How to Create Resilience During Your Virtual Working Reality

• Have you purchased your new “blue blocker” computer glasses yet?
• Do you have your special ergonomic workspace set up with every additional piece of supportive equipment designed to prevent the hazards of working in front of a computer screen for hours on end?
• Do you have your screen set up to view multiple documents simultaneously while you’re on a video conference call?
• Are you having FUN yet?? How to make up for the missing potlucks and birthday cake celebrations that you normally share in the office break room to spice up your work week.

Seriously, there are some key steps you can take to prevent screen burnout during this era of living in our virtual reality. With a shorter commute from your kitchen to your desk it can be challenging to get in your 10, 000 steps per day. No longer are you parking farther away or taking the stairs to increase your daily movement.

Less physical activity and more screen time can leave you feeling drained and exhausted.

Here are some suggestions to prevent screen fatigue.

• During your workday you need more, frequent, shorter breaks from the screen. Every 60-90 minutes move away from your screen and take a quick walk outside.
• Stand up and take a stretch break, move the body or play dance music as a way to energize yourself.  
• Drink plenty of water while working at your desk to stay hydrated to stay alert and stave off snack cravings
• Take your lunch break off screen. Even better, eat away from your desk
• Prioritize nature, sunshine and outside time when you are not working.

INCREASING and SUSTAINING INTERNAL MOTIVATION

When you are feeling overwhelmed or burned out your internal motivation will create a barrier that can stop you from starting or completing projects. If you look at the task as a BIG project you may never start it until you have “enough time” to really dig into it, so you put off getting started. Or you did get started and now you can’t seem to commit yourself to completion. You may have many half-baked projects clogging up your band width.

• Inspire yourself with a motivating image or quote that is motivating to you.
• Begin with the end in mind. As Brene’ Brown says, “Paint it done.” What does “done” look like, feel like, taste like? Exercise your imagination to tap into your creativity to flush out the details or the process towards completion.
• What value are you engaging in terms of what makes this project important to you?
• Break your projects down into smaller steps to build inner confidence and reduce overwhelm.
• Reward yourself after each completion piece; even a happy dance will empower you.
• Track your progress to stay on track using a spread sheet, check box, journal, whiteboard. It you are a list maker, create a list to check off your progress.
• Every time you catch your procrastination or resist the project, take a pause and give a name to your thoughts or behavior; resistance, procrastination, doubt, overwhelm, etc. Refocus on the vision that you created in the picture it “done” step at the first bullet. You can use an image, a quote or mantra to stay focused on the how it feels to have it “done” for the completion phase. The name of this practice is called Pause-Notice-Choose.

VIRTUAL JET LAG

It can be very disorienting to attend virtual meetings in other time zones and can actually lead to a new experience of jet lag that feels like disorientation and brain fog.

Even If you are not currently traveling for work, you still maybe jumping across time zones virtually without ever leaving home. You can still experience jet lag when you are spending hours in an online event or meeting in another time zone. Frequent short walks outside, if daylight permits, helps to reorient yourself to your own time zone. Prioritizing rest and recharge are essential after screen time. 

REST and RECHARGE

Both adequate sleep and refueling your energy bank are equally important to prioritize in your day. Stepping away from your desk and moving out of work mode so you can engage in those activities that fill your tank with energy. Prioritizing those activities that engage the joy and fulfillment factors on a daily basis is key to prevention of burnout and the secret sauce to increasing resiliency. The key to prioritizing these activities consistently is to explore the underlying personal value that informs your personal motivation.

MOVING the BODY

One of the best ways to feel more energized when you are tired or lethargic is to move the body. Moving the body will increase your heartrate and get your organs working more efficiently, clear your mind and lift your mood. Walking, running or dancing will support your calf muscles to passively squeeze your leg veins to decrease lower extremity swelling caused by prolonged sitting.

Preventing Terminal Screen Burnout is essential to meet the demand of your current virtual reality lifestyle. The opportunity to engage in resilience is taking on a new version of Self Care and how you can reprioritize to engage your bottom lines and values to create a fulfilling, sustainable and healthy lifestyle. You may never fully achieve the ideal of “work-life-balance” but you can certainly bring more life balance into how you are engaging in your workday.

With less drive time as we meet virtually more often and attend fewer in person events, we actually do have a new attitude in how we prioritize our calendars.  Now we have the opportunity to add that glorious “me time” into our day.

Your personal values that inform what is important to you have come under scrutiny these past months and you may realize that you can shift your focus to what truly matters and not over-schedule your time. If you want support to create this shift in your lifestyle then let’s have a conversation so I can help you lock in your off screen commitments into your new priorities.