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Work From Home Burnout is Real, Here’s How You Can Avoid It

It’s time to set some boundaries

Many businesses have now shifted to remote work and management due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. As a result, several employees are currently working from home. If you are, you may be finding the line between your professional life and personal life blending in unexpected ways.

You may find that this setup is challenging your productivity and devotion to work. You may even feel obligated to work harder and longer since you’re at home. As hours turn to days and days turn to months under these unprecedented circumstances, you may feel burned-out.

Drawing a line between working time and home life is vital, especially for your mental health. You will need to establish some sense of normalcy at home by setting boundaries. Take a look at some work from home tips to avoid work from home burnout.

Find a dedicated workspace

One of the best ways to create a healthy boundary between work and personal life is by establishing a dedicated workspace. Be it a workstation in your bedroom, a home office or a specific corner of your dining table, reserve this space as your permanent place for work.

Let everyone know in your household that you should not be distracted when in this area. This is crucial, especially if you live with a roommate or have kids. Here’s a guide to help you set up your home office for maximum productivity during work hours.

Disallow phones until breakfast

Starting your day by checking your phone can either make your day or stress you out. Chances are, you’ll spend a little more time tending to emails, so you end up in an unpleasant mood first thing in the morning. Take your mornings seriously and slowly, it’ll set the mood for the whole day.

Instead of jumping right into social media or e-mails, make your morning cup of coffee or meditate and stretch for a few minutes. This should help you start the day with a positive mindset and get you into the right headspace come work time.

Go offline when it’s time to clock out

Many people think and say that working from home lets you better exercise a work-life balance. But this is not so simple to achieve if the lines between work and home life are starting to blur. To draw a thick and clear line, set a definitive time every working day to shut off your laptop and get off work.

You can set a strict schedule for your workdays (e.g., 8AM to 5PM). Set the alarm for eight hours to remind you that it’s time to disconnect. Yes, you are working from home, but give yourself more time to enjoy the “home” part.

Give yourself a break

Just like how you would take a midday or afternoon break in the office, allow yourself to get up from your workstation and spend a little time with your family or pet, or do something unrelated to your work. Why not maximize your Home Prepaid WiFi and allow yourself an episode or two of your favorite Netflix show while enjoying your break?

You can also check on your plants or brew your second cup of coffee. Perhaps a mid-work meditation while sitting down and counting your breaths can help you rejuvenate to help you refocus when you get back to work.

Plan out your day

Finally, set clear and concrete goals for your day to help put everything in motion and according to plan. For instance, you can map out what tasks you need to accomplish for the day and track your progress. This way, you can maintain a productive mood and get into the groove during work hours.

Of course, planning your day should cover your personal time after work, too. You can set a movie time with your friends or partner, prep your dinner with your family, or continue with your hobby after work hours.

Minimize the Risk of Burnout

Hopefully, you learned a thing or two on how to work from home without putting your mental wellness on the line. Don’t wait for burn out to happen—your health matters.

It’s essential to perform well at work, but don’t let it slip into every moment of your day. Take your time to assess your current work from home practices and see what boundaries you can introduce to strike the right balance between work and home.