One of the lesser-known effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is family burnout. This is referred to as a deterioration in the capacity of each family member to cope with the pressures of the home. It is hard to detect since it can easily be dismissed as irritability or poor family dynamics. However, there is a lot of danger to these misconceptions.
According to Dr. Pavan Madan, certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, family burnout is directly related to the worsening of home dynamics due to nationwide lockdowns and overexposure to family members.
Dr. Madan cites the following symptoms of a family burnout: feeling easily annoyed or irritable, inability to handle usual tasks (e.g., house chores or work), and feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. In order to combat these symptoms directly, there must be changes in the home to mitigate further damages.
This article looks into the possible triggers of family burnout in the home and what can be done to properly address it. In the long run, it also helps to keep the family alert and stay healthy against COVID-19 and prevent the spread of disease.
Additionally, the article also looks into what can be done to address generalized family burnout and what other safety precautions can be done to prevent it. The goal is also to keep the family’s health and wellbeing even amidst a pandemic—something that has never been collectively experienced by any current living generation.
Trigger Points in a Family Household
As you may have surmised, family burnout is characteristically a mental health issue in the home and can be dangerous if not treated immediately. In fact, the World Health Organization has compiled a stress management guide called “Doing What Matters in Times of Stress.” It recognizes the generalized onset of stress due to the pandemic and what families can do to address it.
The following trigger points and guidelines take after this guide to better address or prevent family burnout:
- Loss of employment or adjusting to work-from-home: Unemployment rates and the large relocation of work to a home setup can lead to added stress. Aside from the growing pressures of having no work or a huge change in working conditions, extended hours dedicated to it also adds to the stress. Adults of all ages, whether technologically adept or not, are adjusting to the large impact of work and the upcoming economic crisis.
- Extended school cancellations or remote learning: Students can grow to be attached to the physical setup of the classroom and the socialization with their classmates to properly learn. The change can largely affect their performance and capacity to even log in to online classes. Student life now also means adjusting to inconsistent internet connections and overexposure to video conferencing, a new subtheme in current education.
- No other support system to physically approach: Most individuals may require the physical intimacy and socialization of support systems outside the family. Even video conferencing and social media are not substitutes for this. Thus, it can easily make each family member either irritated towards each other or more susceptible to sequester in their bedrooms.
Ways to Prevent Family Burnout and COVID-19 in the Home
The following preventive measures fight against family burnouts directly related to the aforementioned triggers. Additionally, this information accounts for the bolstering of health precautions against the spread of COVID-19:
- Promote family as a safe space to vent or release emotionally: Talking about the stress and nurturing a sharing environment in the home allows family members to not only cope but to better understand where each one is coming from.
- Allow “me-times” or personal time for the self: Some family members also require to be alone sometimes, so there must always be time for it. However, a healthy balance of accountability is also necessary.
- Establish boundaries in the home: Make spaces in the home for purely work-related tasks and separate them from more comfortable rooms such as the bedroom. This helps establish a healthy routine amidst the new normal.
- Stay duly informed: Take note of COVID-19 efforts in your community or country by reading health and medical news as a family. This helps each one mentally contextualize the new normal and adjust one’s daily routine.
- Check on each family member’s medical condition: Be aware of COVID-19 symptoms and early detection by reading up on recent healthcare news articles and guidelines.
- Practice good hand hygiene and provide incentives (e.g., food, simply complementing each other): Incentivizing anti-COVID-19 practices, such as good hand hygiene and physical distancing, can help better encourage family members, translating to better healthcare.
Conclusion
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, families must do their part by combatting family burnout and staying resilient as one home unit. This is the key to providing better healthcare in one’s community and in further flattening the curve.
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