10 Ways to Avoid Burnout While Working From Home (Better Mental Health)

Working from home has become the new normal for many people, and more companies are adopting remote work as part of their business operations.

Working from home has many benefits, but the struggle of balancing work life, home life, and family life all under one roof has caused many to feel burnout.

As we all adjust to this new normal, here are a few ways to avoid burnout working from home.

What is Burnout at Work?

Burnout at work is a type of work-related stress where the worker will be in a state of physical exhaustion and emotional stress where the worker feels a reduced sense of accomplishment and loss of self-identity.

Symptoms of feeling burnout at work

• Feeling drained or exhausted.
• Anxiety and depression.
• Sleeping difficulties.
• Headaches or stomach aches.
• Irritability.
• Feeling unmotivated, less productive, and less passionate about your work.

Feeling burnt out at work can be incredibly debilitating. It can make you feel exhausted, frustrated, and unmotivated. In fact, it can even lead to job loss.

When you have symptoms of feeling burnout at work, it might be time to take a step back and reassess your work situation.

How to Avoid Burnout Working From Home?

Working from home can have its perks: no boss hovering over your shoulder, no need for long and expensive commutes, and the ability to work in your pajamas (or not, if that’s your thing). But for many people, working from home can also have its challenges and lead to feelings of burnout.

Here are some tips for avoiding burnout when working from home.

1. Have a Dedicated Workspace

If possible, set up a dedicated workspace in your home separate from other areas of the house. The point of going into the office was to have a space purely for work, and working at home should be no different.

You don’t want to be working at the kitchen table where you eat with your kids, or on the couch where you relax at the end of the day.

Why?

This creates an association between work and home and it’s harder to separate the two in your mind and switch off.

An ideal workspace would be to have a home office so you can close the door at the end of the day, as well as shut out any other distractions while working.

If you are unsure how to create your personal home office or where to set up your home office, have a look at these guides below.

• How to set up an ergonomic home office (Complete Guide)
• How to know where to set up your home office (Complete Guide)

When setting up a dedicated workspace, you will probably want to invest in a good ergonomic office chair, desk, and other equipment as well, otherwise, your employer may provide these.

Lastly, declutter the space so it feels clean and fresh, and ready to work.

2. Tailor Your Schedule to You

One of the biggest benefits of working from home is having more flexibility. Setting up a routine that fits in with your life will make it feel less like you are just going through the motions and don’t have time for yourself.

• Start earlier so you can pick the kids up from school or block off a longer lunch period if you need to exercise or run errands.
• Mimic the schedule you had in the office if that works for you – take a walk before work that replicates your commute time.
• Prioritize tasks so that they fit in with how you work best so that you can be more productive.

3. Take Breaks

Sitting at your screen for hours makes it hard to be productive and can give you headaches and eye strain.

You should be getting up regularly from your desk, every hour if possible, and looking at something other than the screen for around 15-20 seconds to rest your eyes.

Take 5-minute breaks to put on a load of laundry, vacuum, or unload the dishwasher. You will feel like you are getting more done with your day.

4. Exercise and Get Outside

When working at home you will be sitting down for most of the day. Make sure you are getting up regularly by setting a reminder to stand up each hour and walk around.

Staying active while working from home can help you relieve stress and prevent burnout when working from home.

Going on a walk during lunch or before or after work is a great way to get your steps in, get fresh air, and vitamin D, get away from your screen and connect with nature. Even a quick walk around the block will help clear your head.

5. Set Boundaries

Working at home makes it hard to separate life and work. Clear boundaries will help you keep a work-life balance.

• Finish at a certain time and only work during your contracted hours, not during evenings or weekends.
• Make sure you have a way to shut down at the end of a workday such as turning the computer completely off. Draw a line under anything you’ve been working on and come back to it tomorrow.
• Tell your family when you have an important meeting and cannot be disturbed.

6. Switch Off

Switch off your mind by turning off your notifications, computer, and phone outside of work hours.

Do not answer calls during your lunch break and don’t be tempted to check emails once you have finished working for the day.

7. Take Time Off to Enjoy Life

Make sure you are using your days off and weekends to have fun and do the things you enjoy.

• Go on a family holiday, or a weekend away.
• Spend time with your kids.
• Take part in a hobby you enjoy.
• Relax at home.

8. Reward Yourself

It can be difficult to set your own goals and motivate yourself to achieve them. Reward yourself with things you enjoy for completed tasks, such as taking time to make your favorite lunch if you have finished a morning task or replied to all your emails.

Reward yourself each week for your accomplishments,

• Meeting a deadline
• Completing a project
• Ace a meeting presentation

Go out for a nice dinner or spend the weekend doing fun activities with your family.

9. Self-care

Self-care is the practice of taking time for yourself to relax and de-stress. It is important for your mental and physical health and can prevent burnout at work.

Self-care can help you manage stress and prevent burnout.

• Take time each day for a walk or yoga class.
• Make nutritious meals or try out a new recipe.
• Unwind after a stressful day – take a bath, read a book, or watch your favorite show.
• Ensure you are getting enough sleep.
• Listen to some soothing music.
• Get out of the office and do something fun.

Simply, go and do something you enjoy!

10. Ask For Help

Working from home can feel isolating, but if you are feeling burnout, it is time for you to ask for help.

• Speak to your manager. Talking to your manager about your struggles, there might have redistribution and altering your workload, or providing resources through work to aid with mental help.
• Speak to your coworkers. Talking to your coworkers may let you find ways where you can help each other when need and probably set up regular calls to have a virtual coffee break where you can interact with different colleagues.
• Speak to your family and friends. Talking to people who are close to you can often help you relieve your stress. In fact, they might be working from home as well and are experiencing the same thing as you.
• Talk to a healthcare professional. Seeking professional help is probably the best way to get the correct support needed for your mental well-0being. They can help you get connected with the relevant services that can help you.

Why Do You Feel Burnout While Working from Home?

The main reason for feeling burnout while working from home is not having a work-life balance. Without having sufficient time to spend to take care of yourself, and doing things that you enjoy, many remote workers feel emotionally drained and unable to deal with problems around them.

Burnout can happen to anyone, and if you are taking on too much responsibility at work, not being able to get away from your work, and feeling like you can’t switch off, you will have a high risk of feeling burnout at work, and it is something you should be the concern of.

Reasons for burnout working from home

• When working from home, it is harder to make the separation of working hours. You are more likely to work later or respond to emails or calls as you are still available in your workspace. On contradictory, when you are working in the office, your mind knows the workday is over and a mental door is closed when you leave your office.
• Working from home makes it harder to make your own schedule and be productive without the office structure and hours in place. It is easier to become distracted and feel less motivated.
• When you are working from home, you feel isolated and feel less connected to your colleagues and job. With less social interaction, emotional stress will increase, which causes the feeling of burnout at work.

Don’t let yourself suffer from burnout at work…

With more people working from home, many people are suffering from burnout at work silently, but it shouldn’t be the case.

Here we’ve explored a few things you can do to help avoid feeling burnout when working from home. And following these tips will probably make your work-from-home experience more fulfilling, less stressful, and more productive.