The second wave of the pandemic, especially, has had many complaining of extended feelings of lethargy and stupor, where even regular tasks and chores feel tedious and unusually cumbersome. Many have compared living through the extended lockdowns to walking through a dense fog or feelings of stagnation, where an hour (or day) blends into the next with little recollection on the part of those living through them, of how time has passed. “The pandemic has led to stress becoming an integral part of our lives. The constant uncertainty has led to chronic stress for many. When a person experiences chronic stress, it not only has an impact on their mental state but also starts to affect brain functioning. Chronic stress has been linked with increased frequency of cognitive failures,” explains Namrata Jain, a counselling psychologist.

She adds that the struggle that people are facing in keeping up with their daily routine, which includes planning, organising, staying focused, problem-solving or executing new activities, is collectively termed as executive dysfunction. “During my sessions, clients have expressed a loss of interest, difficulty waking up in the morning, challenges with planning and organising their day, missing meetings or planned calls, misplacing items, and feeling confused. Further, a lack of sound sleep or sleep that is interrupted by recurring dreams and disturbed sleep patterns are common problems,” she adds.