Seven effective strategies to deal with Work-From-Home Burnout

Work-from-home burnout is real and can silently creep into your lives, eroding your mental as well as physical well-being.

Burnout from working remotely often occurs when spending many hours behind a laptop screen or doing too many tasks at once so that you’re forgetting to eat, take care of yourself, rest and even enjoy life.

To cope with work-from-home burnout, it’s important to recognise the red flags, leading to persistent fatigue and exhaustion during work.

Here are key signs to watch out for:

1. Disturbed sleep patterns – Burnout can lead to insomnia or restless nights.
2. Health issues – Burnout can contribute to health problems including headaches, impaired immune function and indigestion.
3. Lack of passion – Burnout can lead to loss of passion for work and interests.
4. Bad performance – Burnout can contribute to reduced productivity, both at work and in personal life, even cause trouble in focusing on tasks and constant forgetfulness.
5. Irritability – Burnout can lead to increased irritability and a shorter temper. Petty things may become major stressors, taking a toll on your mental well-being.
6. Neglected relationships – Burnout can strain your relationships, which can lead to conflicts and a sense of loneliness.
7. Ignoring self-care – Burnout can contribute to neglecting healthy habits such as exercise, a balanced diet and proper sleep.

After learning the symptoms of burnout especially for remote workers, experts have listed out few effective strategies to help you maintain work-life balance as well as manage mental and physical well-being.

Here are effective tips to recover from burnout:

First accept perfection is not attainable. Embrace imperfection and don't be too hard on yourself.

Second switch off your screens one to two hours before hitting to bed.

Third and most important, try to finish your work on time. Sometimes it feels easier to work beyond your shift timing. Once in a while this is fine, but try to make sure you finish work on time most days.

Fourth is to create schedule and routine that allocate time to work, family and personal pursuits which should be fun and non-work related.

Fifth is to take some time off work here and there to recover from burnout. Talk to your manager and take your annual leave to rest and recharge.

Sixth is for working wives who should not hesitate to share home responsibilities with their spouse. Consider hiring house help to ease your workload.

Seventh is to practice mindful yoga or breathing exercises to alleviate burnout.

Last but not least, invest in relationships; lean on friends or family when you need to talk or need emotional support. However, seek professional help if burnout becomes overwhelming.