How to ace the new normal

For 26-year-old Deshan D, a business development professional residing in Andheri, working long hours even over the weekend has become the new normal over the past two months. "All time is work time. The distinction between office time and me-time has blurred," he tells us. Although he has been working on seven to eight client briefs per day, as opposed to three to four before the lockdown started, he feels that his intent to work has dipped significantly. It's not just Deshan; along with the increased work pressure, back-to-back Zoom calls and the expectation that one must be available 24x7 has led to a virtual burnout for a lot of people working from home, taking a toll on their productivity and motivation levels. "While it's not an official term that we use to diagnose patients, in the long run, burnout can lead to depression and anxiety," says Dr Sonal Anand, psychiatrist, Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road.

Ashwini Datey

Missing motivation
According to a citation in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, burnout is defined as "a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who work with people in some capacity". Exhaustion and a sense of disconnect with her job, despite slogging twice as hard, is something that Navi Mumbai resident Ashwini Datey, a corporate lawyer, has been feeling lately. "When I'm in office, I can have face-to-face conversations with business teams to understand their requirements. It is challenging to do the same over Zoom calls. A regular one-hour conversation is taking two hours now. On an average, I'm attending at least three online meetings that continue for three to four hours each. At the end of it, I'm fatigued," says Datey. She adds that although she has no choice but to keep her output up, she feels her motivation levels have dropped. "It has become more of I 'have' to do the work now or be available for a call at any point of time. The other day I was forced to switch off all my electronic devices as I couldn't take it any longer. I have vertigo, which is triggered by this," Datey tells us.

Dr Sonal Anand

Create boundaries
Dr Anand insists that one must strictly draw a line between the home and the work front to maintain productivity and inspiration. "Plan the number of hours you are required to put in and stick to it. You have to de-stress after work, preferably by engaging in non-screen activities to break the pattern." Both Dr Anand and corporate coach Vikram suggest setting daily goals. "This helps to build a sense of personal achievement. Get into your office gear every morning and change into casuals once you're done. Create an office zone in a corner; anything beyond this should be a no-phone zone,"
he says.

Break time
Taking time out between work for 10 to 15 minutes helps re-energise oneself, shares Dr Anand. Vikram's advice is to break up the day's work into bite-sized blocks of 60 minutes. "Set an alarm for every 60 minutes. Thereafter, stretch and walk around your home for five minutes." He suggests using apps like TimeOut and Smart Break to lock oneself out of the laptop while taking a break.

Experts say taking 10-minute breaks while working, to stretch or meditate, helps de-stress

Just breathe
Datey complained about being worked up about her job even after being done for the day. "Breathing exercises or meditation for 10 minutes helps calm the mind. If you have trouble going to sleep, write down the thoughts troubling you," Dr Anand says, adding that timely sleep is essential to maintain one's output levels. Vikram says one can also use tools like Moodscope to track their mood.

Speak out
According to Vikram, this is the time to "over-communicate". "Talk to everyone who needs to know about your schedule and availability. Cut yourself some slack and treat yourself with respect," he advises. Employers, too, must realise that 100 per cent availability during WFH is a myth. "Provide feedback to your manager. Employers should open the lines of communication and encourage workers to care for their physical and emotional health."

Coping with Zoom fatigue

. Ask yourself if the subject of the Zoom meeting can be conveyed over mail or call.
. Gallery view can cause excessive visual stimuli; switch to speaker view.
. Alternate between sitting and standing. Every 20 minutes, take 20 seconds to look at something else to avoid tiring your eyes.
. Pause your video camera to focus on what the speaker is saying.

Vikram, corporate coach

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