Loneliness and Workplace Exhaustion
Posted on May 03, 2022 by Han Chen, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Are you feeling exhausted from working from home? In my short article, I explore the reasons and some solutions to this issue.
Since the pandemic and working from home practice started, I have felt a strange sense of mental exhaustion. I feel like I do not want to get up in the morning. But I still enjoy my work! For the longest time, I did not know what was going on.
People have described this as “screen or zoom exhaustion.” Many suggest quick fixes, like going for a walk or turning off your video to rest your eyes. But for me, these tips do not seem to solve the problem.
After some research, I may have found the real cause: Loneliness.
According to Johann Hari, author of the international bestseller “Lost Connections”, loneliness is “the feeling that you do not share anything important with anyone,” and it’s a leading cause of depression. Other research has shown a strong correlation between loneliness and workplace burnout. So has the culture of working from home increased feelings of loneliness? Certainly yes!
I remember feeling physically exhausted after working many late nights on projects at my workplace. But I was highly motivated and had a lot of energy because I was working in a team: we brainstormed, discussed, and cheered each other up, even during very stressful times. I felt the presence of my team.
Now, however, most on-screen team interactions are very task-focused. Chit-chat that has nothing to do with work often feels out of place, and silence creates an atmosphere of awkwardness. Even when I felt energized by a great on-screen discussion, as soon as I hit the “end meeting” button, I was back in my home office room and was on my own.
Now that many companies have embraced a hybrid work mode at workplace, but they seldom discuss loneliness. I assume it’s too private and not “professional enough to disucss” this. I have decided to look at Loneliness and Workplace Exhaustion one level deeper and discuss it in my coaching sessions. I look forward to finding out how this differs on an individual level and how to approach this as a company.
One practice I have encountered in my company that helped in this new working environment is to “the moments that matter to you”. They can be classified into social and work-related moments where face-to-face interactions are highly recommended, and maybe even mandatory. Work-related moments could be brainstorming discussions, feedback sessions, or an important client meeting. Social moments could be annual gatherings, new joiners’ welcome lunches, or birthday parties. It is not about the quantity but rather the quality of those moments. You and your team should sit together and define these moments and commit to them.
Another good practice is to identify a close circle of colleagues whom you can also call friends. Who is the person you would go to if you have an issue at work which you don’t feel comfortable discussing with others? Who at work, do you trust, would keep confidential discussions to themselves? In this hybrid or remote working environment, it is important, more than ever, to find even one or two such friends or close colleagues to listen to you, not judge you, and provide heartwarming advice if needed.
What’s it like for you? Do you feel similarly about working from home? How have you handled this?
