The COVID-19 Pandemic has changed the lives of everyone in more ways than one. The pandemic has been a blessing in disguise for the corporate sector. Initially, work from home was something that everyone wanted and longed for. The growing work from the home trend saved hours traveling in a busy New York street and made people spend a good time in what they love. But with passing time, WFH is affecting the employers on their productivity and disturbing the mental health.
It might be very difficult to understand the reason behind feeling exhausted all the time on just attending video call sitting at home.
Here are few reasons why you are getting drained on energy level, even on having all the comfort at home and the disadvantages of work from home:
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Work from Home is obligatory and not a decision by choice:
It is very necessary to have a say in what one wants and a sense of control to have good mental health. Most of the employers are not given the choice to work on-site but rather forced to work remotely. This causes frustration and distortion among employees.
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The Increased work-load:
The employees are working over-time to show their level of productivity while working from home. Working almost all the time makes people lethargic. One had an option to take a break from work on returning home from office but now there is no cut-off time and people end up taking calls and attending meetings past their delineated time block. The psychological effect of stress cause fatigue.
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The messed up routine:
There is a say that variety is the spice of life. On staying back at home we forget to maintain the natural biorhythms. We tend to procrastinate and not take out time to cook healthy, shower, and self-care. We must sleep on time, get exposure to sunlight, and maintain a healthy balanced life to maintain our day-to-day rhythm.
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Spending a lot of time on screens:
Social distancing made everything on this earth digital. From staying in touch with our peers to having a meeting with a client, everything is done online using laptops and screens. The blue light from the screens confuses are body between day and night, and we end up draining our energy. As all the time is spent on screen a huge communication gap is created among the families.
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Anxiety:
The pandemic leaves our head hanging in black clouds. There is a huge amount of stress and anxiety that takes a huge toll on our mental and physical health. Adjusting to the “new normal” is becoming very exhausting and the fear of losing out on relatives, work-life, and health is draining everyone’s energy.
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Spending a lot of time in bed:
Most of the people end up working sitting on the bed. There is a lack of physical space and physical movement when we work from home. Sitting and working in a place where we relax invades that space and disturbs our sleep.
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Missing out on interactions with the co-workers:
Too many interactions could be exhausting but it a blessing too in the corporate world. Earlier we had the option to reach out to our co-workers when a problem arises but staying surrounded with four walls makes one feel they have no one who they can turn to when things go south.
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Environment:
It is very difficult to work from home when there is a lack of necessary space and equipment to be effective in your job. Distractions within the home including spouse, children, laundry, and every other household chores could lead to draining of energy. There are no set boundaries between personal and professional life which results in frustration. Many houses do not have the provision of a separate study room or for that matter an ergonomically designed table-chair set, where a person can work comfortably for a few hours without any disturbance
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A lot of thoughts on things that used to be automatic:
It is very convenient to attend a meeting when in office as there is a set board room with whiteboards to put information that needs to be followed later. These activities require a lot of thought when conducting a meeting online. These frictions in our daily life become very exhausting.
The flow of unwanted pieces of information:
There is a range of messages flowing in our inbox with unsolicited information when we are trying to look for details on the pandemic. This extra information by the business on their response to the situation and messages regarding solicitations lead to mental stress and make it difficult for one to cope up during the COVID situation.
Work from home can be very exhausting but we must stay sane.
Employers must accept the current situation and take it in a positive way that they are safe as they are working from home. To stay stress-free one should limit their time to work and learn to differentiate between personal and professional life. The working of things digitally is allowing learning more about technology and we should see it as an opportunity to become better. Connecting with people may look a bit uncomfortable at times but we must know that we are not the only ones facing this problem- but every employee is on the same page. We must maintain our mental and physical health as the saying goes: If there is life, there is a world.
