Exhausted from WFH? Here's how to manage it

A lack of separation between work and home, and a never-ending pandemic has affected the best of us.

by Nurhuda Syed

Some call it burnout, others call it 'languishing', which means you're spent but not quite empty. But exhaustion by any other name is just as tiring, so it's best to acknowledge what you're feeling and consider reaching out for help or at least to talk to someone about it. It's been a year of mandatory work-from-home and a year of going in and out of lockdown, so if you wake up feeling like you're in an exhausting loop, it's okay because others are probably feeling the same.

Yes, there have been countless advice articles sharing 10 ways to separate work from home and manage your well-being. However, when your workspace is in your home, even if you demarcate clear lines to create physical boundaries between the two, you'll always have a visual of your work setup and be constantly reminded of the looming deadlines.

It's even worse if your 'home office' is just your laptop propped up on the dining room table, where you have your meals and personal rest time. Either way, your mind may never truly 'switch off' from work, so how can you deal with the fatigue that sets in when you can't safely escape our current 'normal'?

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Ang Sze Pheng, director of HR for APAC at WWT, goes a step further and blocks her calendar when she wants to take a break from work. "I will block my calendar for a run or even to spend time with family," she told HRD. "I will share it with the team openly and say that, 'Hey, I'm going for a run every other day, I've got it in my calendar, and you should do it as well."

She also shares with her team when she goes on holiday, for example a family staycation. She does all this to remind her teammates to take a break as well and to not feel obligated about being at work 365 days a year.