Pandemic Fatigue in the Child Welfare Workforce

Benchmarks’ Partnering for Excellence project works closely with child welfare workers to address trauma in families across the state of North Carolina. We are often inspired by the hard work and dedication we see from our state’s child welfare workers. Their days are centered around supporting those in need, and often helping those who find themselves in crisis. It is demanding work and research shows child welfare work and professionals in social services experience higher rates of stress secondary trauma than most other professions. Over the past months, an added stressor has been added to the plates of child welfare workers – the COVID-19 pandemic. And while the COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost everyone around the world, we wanted to bring to light a few of the ways it has impacted our frontline social services staff and highlight some important strategies to combat the effects of secondary traumatic stress and promote wellness during the days of pandemic fatigue.

What is Pandemic Fatigue, and how can I recognize it?

Pandemic fatigue is a term used to describe the impact of COVID-19 related changes and stressors and can affect our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For almost two years now we have been faced with multiple changes to our daily routine in how we interact with the world around us in attempts to stay safe and healthy. Some of us have had to isolate ourselves and miss spending time with family and friends. Others have had to shift their entire workplace from office to home and balance family life with children out of school. For our child welfare and social services workers however, many do not have the choice to stay home and social distance – they are required to remain in the community to continue helping some of our most vulnerable populations. Think about the stress of that responsibility coupled with the fear and anxiety of contracting COVID-19 and/or spreading it to those back home. To put it simply, it’s a lot. Pandemic fatigue can affect one’s ability to perform their job tasks effectively and safely.

The first step to addressing pandemic fatigue is to be able to recognize the signs. According to Psychology Today, the following are 10 signs that you may be suffering from pandemic fatigue:

• You’re not as diligent about wearing a mask or washing your hands
• You’re less careful about social distancing than you were
• You’re getting enough sleep but still feel exhausted
• You’re feeling more irritable and more impatient
• Things are upsetting you that previously did not
• You’re feeling stressed by tasks or situations you typically manage well
• You’re not engaging in things you used to find enjoyable
• You’re feeling hopeless about the future
• Your consumption of alcohol, substances, and food has increased
• You’re finding it hard to focus and concentrate

So, I have pandemic fatigue, what’s next?

If you can relate to any of the above symptoms, you are not alone. According to a UCLA Health article the following are 6 ways to help cope and adapt to the perpetuating uncertainty.

• Prioritize taking care of your body – Try to ensure adequate sleep, diet, exercise, and play.
• Limit your news intake – News outlets thrive off the latest chaos in the world. Limit your exposure to negative news stories. UCLA recommends limiting your new consumption to an hour or less a day.
• Lower your stress – This can be easier said than done. But during burn out it is important to engage in activities that bring you joy or lower your stress levels. Everyone finds different things enjoyable, but a few examples could be breathing exercises, getting out in nature for a walk, reading, laughing with friends, watching a comedy, or engaging in spiritual activities.
• Connect with others – Feeling isolated during the pandemic is a common feeling. Even if you are working on the front lines out in the community, it can still feel like you are not making genuine connections with others. Be sure to make time to talk to friends or peers that may be able to relate to what you are feeling. Utilize technology such as text, video chat, phone calls, or attend a live class online. You can even bring back the pastime of writing letters!
• Accept your feelings – Its okay to feel burnt out. Especially when you are working a difficult job and feel over extended as it is. Allow yourself to accept the negative emotions, take some time to process and name them, then refocus energy on things that bring you joy.
• Try positive self-talk – It is easy to jump into negative self-talk and projection when we are feeling burnt out. Recognize when this is taking place and try to challenge those thoughts with more realistic statements. For example, replace worries about contracting COVID-19 with reminders about all the steps you are taking to keep safe.

Benchmarks staff recognize the hard work that our child welfare workers put in everyday to serve their community and want to remind the PACEsConnection community to (safely) high five any child welfare workers for their commitment to helping others. Thanks for all you do!