POST PANDEMIC FATIGUE with Lucinda van de Berkt (Holistic Counsellor and Yoga Therapist)

At Pineapple Fitness, March has been all about repairing our nervous system and physical, mental and emotional resilience building.

As we head into 2022, you may be feeling like the sprint is over but the marathon has just begun. Life is slowly resuming in the ”new normal", but there has been constant changes across all aspects of our daily lives and interactions. After months of dealing with the fallout from COVID-19, many people have pandemic fatigue.


It’s a very real feeling of exhaustion stemming from the effects of the coronavirus on your life — from stay-at-home orders to the fear of getting ill to losing jobs, to not being able to go to the gym! We have all been dealing with a huge amount of stress and uncertainty as we navigate the coronavirus global pandemic. We have had to rapidly adjust to massive lifestyle changes, social isolation and loss of income. Some have had to deal with personal illness and loss of loved ones. On top of that, lockdown measures are contributing to an even greater tendency towards a sedentary lifestyle.

To equip and adapt to these changes, it is imperative to build on inner strength and resilience. Our next global health challenge could be a mental illness pandemic if we don’t take active steps look after ourselves.

What Is Pandemic Fatigue?

Wrestling with intense emotions day after day drains your energy, causing pandemic fatigue. The fatigue can stem from a number of emotions you’ve experienced during the pandemic, including:

• Fear
• Anxiety
• Loneliness
• Hopelessness

Signs of Pandemic Fatigue

The hallmark sign of pandemic fatigue is a sense of inner weariness. You may also feel:
• Helpless
• Sad
• Worried
• Frustrated
• Irritable


You may notice that you:
• Eat or sleep more or less than usual
• Have trouble focusing (brain fog)
• Feel edgy or nervous
• Snap at or argue with others
• Lack motivation
• Are unable to stop racing thoughts
• Withdraw from others

If this sounds like you, you may be interested in attending the Post Pandemic Fatigue workshop I will be running at Pineapple!

RECOVERY FROM PANDEMIC FATIGUE
Your chance to Soothe Your Nervous System
Date: Saturday, 30 April, 10am - 12.30pm
Venue: Pineapple Fitness, 23 Darling Street, Carrington
Investment: $55

In this 2 1/2 hour workshop, you will learn how to use the tools of gentle yoga such as breath work, mindfulness, movement, and meditation to down-regulate your nervous system. When you learn how to turn "off" the stress response, to soothe your nervous system and bring yourself back to a place of rest and restore, then you build resiliency. Resiliency is the ability to withstand and even thrive under the pressures and challenges of life. When you learn how to regulate your nervous system, you are in essence learning how to be in charge of your mind and body. The practices you will learn are invaluable and also easy and enjoyable.

What will the workshop involve?

  • This will be a safe space to learn how to take care of your brain and body and practice self-care with love and compassion for yourself through mindful movement, breath work, and guided meditation techniques.

  • The second part of the workshop will consist of a deep relaxation with Sound Healing. We’ll be using crystal singing bowls, chimes and the sound of the gong. This will give us an entry point to recovery, self recovery and create sense of balance, calm and clarity.

  • After reclaiming ourselves and our bodies as the powerful resource that it is, we will complete this workshop by serving delicious healthy treats and nourishing drinks to give us time to connect and integrate before we head back into our lives.


    No previous experience or knowledge is necessary. It will be a gentle practice with lots of choices given.

    Wear loose comfortable clothes. Bring your water bottle, blanket/shawl and cushion for when you want to lay down and relax to receive the high healing vibes.

About Lucinda

Lucinda is a strong advocate in the ability of Yoga and Mindfulness to enrich our lives. Lucinda is an experienced Counsellor and Yoga Therapists and facilitates private therapy sessions and Group Yoga Therapy sessions for the treatment of trauma, anxiety and depression. Lucinda has studied with Gabor Maté in the treatment of Addictions and Trauma and uses his psychotherapeutic method of Compassionate Inquiry throughout her work.

Brittany Ashman