What Startup Leaders need to know about Pandemic Fatigue

Darren Hockley, MD of eLearning provider, DeltaNet International, shares advice and tips on identifying and managing pandemic fatigue in these challenging times

As a business owner, you’ve probably heard it a million times before: tough situations will make you stronger. However, despite how comforting those words may sound, so many startups never make it past the first year. Why? Because a great idea isn’t enough on its own – you need to build resilience and agility in order to survive. You must react quickly and smartly to issues before they snowball and become unmanageable.  

It's true, in many ways, business owners are used to staying alert and dealing with uncertainty. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has meant this state of being has become a constant. Living in a perpetual state of emergency, the so-called ‘new normal’, doesn’t allow us to ever put our guard down – a truth that threatens our health as well as our businesses.  

What is pandemic fatigue? 

Over the past weeks many of us have experienced something experts are calling ‘pandemic fatigue’. It’s a state of emotional burn out brought on because our fight or flight system (the emotional reaction to stress that has been otherwise energising us through the pandemic) is totally overloaded. When this happens, the constant flow of adrenaline in our systems starts to drain and apathy settles in.  

It makes sense; we’re expected to be productive at work, be strong leaders to our employees, and navigate our businesses through the ever-changing landscape coronavirus carves out. Many of us are also parenting/home-schooling to some extent, juggling home-life with work-life during a winter that has felt evermore bleak and lonely. 

Whilst it’s true that vaccines are bringing us some much-needed hope, feelings of exhaustion and hopelessness can quickly overwhelm positive emotions. After all, emotional endurance dwindles over time and, given the nature of the pandemic, we don’t have the same sense of security we could fall back on pre-pandemic. There’s been too much upheaval, loss, and worry – both personally and professionally speaking. 

What are the signs of pandemic fatigue? 

It’s going to be important to be able to spot signs of pandemic fatigue in ourselves as well as those we work alongside. After all, pandemic fatigue can result in a lax approach to public health measures (wearing masks, washing hands, social distancing), which could land your business with stiff fines - even closure in extreme cases.  

Additionally, as employers, we owe a duty of care to our staff under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Indeed, it’s one of the reasons H&S training exists – all reasonable steps must be taken to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of those in our employment. 

Teamwork and communication is the key here, so keep communication lines open and don’t be afraid to show a little vulnerability. It helps to know we’re all in the same boat sometimes - we can all help one another maintain hope. 

Darren Hockley is Managing Director of eLearning provider, DeltaNet International. The company specialises in the development of health and safety and compliance eLearning courses, as well as tailored training solutions.