In the months since the COVID-19 outbreak irreversibly changed all our lives, a condition known as ‘pandemic fatigue’ has become a very real concern for many people. When the pandemic first started, the majority of us may have reacted with anxiety and fear. Since then, these states have given way to exhaustion – a feeling many of us have that we are simply done with the pandemic and its restrictions.

These feelings are completely understandable, but for everyone’s safety, it is important that we remain strong and keep following the CDC’s health and safety advice. Doing so means overcoming pandemic fatigue – here are five tips to help you do so.

1. Manage your expectations

In March, we all thought that this would be over in a matter of weeks. We would have to hunker down for a short while and then we could go back to normal. However, that is not how it turned out, and we are not likely to go back to normal for quite some time. The key is to understand this and to manage your expectations accordingly. If you’re not waiting anxiously for restrictions to be lifted in the next week or month, you can accept the situation and make the most of it going forward. Shifting your mindset in this way will help you to stave off the fatigue.

2. Keep connecting with people

The most difficult part of social distancing is the feeling of isolation that many people have started to feel. Interpersonal relationships are an important part of everyone’s mental and emotional health. You can still meet with people you care about, under certain restrictions, so you should take the opportunity to do so as often as you can. When that is not possible, make good use of the virtual realm to stay in touch with your friends and loved ones. Keep talking and laughing – it will work wonders for your state of mind.

3. Don’t forget why we’re doing this

When pandemic fatigue sets in and you’re tempted to throw your mask away in frustration and start pushing the limits of social distancing, just remind yourself why all these rules have been put in place: to save lives. Your safety, and that of your friends and neighbors, depends on all of us observing these rules to curb the spread of the virus.