Coaching corner: 8 ways to beat workplace exhaustion

In our new regular feature, we offer expert guidance on how to handle stresses and strains in the workplace thrown up by the pandemic.

In normal times, Nick, in his role as head of procurement, had regular in-person meetings with his country CEO and other regional directors. He worked long hours. He traveled regularly. Yet, now, with no travel and more time for family, he feels more exhausted than he ever did before.

Then there’s Joan, a director of loans for a bank, and boss to a team of 30, who used to spend two days each week abroad. She flew from London to a Scandinavian city for meetings on Mondays, an emerging market (usually Turkey) on Wednesdays. On Tuesdays, she met with her direct reports. Thursday and Friday were dedicated to focused work. All of this was while simultaneously managing her young family. Sounds exhausting, right? And yet, 18 months into the pandemic, with all of her usual travel suspended, she says: “I am so tired.” Her team members, all still…