Burnout doesn’t just happen in a day. It’s a gradual process of several swings between different levels of excitement and exhaustion and then one day, you just might flatline.
I’ve been obsessing over the ergonomic set up of my home workspace for a few weeks now, considering that I’ve been working from home for the past ten (10) months. This started as a 3-month work-from-home plan. Three (3) months became six (6) months and then nine (9) and now I’m going on (ten) 10+. To be honest, it’s a pretty decent setup, I just found that I’ve just been complaining a lot lately about what was once amazing 6 months ago.
Thinking through my complaints, I realize that the feeling that drives me to start searching google for “the best standing desks in 2020” is probably more mental than physical. While a great ergonomic set up is very important in order to avoid physical discomfort and permanent distortion of your body and form, I think there is a thin line between mental exhaustion and physical pain – i.e the ache at the back of your neck is probably amplified because you’re burning out mentally. Burnout may have a way of manifesting in our physical bodies.
I am totally down for setting up a really great workspace, but remember that you did not set up that space to be comfortable enough to churn out outputs ALL day, keep you from going outside and not check with yourself on how you really feel.
Peeps are exhausted from being confined to a white box all day and most people forget to take a walk in 10 days!
What’s the point of this write-up? Just a quick 30-minute check out from work, while my butt cheeks ache from seating in a great office chair that has served me well for 10 months – maybe it’s not the chair, maybe outside is calling my name. I feel the need to tell someone to be physically comfortable to meet the demands of working from home but intelligently manage your feelings and emotions while you’re at it.
Burnout is a journey and so is a great ergonomic setup – Just make sure you’re ok inside your head, at your back and in your butt cheeks.
Your writeup is quite informing and timely. Working from home is now more prominent and will likely continue like this for a lot of people. Comfortable seating must really be considered. Well done.
Thank you! We are all starting to redefine what comfortable means to us now.
Great piece.I think the eyes also need some form of rest.
Thanks! We all do!!