Beating the WFH Burnout
While the onslaught of the pandemic has unveiled new practises of working — work from home, no proper limitations were outlined for employees. This then hindered staff from thriving as they struggled to set work boundaries, all while caring for their mental health. This experience is called employee burnout. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines burnout as a condition resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Burnout can be identified through the following symptoms — exhaustion, negative feeling towards the job and reduced professional value.
How Do You Beat WFH Burnout?
Having a work-life balance
From being stripped off the daily commute to work and operating in the office to being forced to embrace working from home, a new routine in its entirety was born, one that showed no distinction between work and non-work periods. Employees started to waver in their mental health and experience burnout from lack of work-life balance. The biggest tip in beating WFH burnout is to separate work from personal life physically. This means dressing up in work attire although you’re working from home to create a right mindset and prepares you for work. Transitioning between work mode and personal life creates boundaries and subsequently reduces overworking and stress.
Create a work schedule
Accountability is a big part of working from home. There may be numerous distractions at home, but setting up a schedule keeps you in check on meeting deadlines or going off track. Create a schedule for a whole week or month as this will ensure you’re well equipped to take on the day. Should you want to be more productive, you can include designated breaks in the schedule for some down time.
Prioritise what’s important
In a frenzy of to-dos, many remote workers have a tough time determining which important task to undertake. Don’t mistake being busy with being productive, for it’s detrimental in the long run. Before you begin the day, look through what needs to get done and prioritise your task according to its urgency or importance. This will help tremendously and prevent you from being distracted by other tasks or daily activities.
Reduce distractions
One of the reasons why working from home is a feat is because of the daily distractions from family members, pets, the kitchen and many more that we easily get sucked into. To help you stay focused, create a designated work space and inform your family members to respect your working hours. You can also reduce the use of the internet to reduce their contact.
Exercise for mental health
One of the many ramifications of the pandemic and lockdown is being robbed off social interactions, which most of us thrive from. Being in quarantine certainly takes away that aspect of life and can take its toll on one’s mental health. To avoid this, go for a walk or jog around the block or follow HIIT workouts on Youtube to get the endorphins and serotonin going to reduce burnout.
Don’t overwork
Granted, times like these can instill a sense of fear in being retrenched, however, that shouldn’t be the reason you disregard working hours and overwork yourself to prove your worth to your superior. This is typically counterproductive and your work will eventually suffer from burnout. You can avoid this by taking some time to disconnect from work and regain the perspective you need to carry on. Requesting time off or dedicating weekends to relaxation are simple ways for employees to accomplish this.
Communicate with your colleagues
The friendly banter and engagement between colleagues are probably the most missed things during lockdown or working from home. The lack of social interaction can negatively contribute to negative feelings towards the job while working from home. This can be easily rectified, especially with the advent of technology. Video calling is available at your disposal, at any time and platforms like Zoom allow virtual team building activities. Fun ways to connect with your colleagues can include playing online games such as spinning wheels and activities such as quick surveys or virtual tea parties.
Final Thoughts
The sudden incline of employee burnout comes as a result of the daily struggle to balance work and life. As a result, there has been a rise in depression and a decline in productivity as well. Follow our guide to beating burnout and improve productivity at home.