WFH Fatigue is real. If I could use one word to describe my life right now, it would be “stuck”. I feel stuck, stagnant, frozen in time, like my life has not moved at all in the last 2 years.
I know that we’ve been dealing with a global pandemic. Yes, I also know that I should show myself some grace.
I know all of these things. However, knowing those things do not make me feel any less stuck. As someone that has always prided herself on progression, these last 2 years have not been great for my self-esteem. Like, at all.
Everyday feels the same because it is. I wake up, make coffee, walk 15 steps to my home office. Then, I work for hours and hours and hours…email after email after email. I feel my anxiety rising as I see another “Hi Nandy” email. I feel physically, mentally and emotionally incapable of doing anything on my to-do list but I have to, so I rely on my resilience and fear of being fired and I get it done. Not done properly or to the best of my ability, just done. The perfectionist in me left the building around summer 2020 and she has not yet returned. I guess that’s the one positive from the pandemic: I no longer grave perfection.
On weekends, I work some more or I spend the day on the couch paralyzed by my crippling anxiety. I spend hours on the couch over-thinking everything; my long to-do list, my unclear career goals, my uncertain future, my fertility, my divorce, my love life, my anxiety, my deteriorating mental and physical health etc.
But, on the bright side, my bills are paid, I have money in the bank, I can afford all that I need and then some. Financially, I’ve never been better. The last 2 years have been good to my bottom line, but my mental and emotional health not so much. Unfortunately, I’m still building my “fuck you, suck my dick” money so I still need to work, invest smart, spend wisely and keep it cute. Pandemic or not. Mental break down or not. Burn out or not.
According to teambuilding.com, most of us are experiencing “WFH Fatigue”, a condition where virtual employees feel unmotivated, disconnected, and dissatisfied with the working environment. The article list some ways to combat WFH Fatigue like trying a new workout routine, socializing with friends that also work virtually etc. Maybe I will try a few of their tips in 2022, not right now though.
Right now, I’m just trying to keep myself from sinking deeper into the quicksand. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll figure out a way to get out of the quicksand and back on solid ground in 2022 but judging from my experiences over the last 2 years, that’s asking for a lot.
2022 is looking like 2020 too (see what I did there lol).
Stay safe out there, friends.
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