Working from home is exhausting - How to Get Invigorated

COVID-19 has caused fundamental changes in the ways we work. You are likely working from home and have been navigating new terrain in terms of how to get work done, collaborating with your teams or clients and performing in the face of plenty of new constraints.

You are also likely to be exhausted, but you may not understand why. After all, you are not enduring your commute and you are “just” sitting at home on videoconference. You have access to snacks anytime and you are not rushing from meeting room to meeting room or driving from customer site to customer site day-after-day. So what gives?

It turns out, there is actual logic behind your exhaustion. Here is why you are so drained, and perhaps more importantly, what you can do about it:

This is not your choice. One of the fundamental elements of good mental health is autonomy, self-expression and a sense of control. Many of us have been sent home and no longer have the choice to go to the office or work in our usual ways. This lack of choice can be frustrating and even disorienting. The fix: Find ways to infuse choice into your day. As much as possible, set your meeting times and retain control over how projects roll out. Perhaps you can control the sequence of your tasks or the flow of your day. Even planning breaks can give you a sense of some control over how your time is managed.

You have to think about things that used to be automatic. Exhaustion can occur because of points of friction in your day. When you were in the office, you were able to flow from one meeting room to the next and it was easy to scribble down thoughts to keep the discussion moving forward. Now, these activities require more conscious thought. Getting connected via technology is rarely seamless and you may have to learn new sharing software to co-create with your team from a distance. The fix: Keep at it. As new ways of working become the typical and learn new technologies, they will become more automatic and your brain will be able to put less effort into them.

You miss people. One of the great things about work is the regular connections we get to make with those who are not necessarily part of our immediate circle. The tea point at the office provides the opportunity to run into colleagues, stay connected and maintain relationships with people we do not necessarily see in our day-to-day tasks. Your network has likely been reduced and you may be missing your friends. Work is fundamentally social and even for those of us are who more introverted, human connection is an important part of the work experience. You are exhausted because you are not energised by these regular connections and because maintaining those connections requires more conscious effort. The fix: Reach out and connect in the old fashioned ways using the phone or texts. Remember others are likely feeling the same angst as you are.

You are distracted. While working from home is just not that easy. Children and spouses or partners can be distracting, especially if you do not have a dedicated place to work at home. In addition, you may be distracted by the laundry you know needs to be done or even by the walk you wish you had time to take. The fix: Make time for the distractions as part of your day. Plan to spend your lunch hour with your family or by getting a breath of fresh air.

You are under new pressure. In this new normal, you may be doing more cleaning because the service that helped with your home is no longer operating. In addition, if you have children, you are likely providing coaching for school work or planning activities to keep them entertained. All of this is in addition to trying to accomplish your work responsibilities. The demands on your time are increased and your capacity is the same or even reduced. The fix: Stay positive and focus on the things for which you are grateful. Gratitude has plenty of positive mental and physical impacts. So, appreciate the time together, appreciate your reduced commute and appreciate the adaptability you are strengthening in yourself.

The flow of information is overwhelming. In addition to the information you are actively seeking about the coronavirus and COVID-19, you are also flooded with more unsolicited information than ever. Businesses are reaching out to tell you about their responses. Your company is sending you regular emails to support you. You are getting regular updates from your Manager to keep you focused. The deluge of information has increased and you are trying to cope. The fix: Filter information and prioritise. While you need to stay up-to-date, be firm about your boundaries and give yourself permission to not follow up on every single non-critical email.

You are living a more intense life. One of the challenges of video conferencing in particular is its intensity. You are looking at faces all day without being able to take visual breaks. Your eyes are focused on what is in close proximity, which is physically exhausting, but it can also be socially exhausting. You may not be used to seeing yourself on camera, so you have to maintain your sense of self esteem despite discovering new wrinkles, the asymmetry of your eyebrows or your tendency to touch your face (a habit to break, of course!). While these may seem silly or fickle, they aren’t. They have to do with your sense of identity, and the process of re-acclimating to your own sense of self can be tiring. The fix: Focus on others, on the work and on the contributions you are making. Also ensure you are looking away frequently enough—and focusing on things in the distance (the view out the window or the artwork on your wall), rather than exclusively on what’s up close.

You are not moving.  Movement is healthy and critical to your wellbeing. The fact that you are not moving around your office may be creating more exhaustion. The fix: Get up and move during meetings. Stand up, sit down or go to the kitchen to grab another cup of tea. You might also consider taking micro breaks where you walk around a bit.

Working from home is tough—for many good reasons. But you can stay sane and effective by keeping as much control of your work as possible and maintaining your processes by learning new technologies. Stay connected with friends and build in healthy distractions. Keep perspective and give yourself permission to prioritise information flow.