Ennui?

I have noticed that the writers of a number of the blogs that I follow have all recently mentioned that they have been suffering from a general feeling of lassitude. They have mentioned a gradual (or in some cases, quite sudden) lack of interest in the current wargame projects that are working on, coupled with a seeming inability to raise much enthusiasm for anything new. I know this feeling well, and have experienced myself. In fact, it is probably true to say that I have begun to notice the signs with regard to my current wargame projects.

There is a word for this feeling; it is ennui.

The dictionary defines ennui as being 'a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement', which certainly describes the way I am feeling.

The cause is not difficult to identify; it is the current lockdown, coupled with the recent spell of good weather. Who wants to sit indoors or potter around their garden (if they have one) for weeks on end, only going outside the confines of their living space to go to the shops to buy essential items or for daily exercise? In truth, no one wants to do that ... but we realise that if we are to stop the pandemic, we have to accept these limitations. We have been doing it for over six weeks, and after the initial feeling of 'Wow! I can get so much stuff done whilst the lockdown lasts!', our enthusiasm has waned quite a bit, and ennui has set in.

The good thing is that I know that this feeling will pass fairly quickly if I just go with the flow and don't try to fight it. I also know that I will then get my second wind, and my enthusiasm will return. Unlike the pandemic, where we are desperate to avoid a second wave of infection when the lockdown is eased, we are looking forward to our second wave of enthusiasm for all things wargaming. It will come ... but we've just got to be patient and wait for it to happen.