Work-from-home burnout can happen to anyone. Your body may give you cues to slow down and take a break when working long hours and trying your hardest not to fail. Workout burnout makes it impossible for you to function throughout the day. When you’re tired of working, even tasks you could have efficiently completed seem challenging to understand.
So the next question we can ask ourselves is, “Is burnout only applicable to working in an office?”
The likelihood is that if you work remotely from home, you may be exhibiting the same burnout symptoms as those who work in traditional office settings.
I want to say that you are not alone if you find yourself searching, “What is remote burnout?” or feeling worn out from working so much. Everyone experiences burnout, so don’t blame yourself if you don’t meet expectations. It’s ok, take a deep breath, and admit that you are a human who also needs to sleep.
This article is not the typical ‘How to stop remote work burnout?’, as we will discuss what burnout is and what methods can be implemented to avoid such unexpected work burnout.
What Does Work from Home Burnout Feels Like?
Let me get this straight, I am not a doctor or a psychologist, but from my past work experiences, I know what it feels like.
Remote work burnout makes doing work feel more than a chore; it is almost painful. When you are burnt out, you don’t have the energy to do the things that would generally help you relax after a long day of work.
It could be the emotions you experience when you open your laptop for the day because you have not slept well the night before because of work. You could feel like you can’t get away from work, even though you work at home.
Work-from-home burnout may result from spending too much time in front of a screen or juggling too many tasks at once, making it difficult to remember to eat, exercise, take care of yourself, relax, and enjoy life.
How to Avoid Remote Burnout?
1. Go for a walk
Do you know what great authors or inventors do when they experience work-related burnout? They take a walk or isolate themselves in nature.
Seeing greenery, whether in the form of trees, grass, flowers, or landscapes, is incredibly calming, no matter where you are in the world.
Green and blue are said to be soothing colors, and guess what, nature mostly has these two colors. As a writer, sitting down and writing nonstop can be challenging, but when that happens, I take a walk and spend time in nature, and it helps me think of new topics and plots for my stories. Therefore, the next time you experience remote work burnout, try going for a walk.
2. Give yourself a Break
Make sure you take breaks to prevent burnout while working from home. Taking small breaks is one of the best ways to set a schedule for yourself.
Anyone who works from home is familiar with the long, tedious online meetings that take up a lot of time and are annoying. Such lengthy project discussion meetings can exhaust you from the beginning. To stay on task, stay motivated, stay positive, and ensure you freshen up your day with breaks.
You must take breaks and engage in activities that will restore your energy. Talk to a friend or family member, eat some healthy snacks, drink lots of water, and work out for 30 minutes before starting to work on your projects again. So the next question is, what kind of breaks are these?
3. Accept that Burnout is a real problem
The first step is understanding that Work from home burnout is natural and effective for many people. Acceptance should first come from the management side.
Rather than directly talking about the agenda and starting to talk about business or the work of the day that needs to get done, managers should create a space for discussion and maintain a rapport like employees used to have in the office space.
4. Remember, You are a human, not a superhero.
Everyone, including me, your boss, your family, friends, and coworkers, is a human, and nobody is perfect.
Social media has given many people the opportunity to appear perfect, but it’s all a gimmick, and nobody is having a perfect day if you think about it; this applies to work life.
Especially if you work from home, try not to put too much pressure on yourself to be flawless. When you work from home, insecurities abound, including the pressure to perform at your absolute best all the time, the fear of being fired, and comparisons.
Accept your shortcomings, work through your difficulties to find solutions, and frequently give yourself a break.
You put much effort into performing well and getting appreciation, and you are perfect for that.
5. Don’t Treat Medicines like Candy
You do not want to contribute to professional burnout by masking it with medication. Take a step back and determine why you feel burned out at work or why your work-from-home lifestyle contributes to burnout before you even consider taking painkillers to prevent burnout.
Figure out what you could do to solve things. Maybe going to therapy sessions could be beneficial, and spending time with friends and family could make you feel better.
Whatever you do, avoid curing your burnout through experimentation with medicine. If you have any addiction or issue, please seek help from a medical professional.
Closing Thoughts
Work-from-home burnout is natural for many people, and if you are feeling down, remember there is a life outside your apartment and your job. Take a walk, observe nature around you, and talk to a friend or family member.