#35: Coping with Pandemic Fatigue

March 17, 2021

As we pass the year mark of pandemic life, many of us are exhausted and eager to get back to how things used to be. While there are positive developments with vaccination rates rising and case counts lowering in some parts of the world, the finish line is still far away. We need emotional stamina to stay the course and tolerate the limits on daily life that the pandemic imposes. In this episode, Marielle and Ed discuss lots of DBT skills that can help you do this.

DBT Skills Discussed

Show Highlights

  • Validation helps you recognize that your experience matters 
  • Self-invalidation makes you feel worse 
  • Pausing and noticing what is going on for you
  • Putting a name on what you’re feeling
  • Noticing thoughts without judgement
  • Where am I feeling this emotion in my body?
  • Allowing distressing thoughts to pass by, like clouds in the sky
  • Balancing being with emotions and distracting yourself from them
  • Radical Acceptance of reality that we cannot change
  • Radical Acceptance does not equal approval 
  • Fighting reality increases suffering
  • Change is fact of life
  • Checking the Facts can help us notice if we are making assumptions about ourselves, others, or about the future
  • Being mindful of extremes in thinking
  • Imagine coping well with what scares you
  • Giving yourself credit for getting through unprecedented times
  • Opposite Action helps you act in a way that is opposite to what your emotion is guiding you to do
  • If your emotion is based in fact, using problem solving
  • Making a plan to do things that you enjoy daily, however small

Ask us a Question

We’d love to hear from you! Where are you getting stuck with your skills application? Ask us a question for the chance to have it answered on the podcast. Submit your question here. 

Please note that questions, and this podcast in general, are not a substitute for individual mental health treatment.

Posted in Podcast