I feel tired easily if I spend the whole day outside. It’s been back to normal in Malaysia since May 2022 and I should be happy, but then I found out about this.
What about you? Do you feel the same?
For example, in my old routine, I woke up at 7:30 am, went to the office and finished all tasks, then head straight to the gym or home. On the weekends, I could go to the gym and hang out outside for the whole day or write articles.
No problemo. That was life before Covid-19 lockdown.
During the lockdown or work from home, I would wake up at 8 am and go for morning walks. Or snooze the alarm and returned to sleep, woke up at 9am, worked, and went to the gym/became a couch potato browsing the internet until it was time to sleep.
Most of the time, I still carry this habit even after the lockdown rules were lifted because I felt comfortable with the routine.
Double scoop gelato + couch potato = no
If I have nothing to buy, why should I wander in shopping malls for hours? I could read comics while enjoying a cup of tea, in my comfortable bedroom.
Fast forward to when the offices were finally open. There was one day when I worked from the office and I had many tasks to deliver, meetings, plus participating in an event.
Bear in mind that the event was very relaxing. All I had to do was joined a workshop and had dinner. Yes, DINNER.
But when I reached home, I felt exhausted and almost fell sick. I had to rest on the weekend, took vitamin C, and drank Chinese black herbal tea to relieve the heat inside my body.
It’s crazy what two years of lifestyle change can affect you. My regular gym routine couldn’t even save me!
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My Plan to Combat the Post-Pandemic Exhaustion
According to my research, I’m not the only one experiencing this. Post-pandemic exhaustion is real.
When you switch to something different from your pandemic/WFH routine, your brain will become alert and send a stressed signal. The same thing goes for your body, you need to be more active so you get used to it and don’t feel tired easily.
To tackle this issue, I’ve set up a plan. I’m sharing it with you, perhaps it could be useful:
1. I will go to the office every day (Monday – Friday)
Guys, I swear I’m not working as HR personnel!
As much as I love working from home, I have another motivation to come to the office every day than just getting my stamina back, which is: my summer holiday.
That’s right! I have 1.5 months to practice until my summer holiday, so I decided to come to the office every day.
Whenever I travel, I would wake up around 7 am or 7.30 am, walk for many kilometers, and only return to the hotel at around 10pm or 11pm. So, if I don’t regain my stamina, I won’t be able to enjoy my summer holiday to the max.
Not only that, I also have an autumn holiday. These are the holidays that have been postponed for two years because of the pandemic.
So yes, I will go to the office every day.
Bonus: it’s summer, I can reduce my electric bill and work comfortably since the office turns on the AC all day 😁
2. Take some breaks in the office
I will take a break whenever I feel tired. Luckily, my company provides many healthy snacks and a dedicated area to take a nap.
3. Drink plenty of water
Summer holiday 2017 — Tuscany, Italy
Whenever I have many tasks to deliver, sometimes I forget to drink enough water. I will remind myself to stand up, go to the pantry, and drink often.
Nope, not a fan of using a water bottle in the office. Let’s get active by walking to the pantry to refill the cup.
4. Weekends: avoid a sedentary lifestyle
I need to avoid bingeing on mangas on the weekend. I will join at least one cardio class at the gym.
I will go for morning walks, explore the malls, or catch up with a friend. Anything to avoid a sedentary lifestyle on the weekends.
5. Sleep at 11pm (or before 12am)
This is tough, but I should do it. I will do it 🔥🔥🔥
Alright, I hope that you find what works for you to combat the pandemic exhaustion. It’s getting hotter in Malaysia, take care and drink plenty of water.
Enjoy the summer! ❤️❤️❤️
Also read: “Summer in Sorrento”
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