Typically, summer vacations leave us refreshed and eager to return to work. Yet this year, many are experiencing the opposite—low morale whether they traveled or not. Some feel even more fatigued than before their break, while others struggle with motivation to head back to the office. As disheartening as this is, experts attribute it to COVID-19, specifically 'pandemic fatigue'—a collective exhaustion from the prolonged health crisis.
The World Health Organization (WHO) first addressed this last fall, after six months of restrictions ahead of the second lockdown. A year later, amid ongoing challenges, weariness persists. Analysis of a recent Odexa survey—polling 1,005 representative French adults aged 18+ for Leurquin-Mediolanum laboratories—highlights the issue. It shows 40% feel more tired than pre-crisis, and only 26% report feeling more rested post-vacation, down 8 points from a 2017 survey.
This fatigue varies by individual, often resembling chronic tiredness and hard to detect. Common signs include physical or nervous exhaustion, loss of interest, demotivation, and low mood. It clouds judgment, prompts withdrawal, impairs focus, disrupts sleep, and—most alarmingly—leads to loosening health precautions as people disengage from crisis measures.
