Burnout/Coronavirus/Health Anxiety

[biscuitcat]

Hi everyone,

Has anyone received any advice on how to cope with healthy anxiety during the pandemic?

I have been going into work in a health and social care setting all through lockdown. I believe I am suffering from burnout, but on top of that my health anxiety has started to kick in. I have booked a week off work to try and claw back some energy supplies and regain my health but I’ve been feeling:

- Exhausted/Overwhelmed

- Demotivated/unfocused

- Anxious about coronavirus and more recently every other illness

- I’ve been told I’ve lost weight, probably due to being too tired to cook proper food. And relying on convenience foods/skipping meals. 
- I’ve had frequent panic attacks because of the points above. Generally at night or early evening. 

Has anyone ever experienced burnout or have a friend/family member working through the pandemic in the nhs or care settings? 
 

[AmandaG]

I haven't been in the workplace, thankfully, but just before restrictions came in on people with certain health conditions, I was very much in this situation. I was walking to and from work, too stressed to concentrate on or do anything outside of work time, getting very stressed at work, panicking constantly at home about being infected, and hardly eating a thing. I lost a lot of weight and was getting what were either anxiety attacks or faints through not eating enough. Time off is definitiely what you need

[biscuitcat]

43 minutes ago, AmandaG said:

I was walking to and from work, too stressed to concentrate on or do anything outside of work time, getting very stressed at work, panicking constantly at home about being infected, and hardly eating a thing. I lost a lot of weight and was getting what were either anxiety attacks or faints through not eating enough. 

Hi Amanda, thanks for your response, I appreciate it. Sorry to hear you experienced something similar, how do you feel now?

 

[kaheath80]

I’ve just been signed off work sick for 2 weeks due to work stress/burnout, it’s tough. Definitely consider taking some time off.

[AmandaG]

1 hour ago, biscuitcat said:

Hi Amanda, thanks for your response, I appreciate it. Sorry to hear you experienced something similar, how do you feel now?

 

A lot better, thank you, but that could change if I get hauled back in to work (currently working from home). I'm not confident that they'll do distancing properly, or that even 2m distancing will work in an office with very poor ventilation and lots of people talking constantly on phones. A lot of people caught swine flu the other year.

I do think any time off is a good idea if you're getting burnt out, whether that's holiday or sick leave. Another option, especially if you get a sick note from your doctor, or your employer already knows you have OCD, is to ask for adjustments temporarily to alleviate work stress. It's no good if staff are getting so overwhelmed they can't work any more.