the pandemic's lethargic effect
Do you feel tired? Bored? Unmotivated? Inactive?
I have felt and caught myself from sinking deeper into that space. I have learned to dream again and focus on creating instead. Easier said than done.. right?
Today I’ll write about lethargy because I believe that lethargy can hinder resilience (I also had a good conversation about this recently). Lethargy can place an individual in a position not to be challenged or to be unable to navigate or overcome difficulty.
I once worked as a cashier for three months. It was summertime and TA (teaching assistant) jobs are pretty scarce over the summer. I needed to go on trips that summer and I needed money to do so. Thankfully, as a cashier, I made the additional funds I needed. I took one class but otherwise, I went to work every day and did the same thing repeatedly. A couple of days after my training was completed and the novelty wore off, I started to feel drained. Drained because I felt like my brain was stuck in a state of inactivity. I rang products through, collected payments, and bagged groceries. The simplicity of my activity led me into a state of lethargy or torpor. I thought I would accomplish more once I got home since I wasn’t using as much brainpower, but I was very wrong. Standing all day is exhausting.
In the same vein, managing your emotions, handling children, dealing with the news, and working from home or not working is draining us. Yet we are still lethargic.
What is lethargy? Similar words? Torpor, inertia, and inaction.
Lethargy means: a lack of energy and enthusiasm ~Oxford Languages
I can imagine that the restrictions have led most of us into lethargy. As much as we avoid complicated, stressful, or busy environments, we need a healthy dose of these. We need to experience situations beyond the norm and come out on the other side better off. We need to navigate managing a large guest list, preparing food or being hospitable to guests, planning trips, traipsing through international airports, completing a marathon, figuring out directions in a strange place, meeting new people at an event, and sharing space with motivated individuals. Moments like these cause our mental juices to flow in a way that eliminates lethargy. I can’t go into the science but you probably should look into the chemical reactions involved/released when we encounter unusual situations. The pandemic was unusual initially but it has led to a life that has become boring, inactive, and mundane as we stay away from people, travel, and events.
How can we shake ourselves out of torpor? I’ll pull my answer from Ephesians.
Ephesians 5: 14–17
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
Wisdom: wisdom is exhibited when lethargy is identified and steps are taken to shake it off. Wisdom can also enable us to identify a propensity towards torpor and redirect ourselves toward activity/productivity. Wisdom is needed to help us regroup and find joy in old or new activities.
Time: plan and analyze how you spend time. You may not be as productive as you may want to be but you should produce positively every single day. You produce when you complete a task on your to-do list, pray, fellowship, exercise. In essence, when you create or contribute to others, a cause, or an institution based on your gifts; you are maximizing time.
God’s will: the will of God is available to you in His word. I believe one can avoid lethargy by showing love to the people around you, which is God’s will. As well, when your aspirations are to exhibit fruits of the spirit somehow God provides avenues for you to be fruitful in those areas. Through God’s guidance and obedience, we can all come out of or avoid lethargy.
~ Oluwatomisin Oyegoke ~