Work at Home Tips: Best Practices to Avoid Office Burnout

More and more people love the work-from-home set up nowadays. It is more flexible, comfortable, and efficient as per the reviews of successful work-from-home individuals. However, there are times when stress and overwhelming tasks can also impact the way they work. Burnout can happen, but you can avoid it as well.

What is Office Burnout?

According to Healthline.com, burnout is more severe than ordinary fatigue.

“Burnout is a state of mental and physical exhaustion that can zap the joy out of your career, friendships, and family interactions. Continual exposure to stressful situations, like caring for an ill family member, working long hours, or witnessing upsetting news related to politics and school safety can lead to this stress condition”, mentioned by Healthline.com in one of its articles.

The term ‘burnout’ was coined in the 1970s by Herbert Freudenberger. It refers to a worse stress condition resulting in severe mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion.

Unfortunately, burnout can make it challenging for people to handle stress in their daily activities. Even worse, individuals who are experiencing burnout often feel that they are less motivated to get up each morning.

Burnout, according to HelpGuide.org, is defined as the state of mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion due to prolonged and excessive stress. It happens when someone feels emotionally drained, tired, and overwhelmed, causing failure to meet daily demands. While stress continues to accumulate, the person starts to lose motivation and interest in doing better at work and other daily activities.

“Burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling increasingly helpless, hopeless, cynical, and resentful. Eventually, you may feel like you have nothing more to give.”, HelpGuide.org stated.

Since burnout can bring various negative effects to different life areas, this should be prevented or managed effectively.

Causes of Work Burnout

While working from home, the following are the warning signs of burnout that you should be aware of:

- Lowered effectiveness at work

- The loss of excitement or enthusiasm at work, unlike before

- Feeling of exhaustion too often

- Poor performance at work

- Negative attitude at work, such as no longer putting effort at work

- Suffering from physical ailments including chest pain, dizziness, heart palpitations, headaches, and other illnesses

- Fatigue

- Irritability

- Increased errors

Although some people may think that working from home is far more comfortable than the traditional work set up, there are still instances that issues may occur, such as having distractions and burnout.

How To Deal With Office Burnout?

Once the signs of office burnout are recognized, the following tips may help handle it.

#1 Take a walk early in the morning.

Start your day right by having a great morning. Include in your morning routine some minutes of walking. It will keep you active and start the day productively. Walking is recommended to be one of the best exercises. It also feels great spending some time with Nature as it replenishes the soul and energizes the body.

Furthermore, walking aids in alleviating stress. It helps you reset your mind from the demanding work-from-home activities and keeps you more motivated to complete the work for the day.

#2 Take breaks and learn to relax

Include regular breaks in your work schedule. Relaxation is an effective way to avoid burnout. Also, you can make relaxation time as a way to be more productive. You can read a book, play sports, meditate, listen to music, talk to friends, and take a nap. Appreciate the time to relax and provide yourself a time to enjoy flexibility.

Besides, you can also do random coffee or tea breaks. What’s important is you get up from your chair, do some little stretching, and freshen up your mind to be more productive.

#3 Get Enough Sleep

Various studies found out that getting enough sleep is a great way to eliminate burnout. This is because lack of sleep can result in fatigue, poor concentration, and work burnout. It can also lower your work-from-home job performance. Lack of sleep can make you susceptible to more dangerous health concerns.

#3 Cultivate things that you’re passionate at

Doing what you love and comfortable with will make you happy. Happiness plays an important role when it comes to working efficiently. This is why it is recommended to continue working on your passion and hobbies. You may love gardening, baking, writing, and cooking. All these hobbies can help you feel relaxed and happy in life. These activities can help you untangle yourself from the stressful hours of work. It will be more convenient to do these activities since you’re already at home.

#4 Set personal boundaries

Set personal boundaries when you’re working at home. No matter how demanding your tasks are, you need to take care of yourself. You may be working full time during weekdays, and that can be really exhausting. Avoid working during weekends; you can rest and do some recreational activities instead. It can also be the time to spend quality time with your friends and family. Quality time spent with your loved ones during weekends can help you become more inspired and motivated to work next week.

#5 Create open communication in the workplace

Create open communication in the workplace, especially if you’re working from home. Your teammates are working remotely, so there can be issues in communication. Poor communication can clearly affect the quality of work. It can also cause burnout that may result in a lower productivity level. This is where the power of technology can help. Use communication tools and platforms to help you connect with the rest of the team. When communicating with them is seamless, you can do the tasks more efficiently.

#6 Be more organized

People who are burnt out at work often become weary and forgetful. Because of that, you may not complete the tasks on time. That’s why it’s crucial to get more organized and plan everything accordingly. You should have a to-do list, alleviate procrastination, learn to prioritize, and stay focused.

Start by having an organized working space in your home. It should be free from distractions that can hinder you from working quietly. Follow your to-do list and evaluate which ones have been completed at the end of the day. Make that evaluation a tool to find out which areas you need improvement in.

#7 Pay attention to your working space

The area where you work should be comfortable and free from clutter. To avoid health issues and burnout risks, choose to have an ergonomic workplace. Use standing desks and ergonomic chairs, for instance. You should also use an ergonomic mouse instead of a traditional mouse to avoid musculoskeletal disorders like Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. When you’re comfortable while working on your tasks, you can be free from having anxiety and experiencing burnout.

#8 Live a balanced lifestyle

It’s essential to create a balanced lifestyle to avoid problems such as stress and anxiety. Stress causes headaches, stomach upset, stiff neck, and burnout effects. Strive to live a balanced lifestyle. You can do some physical activities before starting your workday. Remember that your physical and mental health are connected to be able to work effectively. Take time to take care of yourself. Eat healthily, and stay active. Skip unhealthy snacks and avoid bad health habits such as smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages. Try also to unplug yourself from the stressful world of social media. Give yourself a ‘me-time’ to relax and unwind.

#9 Reward yourself

Reward yourself for an achievement unlocked, whether it’s big or small. This will help you feel good and more motivated. For instance, if you have completed your task list for the day, treat yourself to a good snack or movie. Buy your favourite item every time you hit your quota or surpass the sales goal. Or, you can purchase new equipment for your home when you achieve immense success.

#10 Ask for help

Despite the comfort and flexibility of working from home offers, there are still times when you can experience conflict and confusion. There is nothing wrong with asking for help or delegating tasks. Also, you can ask for social support from your team. That will definitely result in better communication and higher productivity levels.

Final Thoughts

Experiencing burnout at work should be given the right attention. This can lead to bigger issues, so make sure to follow the tips mentioned above. These work at home tips will aid in promoting outstanding work performance. Not only that, but you can also effectively get rid of work-related issues.