How to Avoid Remote Work Burnout: Balancing Work and Life

Excess of anything is wrong. The same applies to your work. Burnouts often occur, be it in conventional office settings or work-from-home settings, when you severely overwork yourself or worry too much about office-related matters even outside your working hours.

A remote working environment may offer you more autonomy and flexibility over your working hours. Still, it also impacts your ability to distance yourself from your work and disengage from your work responsibilities after working hours.

Here are some symptoms of remote work burnout that you may be feeling:

• Constantly feeling exhausted;
• Frequent headaches and heart palpitations;
• Insomnia;
• Lack of productivity and disengagement from work;
• Being irritable and short-tempered;
• Feeling hopeless and alone;
• Constant worry about the future and low mood;
• Hampered cognition and mental fatigue.

Once you start observing these symptoms in your daily life, it’s crucial to understand what might be causing them. Here are a few common causes of remote work burnout:

• Inability to disconnect from work;
• Lack of boundaries between work and home life;
• Prolonged screen time;
• Feelings of loneliness;
• Lack of fixed routine;
• Lack of social interactions.

Work-from-home burnout often happens when remote workers fail to create a healthy balance between their work and home life. This imbalance causes them to be less productive in both their professional and personal lives.

To achieve a healthy work-life balance and avoid work-from-home burnout, you can follow the tips given below:

It’s so much easier to let yourself be engulfed by work all the time when there is no set schedule. Start by establishing solid boundaries with your family and colleagues. Set your working hours and stick to them instead of keeping the timings too unpredictable.

This may also include creating a dedicated workspace that is not your bedroom. By clearly distinguishing between your work and relaxing space, you’ll be able to avoid bringing your work to other parts of your life.

Don’t sit in one place for too long. Move around, take set amounts of breaks, and give your body some time to rejuvenate. Whenever possible, spend some time stretching your body, going outside, and taking quick walks to avoid feeling lethargic.

Don’t underestimate the power of taking short breaks during work hours and use them effectively. This will not only help you stay active but also avoid feeling burnt out.

Being organized is crucial in fighting early signs of remote burnout. Plan your upcoming work week in advance. Stay consistent with your efforts and finish your work in a timely manner, instead of letting it pile up.

By consistently staying up to date with your work schedule, you can avoid feeling the brunt of overwork. If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work, talk to someone in charge regarding your workload.

Utilize the time outside of work to engage in self-care activities. Use your time to follow your hobbies, catch up with friends and family, and spend some time doing physical and mental activities that make you feel good.

By maintaining a healthy life outside work, you can avoid feeling frequently burnt out during work hours.

Reach out to your loved ones more frequently. If you can, try to make plans with them or visit them on the weekends. Make good use of your remote working and have a workation if possible.

This will allow you to connect with your friends and family while also breaking out of the monotonous routine of your work-from-home life.

The easiest way to finish more in less time is to break big tasks into smaller, more manageable ones. This will allow you to achieve your goals faster and be more productive in a short period of time.

Remember to spend your time wisely and set achievable goals. If you feel overworked and overwhelmed by the amount of work that you have pending, avoid taking on more tasks and learn to say no. This will protect you from being burnt out in work-from-home settings.

Learn to celebrate your small accomplishments. In a remote setting, it can be challenging to feel appreciated after completing something important, so it’s better to learn how to do it yourself.

Give yourself a treat after you complete a task. You can take a quick walk around the block, eat a healthy snack, take an exercise break, or have your favorite piece of chocolate.

Your choice of food and drinks can strongly impact how you feel. While working, avoid binging on unhealthy and processed foods. Instead, opt for healthy snacks and balanced meals to feel your best. This will help you balance out your long hours of work and keep your mental facilities in great condition.

Another thing to remember is to stay hydrated. Keep a bottle of water within your reach while working. As a rule of thumb, ensure that you drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water. This will help you stay sharp and feel good. Drinking water can also act as a buffer between your long working hours.

Remote working can feel more isolating than it really is. To curb these feelings, take some time to connect with your co-workers through video calls. Apart from your usual meetings, take time to chat or engage in fun activities like team-building games.

You can also virtually reach out to your friends and family. This will help you feel more connected and seek necessary social support.

Plan a vacation to get out of the rut and take a break from your monotonous work-from-home routine. Take some time off to refresh your mind and change your environment.

You can decide to travel with your family and friends, pursue a hobby, or take some time off to relax. This will help you rejuvenate and come back to work with a positive attitude. This is one of the most effective ways to prevent work-from-home burnout.

In a nutshell, working from home can be both a boon and bane at different times. To successfully navigate the labyrinth of remote working and avoid feeling burnt out, it’s important to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This can be done by intentional efforts such as taking frequent breaks, having an active social circle, and, most importantly, listening to your body and avoiding overworking yourself.

As soon as you see the first symptoms of remote burnout settling in, reassess your daily schedule and use the tips given above to address the issue early. If you or any of your loved ones work from home, check in with them. This way, you can gain and offer emotional and social support frequently.