The Downside to Working From Bed

Dear Diane,

I have been working from home for the past eight months and I feel as if I have lost all of my energy and enthusiasm for my job. I have a great boss and I work at an incredible company. And I love the fact that I can do my job from the comfort of my bed. Literally working from bed! But still, I am often caught in Zoom meetings yawning and appearing as if I don’t care. Should I consider a job change or a change of attitude?

DC

Hello DC,

Thank you for reaching out. Your work situation is not uncommon and neither is your dilemma. Many studies out there show that working from your bed is not the optimal choice for productivity. Staying in your pajamas or even work out clothes and crawling back into bed confuses the brain. I would like to suggest an alternate option. I understand that many people often have limited options regarding where they work in their home and the bedroom is an obvious choice. Perhaps, a small desk or even a make-shift table where you can sit upright in a chair would be a better choice.

Dress the Part

Jump out of your pj’s (if you often stay in them) and dress “business casual,” meaning an outfit you would feel comfortable wearing if you were meeting with a client over Zoom or face to face. Spending some time getting ready for the day does something psychologically to your attitude. Several studies prove that when you dress up for the workday, you use higher levels of thinking.

Don’t Give Up

Don’t quit your job. You seem to love what you do and your attitude appears to be positive. It looks as if you are searching for an answer to your daily energy level and rather than blame it on the job, I would blame it on your bed! Make sure to get up at the same time each workday, eat a good breakfast and find a location where you can sit up, take short breaks to walk around, and see if your overall attitude is more optimistic. Good luck and let me know how it goes.