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Original poster

Work from home lethargy

24 replies

Limboland2 · 21/09/2023 19:53

Since Covid I've been working from home. I know it is very fortunate but I'm really struggling.

The less I do the less I want to do, I'm in a vicious circle of feeling tired and lethargic after a day not leaving the house and find I have no energy for anything.

The only exciting part of my day is time with the children but that's only an hour or two in the morning and an hour or two in the evening.

By 8 they are asleep and I do nothing. I have life admin to catch up on but my job is a variation of life admin so it's the last thing I feel like doing in the evening.

I'm starting to feel a bit depressed and feel like it's such a waste but how do I get out of the lethargy?

Everyone raves about how working from home gives them so much extra time. I use the extra time to keep on top of housework and laundry but that's it. I've never been so bored.

OP posts:

Original poster

Limboland2 · 21/09/2023 19:56

Oh and I can technically go to the office but without the annual train ticket the cost per trip is pretty extortionate so I wouldn't do it more than once a week really.

OP posts:

midgemadgemodge · 21/09/2023 19:58

Sound like you need to go into the office

Wfh isn't for everyone just like office working isn't for everyone

ReeseWitherfork · 21/09/2023 19:58

Are you single? How is your social life?

I am constantly torn between loving and hating WFH but ultimately I don’t even think I’d have the energy to be back in the office now. (I go once or twice a week, and those days are noticeably less chilled.)

Fuckingfuming1 · 21/09/2023 20:00

I’ve started mainly working from the gym. I treated myself to a gym membership that has Wi-Fi and heating and that’s where I spend most of my day now. Even if I’m not actually working out, I’m surrounded by people which I love. Incidental conversations bit of gossip. It’s great.

itscurtainsnow · 21/09/2023 20:00

Even going to the office once per week is enough for me to stave off boredom. If it’s expensive to get in do you have any shared workspaces locally to you? Sometimes these are cheap to rent and get you out of the house.

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 21/09/2023 20:03

Is there any kind of structure to your day? My clients can book me every hour on the hour.

I get half an hour for lunch. I sometimes walk during that time and have a sandwich at my desk instead.

If there's a quiet period I've been known to do a 15 minute yoga sequence.

I also make myself get up every hour to put washing on, hang it out, do some sort of chore. Moving your body is key. Do you have a desk that can be raised so you can stand? I don't know the English word for it.

You need to get out of the house in the evenings. You need a change of scenery.

VanillaFlotilla · 21/09/2023 20:03

OP I'm glad you raise this because I'm in the same boat!

I worked long (hard) hours for years in town, commuting etc. And then eventually landed myself in a full-time WFH job, and I was like "hooray!" but then fast forward a few years and I've noticed that my energy level is on the floor. Like, I cannot muster the energy to do anything beyond the bare minimum, i.e. keeping the DC sorted and keeping the laundry/dishwasher going. I still have a full time job and that's all fine - but I'm just dragging myself around the house most of the time. Like, why can't I motivate myself to get some exercise, or pursue a hobby, or do some DIY? It's weird - it's like a WFH Spell...

LoobyDop · 21/09/2023 20:06

Going in once or twice a week makes a huge difference. You have a reason to wear different clothes, have something different for lunch… it’s worth doing, I think. And the week goes faster with a bit more variety.

Original poster

Limboland2 · 21/09/2023 20:11

I do have a DH so I have company but we're both bored of our jobs and not feeling particularly chatty in the evenings. It sounds so sad writing it down!!

I do actually do a hobby once a week as well, but I am also home by 8pm on those days so it's not massively helpful.

I do feel a bit better on the weeks I do go in the office I suppose so maybe I need to make sure it does happen every week, I sometimes skip it depending how busy my work schedule is. And also because I like the idea of having saved the money that week.

I love working in a cafe for a change of scenery but I rarely have enough of a gap between stupid virtual meetings and I can't take those from a noisy café so it's a rare occurrence.

@VanillaFlotilla I am glad I am not the only one! It's horrible isn't it! Sometimes I've even wondered if something is physically wrong with me for being so tired and useless all the time. I mean it can't be that hard to motivate yourself to do something! But I just can't!!

OP posts:

HappyHolidai · 21/09/2023 20:12

Going in once a week makes a big difference for me.

If you can't, then making an effort to do stuff that isn't work should help. I go for a walk before work, at lunchtime and after work. Not all that long, but it gets me out and moving. I do that pretty much every WFH day unless I'm ill. And I have a couple of evening activities that mean I see other people and think about other stuff. Then I try to have things booked for most weekends, even if it's just an eye test (this Sat), for variety and to avoid just staying in all the time.
The travelling gets exhausting and I couldn't be in the office every day, so WFH means I get to keep my interesting job. It's not perfect but can be made manageable with a few tweaks.

AfraidToRun · 21/09/2023 20:16

I hate WFH. It's worse as I'm in a job where its so much easier to do our job if the team are all in but I'm the only one who goes in regularly. The work is suffering which is making me even more stressed but post covid it seems impossible to get people in. I think a mix is good but 1 day is definitely not enough in our industry.

Ponderence · 26/09/2023 12:59

Yes! I feel the same. I worked at a hospital which was in person. Throughout covid. Now have an office job visiting clients hybrid working for the last year. When I was offered it I thought it sounded great- the flexibility etc. and granted they are incredibly flexible- they’ve let me change my hours around recently at the drop of a hat which I couldn’t have done in my former job.

but today I am wfh only for 5 hours . I feel tired, lethargic, low, bored, boring (like what is there to talk about when I’ve just been at home at a computer and my kids and husband are going to chat to me about the things they did and people they saw), a little jealous of my husband and children who are at school, at face fo face work. I also feel like I don’t know how to talk to people- like I get nervous when I go to phone people. It’s ridiculous tbh.

I have little motivation to do the work- every job feels like a chore- am having to force myself to, especially make phone calls. I’ve had comments to amend some of my work and I take it so personally- like that my work is s**t (no one has said that- I just find face to face comments so much better than a back and forth of comments through a system).

I also don’t even feel human in this job- like they send work we do it type stuff and get comments on it. The human aspect is gone.

I literally can’t stop thinking about returning to work at hospital or somewhere similar for the face to face but I feel like I’ve lost my get up and go and not sure I’ll get it back (rationally I know I would). Also I recognise that today I’ve run an errand at lunch, cleaned the bathroom and done a load of washing. Which I couldn’t do if I was out all day.

we are now going in one day a week and I really like my colleagues but get so little done and feel very self conscious about making phone calls etc around them. we also have a more local office I can go sit in but i don’t really know the people so it’s like sitting on your own in an office.

anyway not sure that helps at all but I guess your not the only one x

Ponderence · 26/09/2023 13:00

O and another thing. I’ve found myself taking up an extra hobby in the eve- probably mainly to get some human contact- basically hubby and I are like ships in the night.

TarantinoIsAMisogynist · 26/09/2023 13:06

You need a job which gets you put of the house, it's as simple as that. Or if your current job allows you to go into the office - do it.

I see this sort of lethargy affecting a few people I know who WFH. They all swear it's better for them, but it's obvious to an external observer that it isn't. Some (most?) people need to interact with other humans in real life on a regular basis in order to maintain good mental health.

TarantinoIsAMisogynist · 26/09/2023 13:09

Limboland2 · 21/09/2023 19:56

Oh and I can technically go to the office but without the annual train ticket the cost per trip is pretty extortionate so I wouldn't do it more than once a week really.

Except that train ticket is the cost of maintaining good mental health. So it is 100% worth it.

HOL2024 · 26/09/2023 14:10

Fuckingfuming1 · 21/09/2023 20:00

This is a great idea! Is it a gym with a working space or a health Center? I might look into options.

Goodornot · 26/09/2023 14:12

This is why I went back to the office as soon as I could. I notice I am so much more lethargic being in the house all day. Is it an option?

Goodornot · 26/09/2023 14:12

How can you work in a gym on public WiFi?! My work would be too sensitive to use public not secure WiFi.

nancy75 · 26/09/2023 14:18

My job went to work from home & I almost begged to go back to the office. I need the structure of getting up, ready & out of the house. My mental health was on the floor & I was spending the whole day working in my pyjamas (I don’t do zoom!)
Its not for everyone

VanillaFlotilla · 26/09/2023 14:30

By way of an update, I've just signed up for a membership at my local fitness centre which is about 5 minutes up the road (no excuse!). It's a small and quiet gym, not expensive, but has nice facilities including a pool, a spin studio, and a range of classes/sessions every day. I'm really going to try to build some light exercise into my workday (when my schedule allows it) and maybe on some evenings in the hopes that it will bring my energy level back up. Gotta fight the WFH lethargy somehow. Wish me luck

LadyDanburysHat · 05/12/2023 14:13

I enjoy working from home for the most part. I would like hybrid but it is not an option is my current role. Making myself get out of the house is the important thing. My DC are older so I have no school runs to do. I have joined a gym. I often go at lunchtime to break up my work day, that really helps.

I will go in the evenings for a swim too. I don't even enjoy swimming that much, but I feel better for getting out and moving. It is much harder now the nights are dark and cold, but so important.

Tinkleberryz · 27/12/2023 18:07

Working from home is fucking boring. And yes it makes you lethargic and lose basic work skills. I hate it.

Blinkityblonk · 27/12/2023 18:09

Can you go in one day a week and work from a cafe another day a week? That would provide enough 'outside' time and get you chatting to others, working in a different place and so on. I find I need to go out at least twice a week during the day if I work from home otherwise I stagnate and all days seem to merge into one.

Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky · 27/12/2023 18:13

Can you go in late in the week one week and early in the week the next - therefore getting a single weekly train ticket to cover 2 weeks and do that once a month?

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