An article by Brad Stulberg from TIME 1, captured my interest this week. It was entitled: “Why You Feel So Tired All the Time”. The author ponders what has become commonly known as “Pandemic Fatigue”, and speculates its cause is the replacement of excitement with anxiety. To prove his point, he suggests common every day excitements like excursions to movie theaters, concerts, dining out, etc. are now either not happening, or occur with an overlay of anxiety: “If I do this, will I get the Delta variant, get sick, or die?” And, “Is it worth the risk?”
This article dove-tailed nicely with a book I’m reading by Dr. Anna Lembke, called: “Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence.”2 Dr. Lembke discusses the innate drive of the human brain to find a pleasure-pain balance. Her experience treating compulsive behaviors/ addictions, and her brain research, bares this out.
Since the Pandemic, I have found more clients, adults and children, slipping into compulsive behaviors. It seems the chronic anxiety and grief from the on-going Pandemic is causing us to seek “excitement”, or, the release of dopamine, however we can in order to balance our existence.
As a health professional, it causes me to wonder how folks can up-end unhealthy compulsive cycles, by finding healthier outlets for excitement. So, this past week, I asked folks, “How do you find your excitement?” I got a lot of great responses: “Definitely listening to my music”; “Taking hikes with friends”; “Kayaking in the river”; “Visiting an outdoor art installation”; “Seriously just my cuppa Joe”; “Getting my nails done”; “Playing with my L.O.L. dolls”; “Curling up with my cat and a great book”; “Pumpkin Patching”; “Challenging myself to do or learn one new thing every week.”
The other antidote to anxiety is gratitude3. My meditation practice this week involved steering my mind away from “What ifs?”, and “This is rotten, when does it end?”, to: “I’m so grateful for X, Y, and Z” Positive thought shifting is helpful not only for ourselves, but for our kids, who are suddenly inundated with homework, school demands, and peer social interactions. We all benefit from some healthy excitement, and a reminder of what we have to be grateful for, even if it’s the tiniest thing.
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Disclaimer:
Neither the publisher nor the author are engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions continued in this blog are not intended as a substitute for consulting with a licensed mental health and or child development advisor. All matters regarding the health and development of your child require professional supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestions in this blog.
- https://apple.news/.A5cKbkhHHSYWKifOwhdDO-g Stulberg,Brad;Sept 20, 2021 from his new book, "The Practice of Groundedness".
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- Lembke, Anna M.D. "Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence." 2021 Dutton: An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, https://penguinrandomhouse.com
- https://www.psychologytoday.com "Grattitude Helps Curb Anxiety"/Psychology Today. https://positivepsychology.com "The Neuroscience of Gratitude and How it Affects Anxiety & Grief". https://www.rtor.org 2020/07/08 "How Practicing Gratutude Helps You Deal wtih Anxiety".RtoR.org. https://www.health.harvard.edu "Giving thanks can make you happier" Harvard Health.