful activities

Notice things that bring brightness into your days, do activities that increase your mood and humor. The world is anyway awash in problems, and we have to inject hope into out paths

Self care

take breaks and learn practices that help you wind down. Self care is a necessary act of maintenance.

Fight wisely

Controversies and battles arise spontaneously in times of crises. You can’t control the behavior of other people, but you can control your own actions and choose to end an argument that’s leading nowhere — or to avoid it from the start.

Beware of the news

The media can be gloomy and stressful.Try not to flood yourself with the news. Get one or two reliable sources of news and listen one time per day only.

Get support

Seek support from your social network and other resources, talk to a friend about how the stress affecting your emotions and life.

Remember that it’ll pass away at the end.

You can gather strength by remembering how previous crises in the past had passed away finally.

Remind yourself that, no matter how long it remains, it will come to an end.