Working From Home Tips To Reduce ‘Burnout’

According to the ONS, ‘the proportion of hybrid working has risen from 13% in February 2022 to 24% in May 2022’ in the UK. Working from home may be regarded as a welcome change from commuting to the workplace, however, there are challenges. To avoid burnout for remote workers, we have put together some useful tips!

‘Burnout’ is one of the main challenges to remote working, when one’s work and personal life are in the same place, it can be challenging to understand where to draw the line between work and your personal life.

A Dedicated Workspace

Having a dedicated workspace separate to other areas of your home can be said to be a luxury not everyone working from home can afford to have. But it is important to clear a part of your home solely for your work, whether it be a desk space or if you can, an office-space.

An official workspace separate to other areas can ensure you’re not always distracted and helps your brain both engage in that space for ‘work-mode’.

A predictable spot in your home to work from, will enable you to get things done or you’ll most likely end up feeling unmotivated and disoriented leading to a state of ‘work burnout’.

Follow a Set Routine/Schedule

Another way to prevent ‘burnout’ is to have a routine you follow when you work from home. With a structure in place, it allows you to manage your work and other related responsibilities efficiently.

To do this, you can start by creating a personal schedule accordingly, to your daily tasks spread across the week, you can take it a step further and construct a month-long schedule at a time.

With a personal schedule/routine drawn up, you can see all your tasks lined up ahead of time, giving you foresight and combatting home fatigue. Plus, it helps you to manage your priorities in terms of what tasks need to be done and streamlines your level of productivity.

Take Breaks

Allowing time for a break and a moment of rest is crucial to prevent working from home fatigue. It is also essential to your health and productivity. Your health comes first!

Taking a break in between your working from home schedule could mean, going out for a walk, spending time with your loved ones or disconnecting from your work and spending time to concentrate on relaxing your mind and body.

It is important to remember – adding unnecessary pressure on oneself when working will go wrong.

With the ease of working from home, it allows you to have more time during the day, however, it does not mean you should use all your time for work. Taking a break is beneficial whenever you are feeling overwhelmed and focusing on your hobbies, exercising or other activities you enjoy that help you de-stress is important.

Socialize

Working remotely is about your job, not about your personal life.

Face-face interaction with others is essential for preventing burnout at home. As working from home can lead to unneeded isolation as you grow accustomed to being by yourself. Excluding yourself from any social events will not be helpful. Arrange to meet up with friends and colleagues somewhere, even an hour spent outside the house might be reviving.

You should always make an attempt to truly engage socially with your family, friends, or partner. Make every effort to leave the house as much as you can if you live alone. Even a trip to the grocery store with a friend can be enjoyable.

When it comes down to it, protecting your emotional and physical health is the first step in preventing work from home burnout. Enjoy yourself occasionally as a favour to yourself (outside of the house). When you return to your desk after working from home, you’ll feel less worn out and much more optimistic.

Lastly, when you’re not at work, make sure you are taking the time to take part in the things you enjoy most. This could be going to your favourite restaurant or café, planning a fun ‘staycation’, or having a night out with some friends. If you have a hobby you’re passionate about, dedicate some time to this as well!

Set Boundaries

Another struggle that comes with working remotely is the lack of structure. If you want to work at an optimal level, setting boundaries for oneself is an important step in the right direction.

It can be difficult to set boundaries in both your personal and professional life. Boundaries help us to create structure and guidance in our lives so that we can be the most productive versions of ourselves.

It is tempting to check your work phone/laptop after hours, but this behaviour can be counterproductive as you may begin to feel like you never truly stopped working that day. If you want to stick to a strict work email cut-off time, try setting a specific time, for example – I will not check any emails before 9am or after 5pm.

As a remote worker, it is important to set boundaries to avoid work-from-home burnout. When working on a project, it is important to communicate with your team and clients about your availability so that everyone is aware of when you will be unavailable and can plan accordingly.

Take your time to consider your priorities and how you can meet them, each day. Keep in mind how long it should take you to get your daily tasks done and how long your breaks should be between work.

In a work setting, structure and boundaries are important to uphold productivity – so make sure you create and enforce healthy limitations on yourself.

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