It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a year since the start of the COVID lockdown. Time has seemed to move rapidly and disastrously slow simultaneously. We’ve faced countless challenges, individually and collectively, and have basically mastered previously unimaginable ways of living.

Weirdly—it’s starting to seem, “normal.” We are so good at adapting that our systems re-programed—almost faster than we can cognitively process.

Now, it’s quite normal to wake up and work in PJs or work-out clothes—maybe even from bed!

But—let’s not be mistaken. This lifestyle is not without a cumulative toll.

Thus, as we approach our one-year anniversary with COVID—let’s pause and think this next phase through.

Consider this. Research suggests that burnout is at an all-time high across organizations, positions, and careers. Work from home has quite literally, “leveled the playing field,” in that many of us face similar working situations—work without boundary, escape, or balance.

Couple that with snowy, grey days and you’re experiencing a great deal. So, whether you appreciate it or not, it takes a toll.

Let’s take a look at the research. Hindsight 2020: COVID-19 Concerns into 2021, conducted by Workplace Intelligence, explores the experiences and perceptions of nearly 4,000 employees across 11 countries.

Impact on Worktime

Half of employees globally say they’ve been working either the same or more hours regularly since the start of the pandemic, which helps to explain why 43% call their organization’s ability to balance workloads to prevent fatigue and burnout a priority (UKG, 2020).
New data from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that the post-pandemic workday lasted on average 48.5 minutes longer than the pre-pandemic workday, with increases in meetings and the number of emails sent (Codd, 2020).

Impact on Productivity

Both employees working remotely due to COVID-19 (68%) and employees who worked remotely prior to COVID-19 (64%) feel this year’s stress-inducing events are affecting their work at higher rates than employees still going into a physical workplace (55%) (UKG, 2020).
Among all employees, just under two-thirds (62%) agree that 2020’s events – which include the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, and Presidential election – are causing stress which is detrimental to their work performance (UKG, 2020).
Nearly three out of four employees with children under 18 in the household (73%) say the events of 2020 are causing them enough stress to affect their work (UKG, 2020).

Impact on Mental Health & Wellbeing

Around 51% of all respondents [more than 1,000 full-time employees in the United States] said their mental health had worsened during the COVID-19 outbreak (UKG, 2020).
Work motivation tended to be more negatively impacted by remote workers (51%), compared to on-site employees (45%). In total, about one-third of workers said they were having difficulties working at their typical level of productivity due to their current state of mental health (Paychex, 2020).

So—the toll is there. Burned out seems like a valid and real way to feel just about now.

The first step is awareness. We must first appreciate the toll we are feeling, both mentally and emotionally (and physically too!), to decide how to act to improve it.

Finding strategies to manage and gain back strength, focus, and motivation to “fight the fatigue” is important in keeping us healthy and productive in 2021.

Thus—the next few weeks we will be offering tips and strategies to “confront the slump” and reenergize our work and home spaces.

Stay tuned!