I’ve been holding off on posting since the world slowed down a few weeks ago even though I’m told content is king and if I stop posting I immediately become irrelevant.

At least that’s what the gurus say.

But I think you have had a lot on your mind and reading my regurgitation of what 1,000 other bloggers are pulling from headlines and torturing into thought leadership is low on your list. So, I’m working hard to find things you may not have seen or maybe I am vectoring in from a different angle.

I’d rather be a voice than an echo.

To that end…

Most, if not everyone, reading this is now working from home or another isolated venue. It’s new. It’s weird. 

If you’re working from home you’ve heard all the advice. Routine. Shower. Dress. Schedule. Take breaks. 

But you’re probably also feeling more exhausted than before. And you’re wondering why you’re MORE tired if you’re not moving as much and not going to the office. Well, turns out there is a good reason. You are more tired. Because of things not obvious.

Forbes ran an article yesterday titled: Why Working From Home Is So Exhausting—And How To Reinvigorate, that highlighted a few of the real reasons for your exhaustion. Included are:

  • Not much is under your control right now. You don’t have as many choices. You feel you’ve lost all autonomy.
  • You have more friction in your thinking. Nothing is on autopilot like before. You’re thinking harder about simple things.
  • You don’t have as many people to interact with.
  • There are new distractions for you to manage. More non-work interruptions and local issues at home.
  • You are focused more – more information in different forms and from new and multiple channels. Conference calls where you staring intently at the screen for hours on end. 
  • And you’re not moving. You’re sitting more than normal.

All of these things are physically draining even if they aren’t physical activities.

The Fixes?

Accept it. It is real and it is happening. Stick with it and the things that are new and different will become familiar reducing effort. Take breaks and move.

And the single thing I recommend from a behavioral point of view. 

Create control. 

Give yourself overt choices about your schedule and your activities. 

Autonomy is the #1 engagement tactic for driving performance in incentive programs and it is also the best way to create engagement overall at work. 

Control over our work and our activity keeps us engaged. 

Go take back some control.