I’ve been so tired over the last month or so.

With ongoing analysis of what has changed to cause this tiredness, I’ve identified the following:

• Daylight savings time – always hard but felt harder this year

• Getting a temporary second job – because inflation 

• Traveling for work– especially after being mostly virtual

• Ending and managing stressful relationships – the procrastination of this task is also stressful

• Unbalanced eating – I can’t stop eating quesadillas 

• Inadequate sleep – My brain keeps waking up at 3 am. Not sure why…

• Taking on more work responsibilities – When you do great work, sometimes people want you to do a little bit more or more opportunities are presented to you 

My interest began to pique when people around me started sharing how tired they are as well. So why are we all feeling so tired?

One of my conclusions is we have collectively experienced a significant amount of physical downtime due to pandemic restrictions. Even if you still went to work as normal, we couldn’t do as much social engagement (i.e. weddings, going to the bar, etc.). I use significantly less physical energy engaging in virtual meetings and activities compared to going to Charlottesville to do a four-hour staff retreat in-person. While we did have more physical downtime, we also had emotional and societal stress and to process the events of the last two years, alone (elections, social unrest, significant loss and grief, etc.), requires a significant amount of energy. Furthermore, this emotional and societal stress is continuing as physical downtime is decreasing as we all attempt to re-emerge.

Have you ever had one of those days where you always have something to do, maybe you missed lunch and are only noticing because it’s the end of the day, but you really can’t say you’ve been productive or remember what exactly you worked on or completed that day and you’re exhausted? This is a sign that you are at or over capacity. You don’t have the time, resources, or energy to do what you need to do. For many, the state of our society and world has stretched us beyond our capacity and our body, mind, and spirit are struggling to keep up and maintain. Being overcapacity also leads to burnout. I’ve heard this struggle with many nonprofits who are recognizing the need for their programs now more than ever but don’t have the capacity to grow to meet the need, let alone continue the things they’re doing. People don’t have the capacity to work in organizations and positions that “only care about” productivity or achieving outcomes especially when they are not provided with the resources and support to do great work or even the bare minimum. 

 One trend from the pandemic that I’m noticing, and feel excited about, is many people have been more protective of their physical, emotional, and spiritual downtime and as a result, prioritize rest. As a millennial,this historically has been an issue for me (there are many articles about millennials being workaholics), resting or being “unproductive” hasn’t been a priority for me, so this change has been very fulfilling and pleasurable. I used to say that “I’m lazy” or “I’m prone to laziness” but now I reframe it by saying. “I don’t have the energy for this.” That statement alone permits me to be “less productive” and do something that requires less energy or, my favorite, do nothing at all, literally. One of the best things anyone can do for me is take something off of my plate; give me fewer things to do or think about. 

As an individual, you can manage your capacity by: 

• Giving yourself time limits or setting deadlines for activities. (i.e., I’m going to work on a blog post from 9 am to 10 am.)

• Choosing not to argue with someone, especially children

• Noticing how you feel mentally, physically, and spiritually after different activities (i.e., I feel physically tired and mentally well after working out; Spending time with my good friends fills my spirit)

• Having sacred activities, sometimes misnomered as self-care (i.e., on Sundays I rest for the majority of the day and only do things that help me prepare for the coming week; I get my nails done regularly)

• Giving yourself permission to not do something or do that thing later

• Turning off phone/email notifications or going into do not disturb (DND) mode

As an organization, you can manage capacity by: 

• Creating and following a strategic plan (wink wink)

• Updating mission and vision

• Outsourcing the work (i.e., temp service)

• Hiring a specialty consultant (i.e., marketing campaign, strategic plan, or data analysis)

• Prioritizing programs or activities (be sure to communicate this with your community as well)

• Adding time to an activity to create a buffer (i.e., I block off 15min after all meetings to “reset”)

• Regularly checking in with employees and their workload; asking before adding to their work

• Taking time to address workplace conflict and problems

• Having a visual that helps to organize and understand your capacity

• Giving employees the time they need (i.e. unlimited PTO, sick AND mental health days)

These are all suggestions to start thinking about how to manage capacity in the hopes that you experience more peace and success. If you need some support to manage capacity in your organization or need to outsource some work (wink wink), reach out to me and my team. We would love to help you make this change.