Wellness, Burnout, Vacations and Fatigue

Hi, everyone!

My message today is a little different. What I’ve been hearing from colleagues and seeing with our staff and others is that we’re no longer just adjusting to a “new normal”—we’re now living a “new normal.” And it’s a “new normal” that continues to grow and change.

Think about it: our new ways of working, ambiguity about the future (to put it mildly), a global pandemic, racial injustice, caring for our loved ones, dealing with isolation, and oh, yeah—all the rest of the goals and projects we were already trying to accomplish in 2020. It’s a LOT.

So, my message today is simply a list of articles that I’ve found helpful about wellness, avoiding fatigue and addressing burnout.

One of the most important sections is about how to take a vacation in the midst of COVID. Even if you don’t plan to leave the house, please consider taking time off in the next few months. It’s always important to step away from work, but especially critical to do so now to give your brain and body a chance to relax and recharge.

Thank you for taking care of yourselves and each other. Because if we’re not taking care of ourselves and our colleagues, there’s no way we’ll be able to take care of the people who count on us and our organizations.

Exhaustion, Burnout and Continuing to Cope

• A collection of articles from BBC Worklife on how to avoid burnout amid a pandemic, how to tell if you’re close to burning out, and other articles around beating burnout
• Fighting family burnout during the COVID-19 Crisis (including a webinar “Frazzled Families and Overcoming Parental Burnout During COVID-19”)
• How to be Alone: Solitude is a skill—you can get better at it with practice.

Why Video Calls Make Us Tired (#science)

• How to Combat Zoom Fatigue: If you’re finding that you’re more exhausted at the end of your workday than you used to be, you’re not alone.
• Zoom Fatigue is Real — here’s why video calls are so draining (including a TedX talk about how spaces can make us better versions of ourselves. What does that mean for how and where we’re working right now?)  
• Zoom Fatigue: Why Video Chat Is Exhausting You Right Now, and What to Do About It

 How to Vacation During COVID-19

• How to plan a summer 'safecation': What to know about road trips, flying, hotels and more
• Six safer, expert-backed ways to take a vacation during the pandemic, from road trips to private vacation homes and remote campsites
• These Are the Safest Ways to Vacation with Kids During the Summer of COVID-19
• CDC Considerations for Travelers—Coronavirus in the US