Burnout When Working From Home

• Though employees are happy to see the demise of daily commutes and parking hassles, they are finding out that there is no work-life balance at home.
• Most workers live in apartments that aren’t suitable for 8 to 10 hours of work every day, as it was never designed to be a full-fledged office.
• Many employees would want to get back to offices as soon as possible due to social and mental issues, like the feeling of loneliness at home.

Monitoring software that checks time spent on different applications, chat response time, and keystroke recording is now in great demand.

HR departments worldwide are fueling the use of technology to have a way to control the employees that are now no longer in the office.

No matter what your personal preference is, everyone needs recovery time from work. An analysis of multiple studies found recovery time improved sleep, well-being, and job performance.

Recovery time includes detachment from the job, relaxation, a sense of mastery, or a sense of control over time spent.

People with high frustration tolerances are the ones that generally succeed at remote work. And you can take steps to raise your frustration tolerance and become more conscientious by working on your impulsivity.

A non-conscientious person will find another activity (a distraction most likely) the moment something challenging or uncomfortable comes up. They have to be more conscious to stay in the moment: count to five or take five deep breaths, for example.

When work and personal activities are occurring in the same space, there are no cues for you to behave the way you do at work while you are outside your physical office.

Those who work well from home create boundaries in a work-life world without them. Then, once these parameters are established, people who commit fewer ‘boundary violations’ are better off.

If you start making mistakes and you feel dizzy after working a certain number of hours, don't overdo it.
This is a sensitive topic if you have a boss, but observe the number of hours you are functioning the best. If you have 7 hours of productive work in you per day, use them. But if your battery runs out after 5 hours, call it a day.

Experiment with them and find which one better suits you.
Create your own system for working from home. What works for other people might not work for you.

While there are many benefits to working from home, we need to be aware of a few things.

• Remote workers may be working on average 3.13 more hours at home than at work. Over time, it can become detrimental to your mental health and your productivity.
• You're eating and exercise habits may become worse while you're working from home. Fifty percent of respondents to the Bluejeans survey say they have not been able to exercise regularly.
• Distractions can cut your productivity. The most commonly reported distractions that remote workers face are taking care of kids (27.6 percent), scrolling through social media (26.5 percent), checking on the news (26.1 percent), and getting distracted by streaming services (9.7 percent).

The rapid shift to remote working has proven many jobs are capable of being done at home. There are some changes that we need to make if this is going to continue.

• Separate your home and work responsibilities. Between checking the news and taking care of your children, you may feel pressure to work more.
• Take regular breaks from work, even just for 10 minutes. It is easy to feel that you're always "being on" - which is how burnout happens. Periodically "signing off" allows you to recharge.
• A solution may be fewer days per week at home. A 4-day workweek can improve worker's productivity by up to 40 percent.

Many companies follow an ANSI-HFS standard in the design of their computer workstations, which incorporates ergonomic furniture and accessories.

Most homes don't have the space to accommodate ergonomic office furniture, nor do most people invest in it. If you're working from home using your computer on a regular table or you sit in a lounge chair or on your bed, chances are you aren't in a healthy posture. It could potentially lead to musculoskeletal injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, or even deep vein thrombosis.

View your computer screen with a straight neck. Put your screen in front of you at a comfortable viewing height. Don't look down at your screen or angle your screen, so you must twist your neck.

You may have to put the screen on a pile of books or on a cardboard box to raise it to a comfortable viewing position.

If your only friends are your friends at work, it'll be more challenging to avoid work on evenings and weekends. If you do have coworkers as close friends, consider setting some boundaries around work talk.

Try to avoid getting drawn into office drama, as it will increase the time you spend talking and thinking about work.

Speak up when your workload is too much. Tell your boss if you are stretched too thin or when you regularly work too many hours. Talk about what you can reasonably get done in a week.

Also, don't say yes to everything. If you have a hard time saying no, don't respond immediately. Instead say, "Let me get back to you", or, "Let me think about that."

• Be Optimistic. Confronted by a bad situation, optimists perceive it as a challenge and try harder.
• Find Meaning In What You Do. When you find true meaning in your work — when it’s not a job, it’s a calling — you don’t burn out.

• Double Down On Relationships. Those who increase their social activity when things get hard handles stress the best.

An informal daily huddle where everyone is face-to-face in a virtual meeting, holding a fresh cup of coffee is a great way to start the day with purpose and energy. It requires everyone to wake up early, get dressed and make a cup of coffee.

A morning routine is great for productivity too.

Infusing music and dance in your breaks can add a sense of pleasure in the otherwise dull and drab routine, enhancing the immediate virtual surrounding of the extroverts.

• Angry outbursts, irritability, or frustration, even with unimportant matters.
• Loss of interest or happiness in activities such as sex or hobbies.
• Sleep disturbances, including insomnia and sleeping too much.
• Tiredness and lack of energy for even the smallest activities.
• Increased cravings for food.
• Anxiety, agitation, and restlessness.
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, making decisions, and remembering things
• Unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches
• Avoiding people.

...while working from home:

• Create a schedule and stick to it. Scheduling your tasks (and breaks) will help you to mentally prepare for the day.
• Have a dedicated comfortable workspace, with a door that closes, preferably.
• Fight the urge to stay sedentary and schedule active time to get your heart pumping.
• Foster social connections (on the phone or via the internet, if physical contact is not possible).
• Learn to say no. Know your limitations, set boundaries based on your schedule and workload, and don’t extend yourself beyond them.