Pandemic Fatigue and the Finish Line

 

I'm not sure about all of you, but I am so over this pandemic. It has been exhausting and is like running a marathon with no sight of the finish line. If you know me, you know that I don't know the first thing about marathons, so this analogy is a little ridiculous. To be honest, the only time I would be willing to run is if someone was chasing me and even that is a stretch to say that I would run. Either way, this pandemic is proving to be a marathon and we all need to settle in and find our optimum pace. If we don't, that dot on the horizon that is the finish line is never going to be seen because we won't be able to push through our pandemic fatigue that is beginning to impact us all.

I'll admit that I have always tried to be a pace setter in my work environment. I want to be the person out in front of the pack navigating the terrain before anyone else does. I've trained myself to do this over the years by being hyper-organized and trying to anticipate things that may happen around every corner. I've made sacrifices, both positive and negative, in my personal life to take on the role of a pace setter. The biggest sacrifice is the amount of time that needs to be dedicated to serve in this role. Time is finite, so whatever time I commit to work is subtracted from time that I could devote to my family or my hobbies. Fortunately, I have a tremendously supportive wife and kids who know and understand me and give me the space to do what they all know I am passionate about. The last seven months, however, have changed me quite a bit and I am attributing it to pandemic fatigue. I have reached the point now where I cannot continue to be the pace setter because if I do, I will either get hurt or give up and won't be able to cross the finish line. I'm not ready for either of these two options, so I'm choosing to fall back in the pack and put myself in a better position to survive this marathon.

You see, there is a finish line in this pandemic marathon. You have to look really hard, but it is there and it is waiting for all of us to cross it. What's really cool is that we will all cross it TOGETHER. There isn't going to be someone who finishes first or last, so there is no point in trying to sprint your way through it. Trust me, as a pace setter, I tried the sprint and it doesn't work. It is high time we circle the wagons and help each other understand how we are going to finish this race together. If we see our colleagues pushing too hard, tell them that it is okay to back off a little. If you see someone who is fatigued, tell them that you see them and you are noticing how exhausted they are and ask them if they need some help. If you hear someone taking out their frustrations on someone else, tell them that it's okay to be on edge, but not to take it out on others.

I'm the last person to give advice on how to run a marathon. I am overweight, don't eat as well as I should, and I honestly think I hurt the pavement with every step I take. I am, however, in a perfect position to provide guidance on how pandemic fatigue impacts the culture of an organization and its people. The reality is that our finish line is months away and if we don't settle in and understand this, we won't cross it. We need a running partner who can provide the motivation for us to continue the race. This partner needs to be someone who has found a pace that is working for them and can provide encouragement to you to keep running. If you can do find this partner or be this person to someone else, I promise you that you will cross the finish line and it is going to be one hell of a celebration!

#ONWARD