Recently, it feels like a lot of us have been hitting a wall. It’s normal to be feeling burnt out with everything that’s happened since the pandemic first started. There is a scientific explanation for this: as the article explains, when we experience a stressful event, our system activates its fight-or-flight response. Typically, the brain and body will calm down once this alert passes. However, this year, many of our systems haven’t been able to catch a break, and we’ve found our emotional endurance dwindling as our systems are overworked. After this long period of stress and uncertainty, burnout is perfectly normal, on top of the fact that many of our normal coping mechanisms are no longer viable, safe options. The article interviews Professor Jessica Gold from Washington University in St. Louis to talk about the difficulties of the pandemic. “Have compassion for yourself and don’t belittle your feelings,” Gold said. “At a certain point, we’ll all get through it.”

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