6 Rituals to Fight Fatigue: WFH Edition
Fatigue creeps up on us as the days get darker and the Zoom meetings seem to get longer.
We lost an hour of sunlight thanks to daylight savings, and it’s safe to say that the lack of Vitamin D can take a serious toll. This year we need to be all the more purposeful about fighting fatigue considering the state of our world, so here are my favorite practical ways to create soothing, comforting rituals, especially now that we’re stuck at home more than usual. Whether you’re big on productivity culture or you lean more towards fueling your body with what you eat and drink, we’ve rounded up the best practices to incorporate into your daily or weekly routines as the weather gets colder.
Daylight Lamps
Light therapy is the best way to counter seasonal affective depression, especially if you live in an apartment where the sunlight doesn’t stream in too often. Waking up early is the perfect way to squeeze in a little extra productivity, but it can be hard not to hit snooze once it gets darker. So, counter that by bringing in some extra “sun.” If you don’t want to splurge on a daylight alarm clock or a sun lamp, try replacing your light bulbs with a special daylight bulb that’ll help reduce melatonin production (helping you feel more awake) and increasing serotonin (the happy hormone).
Rationing Your Creative Energy Stored
You have a certain amount of decision-making energy to pull from each day, so don’t waste it doing menial tasks like laundry, grocery shopping or cooking right at the start of the day. Instead, try “eating the frog first” by starting with the most creative, taxing assignments and work down the list to the least. The first hour of your day sets the tone, so it’s alright to schedule your gym time for later in the day if you have lots of work to get done. I like to wake up, pop on a sheet mask and do the majority of my writing first thing in the morning.
Hydration
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Our bodies are made of 60% water, and deep hydration is necessary for essential functions like circulation and preventing infection, as well as improving sleep quality and mood. If you find yourself feeling mentally foggy, headache-y, or bogged down after multiple Zoom meetings in a row, see if you can remember the last time you chugged a glass of H2O. Or, even better, keep a water bottle by your desk as a visual reminder to keep hydrating! Remember that hydration doesn’t have to be in the form of a glass of water. Fruits with high water content and tea are great alternatives as well.
Switch Up The Sitting
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While it’s important to create routine, constantly working from the same spots in your house (dining room table, sofa, or — God forbid — your bed) can create fatigue, fast. If you’ve been sitting in your chair for hours, take some time to do some stretches, get the blood flowing, and maybe even run up and down the stairs.
My new personal favorite way of relaxing is sitting with my legs up against the wall for lymphatic drainage from your ankles, relaxing tired knees and the lower back. This semi-supine posture lowers your heart rate and therefore lowers anxiety and insomnia. I sleep like a baby when I set aside ten minutes to unwind like this after sitting all day.
Check Your Vitamin D Levels
Between colder temperatures and staying at home more often, if you’ve been feeling extra fatigue it may be due to a Vitamin D deficiency. Look into consuming more fatty fish, fortified milk and mushrooms for an extra boost, or even getting your daily dose from a supplement. However, do keep in mind that you can take too much in pill form! Consult your doctor before adding an additional supplement to your routine.
Make Sure You’re Getting Outside
Between food delivery and most meetings being on Zoom, it can be easy to let days go by without setting aside purposeful time to go outside. Block out 30 minutes to call a friend and take a walk through your neighborhood together, or even a walk to the grocery store or your local coffee shop can help recenter and reinvigorate you. It’s important to take time to be away from the screens that now function as our work, our social time and our entertainment.
Photo: Pinterest
And as always, be in tune with how you personally recharge, whether it’s by spending time doing an activity that you love, reading a paperback book, or calling up loved ones. It’s hard to pour into work when you’re running low on the ability to give. Check in with yourself during these upcoming months of working from home. We’ll get through this together!