Burnout: 3 Key Tips for Remote Workers
Reading time 5min
Whether you’ve been working from home for months or years, work-from-home burnout is something you may be familiar with. According to Gallup, work-from-home burnout was a growing problem well before the pandemic began — and it’s even more of a concern now that close to 40% of full-time workers are telecommuting amidst COVID-19. During the pandemic, remote workers have reported feeling trapped in their homes, and teleworking no longer feels like the perk it once did.
Before we share three tips for overcoming burnout while working from home, let’s discuss some of the telltale signs of remote work burnout. For many remote workers experiencing burnout, they feel exhausted, depressed, overly stressed, unproductive, unfocused, and unable to disconnect from work, even at night and on weekends. Some employees may also experience insomnia and other sleep concerns.
Let’s discuss some of the things you can do to overcome burnout and get back to enjoying the advantages of working from home.
1. Revive Your Workspace
Considering how much time you’re spending at work each day, week, and month, it’s important to have an office space that motivates, inspires, and drives you.
If you’re working in a cluttered, dirty, or unorganized workspace, you may experience productivity issues and negative thoughts and emotions. As such, it’s important to remove anything from your home office space that may be contributing to this negativity, including outdated reference books, nonfunctioning tech devices, and cardboard boxes.
Some other ways to revive your home office space include:
- Painting the office a calming and energizing color.
- Moving your office space to a new location (like a patio or sunroom).
- Setting boundaries and actually following them.
- Adopting a few office-friendly houseplants like the Sansevieria, African violet, and English ivy.
2. Minimize Stress
Reducing stress is easier said than done, but a few simple stress-relieving strategies can make a world of difference when you’re experiencing remote work burnout. Meditation, for instance, can help you to cope with stress, anxiety, and negative thinking — while also making you a better problem solver.
Moreover, midday workouts will help to alleviate stress and boost focus, mood, and productivity while counteracting the negative effects of sitting at your desk all day.
If you don’t have time for a full workout, you could stretch at your desk, go for a walk while listening to music or a podcast, do some jumping jacks, or take a five-minute strength training break. Whatever stress relief means to you, the important thing is that you’re stepping away from work for a few minutes and engaging in an activity that calms your body and mind.
3. Consider a New Career Path
If you’ve tried everything you can think of to rekindle your love for the work you do — but can’t seem to overcome burnout — it may be time for a new job or career path. The Balance Careers shares some tips for deciding whether a new job opportunity or career path would be best as the right decision isn’t always clear. If you simply don’t enjoy the duties you’re tasked with or you’re not feeling challenged at work, a career change may be best.
If you’re experiencing burnout while working from home amidst COVID-19, you’re not alone. However, these three tips will help you to quickly overcome burnout so you can get back to enjoying the work you do — and experience the many wonderful benefits of working from home.
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