Fatigue, exhaustion, and impatience could be leading you toward making a Big Mistake!
As the new triple-threat combination of fatigue, exhaustion, and impatience is now burned into our psyche… this is no time to drop your guard—especially now that we’re all so very tired.
So, what can deer crossing the highway and avoiding speed traps possibly have in common with the virus? Hold onto that question for a moment…
The bottom line is this: Fatigue, exhaustion, and impatience are creating heightened risks
Because here’s the thing, the quality of our reasoning decreases when we’re tired. I’m sure it’s safe to say we’ve all made a poor choice or two as a result of a less-than-well-rested decision.
By now you’ve heard about COVID Fatigue, right? It’s not merely the latest pandemic lingo—it’s a real thing. Exhaustion and impatience could very well be the most dangerous development to emerge from the pandemic yet.
Let that last line soak in a bit.
Simply put, We-Are-Exhausted and We-Have-Had-Enough. Period.
You may remember I grew up in the Midwest, a land known for extremely wide-open spaces. Wide enough, long enough, and open enough to lead to complacency and heavy-foot syndrome while driving.
Combine it with the exhaustion from a long haul and you have a recipe for disaster.
Tiredness bares a couple of different faces. The first one is what we know as ‘good tired.‘ It the feeling you get after a long stretch of difficult and demanding work that ends with a feeling of accomplishment.
The second one isn’t so kind… the feeling of pure exhaustion resulting from unending demands which seemingly have no fruitful purpose. Some stretches of work and life are like that. And we’re in one of those times now.
Let’s go back to our road trip across the flatlands…
Imagine narrowly escaping a speed trap or going hours without seeing a highway patrol cruiser, your confidence begins to build. It builds to the point where you begin to feel invincible. And you begin to feel you won’t ever get caught.
The conventional wisdom always has been speed traps and rolling patrol cars had one thing in common with deer crossing the open road…
Where there’s one, there are always more.”
There will always be another one around the next curve or as soon as you drop your guard. Then it’s flashing lights in the rearview!
My point is this—Our not-so-trusty brains have the ability to convince us that things are okay when they are not. Speeding tickets are survivable for the most part. But…
Hitting a deer on the highway can be a lot like getting the virus. It depends on exactly how you hit it, or it hits you. The result can range from needing some minor bodywork to longer-term consequences, to well… rather unfortunate outcomes.
Brains do funny things under stress.
Our brains do funny things when put under stress for long periods of time (funnier than normal, that is). The brain’s first job is to protect us and keep us safe. We’ve all heard it about a million times by now. It’s our prehistoric brain at work.
To complicate things, reason and logic are discarded from the formula to keep the process speedy and efficient. Even facing a lumbering wooly mammoth at full speed doesn’t leave time for doing intentional critical thinking.
We’re also not wired to maintain a constant state of alertness.
This too is exhausting. Our fight or flight responses are designed to perform in relatively short bursts—not in an always-on state.
Facts and figures get thrown aside as well. And so, our prehistoric brains start rewriting the stories we tell ourselves. Anything to feel safe. Stories like…
- I haven’t gotten sick, so I won’t get sick.
- Joe and Kathy are good people and I’m sure they’re being careful, so I won’t get it from them.
- We’ve figured out how careful to be at the store.
- I’ve followed the rules for nine months and that’s long enough.
- Two of my friends got it so between us we’ve met the quota.
You could probably come up with at least a dozen of your own!
The line in last week’s post, “Be patient with outcomes” resonated with a number of readers. And I’ve got to believe it’s an important reminder to remember… if for no better reason than to keep us out of harm’s way.
Keep this in mind… fatigue, exhaustion, and impatience lead to taking unwise chances.
We humans seek the feeling of safety over actually being safe. In other words, take care to make sure you are staying safe, not just convincing yourself you’re safe. We all just want things to get back to normal, but the trip isn’t over yet.
Keep your guard up, my friend!
Be untucked.
P.S. If you know someone who might like this post, maybe forward it to them or share it on social media. Thanks… I owe you one!
Copyright © 2020 Jeff Meister – All Rights Reserved
It’s hard to watch those taking risks because they are exhausted from waiting. Wise words, as always! Thanks, Jeff!
Thanks, Laurie! It is hard to watch. We need to find ways to retreat long enough to give ourselves the rest we need. Stay the course…
Hit the nail on the head Jeff! Here in Barber County we avg. 3-4 hits a week. Population of deer, available food and tree rows are the combination of disaster. Letting our guard down is a human trait that allows these such occurrences. Of course “Deer Whistles “ on your bumper are an option I have found to be of minimal benefit.
Read the signs and slow down…yeah rite! Happy hunting!
The deer slayer😱
I love your ‘the deer slayer’ salutation! (Not for the deer, of course). I’m not even going to mention how close I’ve come because I don’t want to jinx anything. Be well Mike, and let us know when you discover a new ‘whistle’ for the times! Always appreciate your thoughts, my friend!