After a year and a half of virtual working, many of us are returning to the physical workplace, a space that looks quite different through our COVID-tinted lenses. One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed is that I more often hear my colleagues talk about needing to re-energize. It’s not that the work itself is any more difficult, but we are finding that the old ways of working no longer provide the spark we need to get through the day. And a double shot of espresso isn’t going to do it.
Even those of us who have permanently escaped Zoom Fatigue can’t rely on our old go-to routines. The workplace is just different, whether that’s due to the way we socialize or the general atmosphere of a less sparsely peopled space.
Then I listened to The McKinsey Podcast episode entitled “Centered Leadership Creates Connection in Turbulent Times,” in which McKinsey’s Joanna Barsh speaks with Diane Brady about the lessons of centered leadership amid the pandemic. While the main topic is what initially drew me to the episode, it was the sidebar about re-energizing that really struck home with me. Barsh hit upon four specific ways to do so when you find your work routine sapping your energy — and what you can do about each.
1. Physical
Let’s start with the obvious of the four. Whether we’re working from home or have finally returned to the office a few days a week, there’s definitely a physical component to workplace performance. Even in a pre-COVID workplace, desk-workers often had more options for movement than we do today, whether that was walking down the hall for coffee, running to the copy room, or heading out of the office for lunch. Those short bursts add up.
For me, something as simple as the walk from my car to my office could give me that extra jolt to jumpstart my day. Of course, I have the added benefit of being in Hawaii, so even in that short stroll, I could take in a bounty of island beauty. But the small amount of movement involved in a quick jaunt from the subway or through the parking garage can also get the blood flowing and the oxygen circulating. Many of us need to find new ways to do so.
Pre-pandemic, trends such as walking meetings and stand-up desks added to the physical well-being of the workspace — and there’s no reason they can’t continue now. So think of the ways you can add a little movement into your day, whether that be plugging in your earbuds and walking during a conference call or taking an official break to swim a few laps. Then, make the movement as part of your routine as your morning cup of coffee.
2. Emotional
As nice as it is to have some degree of socialization back in place, we’re not quite 100% back to where we were pre-COVID, and it will probably be some time before we are — if we ever are. There’s a very good chance that the workplace we once knew is a thing of the past. That’s neither good nor bad, it’s merely a fact, just as it’s a fact that we need to learn to adjust to this new way of life.
For many, co-workers become another layer of a social circle — which is why the most social among of us were particularly hard-hit by working from home. We might never go back to the traditional way of office birthday parties, potlucks, and happy hours. It’s important to recognize that and act now to fill that void.
If you’re feeling isolated, reach out. Make it a point to connect with friends and co-workers on a regular basis. If possible, find a co-working space where you can socialize, or see if a friend would like to share their home office with you, even if they have a completely unrelated job. Take advantage of your flexible schedule to participate in social activities you might not have been able to previously, such as yoga or a language class. In short, find ways to surround yourself with other people and create opportunities for safe, in-person interactions.
3. Mental
For many people who work from home, the hardest part to deal with is the monotony: You now live, sleep, and work in the same finite space. So even switching off your computer for the day doesn’t have quite the same impact as leaving the office and commuting back home. For many, it’s hard to draw the line between work and home when the two are now physically one in the same.
To set mental boundaries, come up with routines to signify the beginning and end of the workday, such as turning off the lights in your workspace, taking the dog for a walk to represent your commute home, or playing the part of The Flintstones’ theme where the prehistoric bird shrieks to signal the end of Fred’s shift. Celebrate minor milestones, such as finishing the first draft of a presentation, by treating yourself to a soak in the tub or an iced coffee.
Then, come up with different routines for different tasks, such as taking conference calls on the deck but going for walks for one-on-one talks. You may even find you have different kinds of tasks, such as organizing versus writing. If you can, schedule those for different parts of the day to give yourself a mental signal that one part of your workday is over and the next has begun. This can also be doubly helpful as some people excel at different types of tasks at different times of day.
4. Spiritual
I hadn’t even considered this fourth point until Barsh mentioned it on the podcast, but it’s quite possibly the most important as it has such a profound effect on the other three. While “spirituality” means different things to everyone, it helps to remind yourself of what it means to you.
Make a list of the reasons you chose your particular job and why you’ve chosen to stay — reasons that go beyond the people and the perks, reasons that instead drive at the substance of the work itself. It could be because the position requires you to use some particular talents and skills, such as coding or graphic design. Or perhaps the very mission of the business resonates with your values, such as helping people eat more healthfully or providing them with a smile from the content you create.
For me, I know that I’m changing lives for the better by providing education to my corner of Hawai’i, giving others the chance to, in turn, better themselves. But sometimes, with all the red tape involved in academia and, particularly now, the lack of seeing the faces of those students who benefit from my work, it’s easy to lose sight of that purpose. Simply writing this blog post has helped restore that vision. I hope it’s helped you too.