How to Prevent Burnout in Lockdown

I've been presenting my "Mindfulness in Troubled Times" presentation remotely many times recently during lockdown. I've been distressed at the number of emails I've been receiving after the presentation, from people who say they've never worked harder. They start meetings on Zoom/Skype/Teams at 8am and have their last meetings at 5pm. They barely move from their chairs for a break, and are more exhausted than they were when they worked on location. They feel that if this carries on they are heading for burnout. 

If you're feeling like this resonates - please read on for more insights and solutions. 

Firstly Zoom/Skype/Teams fatigue is a real thing. Your brain on Zoom is entirely different than your brain in real life according to Kari Henley who is the Founder of Community Without Borders. In our normal day, we have lots of physical state changes that keep us alert. We have to get up and fully dressed, drive somewhere, park, socialise and then settle down to a meeting/presentation. This extra stimulation actually keeps us interested and engaged when it comes time to sit down and learn.

Now we walk over to our chair and stare at our screen for hours and hours and days and days on end. Without the changes in scenery or being able to absorb the energy of others around us, it becomes harder to stay focused. Oh, and of course we are also fighting the Zombie Apocolypse COVID-19, which adds to our stress levels. 

So what do we do? 

• Firstly, schedule recovery into your day - after 2 Zoom calls I go and bounce on my rebounder, do 25 jumping jacks or get a cup of coffee/tea AWAY from my desk. I've made it a point to eat outside every day - so I sit in a chair, the sun shining on me, eating my lunch and I read a magazine. I take at least 30 minutes to do this. In the afternoon, I take a mid-afternoon break and phone a friend or listen to music, again AWAY from my desk. I finish working at 4 pm as by then my brain is mush. I have started doing a Pilates course online and I do a class in the morning or at 4 pm. I find it helps enormously with the stiff neck and shoulders I have been suffering from. It just loosens everything up.
• Don't schedule back to back meetings - give your brain a chance to switch gears between meetings. This is your "time in traffic" time.
• Take notes by hand - it increases retention and engagement from a neuroscience perspective. By focusing on what is happening and writing legible notes as you go, you'll be able to stay focused and retain what is being shared. It also gives you a much-needed screen break.

I look forward to hearing your feedback - do you have any strategies that are working for you?


Be safe, be mindful and be grateful

Much love

Helen x