How can you avoid burnout when working from home?

Working from home can offer many benefits, such as flexibility, autonomy, and comfort. However, it can also pose some challenges, such as isolation, distraction, and blurred boundaries. If you are not careful, you may end up feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and disengaged from your work and your life. This is called burnout, and it can affect your productivity, creativity, and well-being. Fortunately, there are some strategies you can use to prevent or cope with burnout when working from home. Here are some tips to help you maintain a healthy work-life balance and enjoy your remote work experience.

1 Set a routine

One of the keys to avoiding burnout is to establish a regular and consistent routine that works for you and your work. This means having a clear start and end time for your workday, taking breaks throughout the day, and sticking to a schedule that aligns with your goals and priorities. A routine can help you create a sense of structure, order, and control in your work environment, as well as separate your work from your personal life. It can also help you avoid procrastination, distraction, and overwork, which can lead to stress and burnout.

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James Gunaca

I help Product Managers build and grow rewarding careers as a Product Management Coach | Ex-Amazon | Founder @ Product Sphere | Speaker, Author, and Organiser for MindtheProduct | Startup Advisor
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I start my day going through my task inbox, setting tags of 5/30/60 minutes for each task then sorting them by morning, afternoon, and evening. I also have repeating tasks that are scheduled throughout the week. This routine helps me plan my day but remains flexible enough for the unexpected.

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Artem Mikirtichev

Insights & Analytics Lead | Reporting & Market Intelligence Expert | Strategic Analysis | Power BI | SQL | Excel | Storytelling with Data
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Setting a routine is crucial to avoid burnout while working from home. Start by establishing fixed working hours and adhering to them consistently. Designate a dedicated workspace that is separate from your personal living area. Define clear boundaries between work and personal life, ensuring you take regular breaks and stick to a structured schedule. This practice fosters a sense of normalcy, promoting better work-life balance and preventing burnout.

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Nataliia Horova

Global PR | Employer Branding | Copywriting | CIPR certified
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Accepting unproductive days is crucial; after all, we're humans with emotions. Personal routine transform me. Mornings are my productive peak, but early rising was initially tough. Now, waking at 6:40 AM helps me enjoy inspiring sunrises. A morning walk with my dog on the empty streets is refreshing. Then I have my breakfast while enjoying a TV show, podcast, or interview. I like this saying: "A great breakfast sets the tone for a good day." :) Starting work, I write down my tasks, even carrying over some from the previous day. I then organize and prioritize, starting with smaller tasks first for a sense of achievement before moving to larger ones."

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2 Create a workspace

Another way to prevent burnout is to create a dedicated and comfortable workspace in your home. This can be a separate room, a corner, or a desk that you use only for work purposes. A workspace can help you minimize interruptions, noise, and clutter that can affect your focus and performance. It can also help you signal to yourself and others when you are working and when you are not, which can reduce the temptation to check your email or phone during your off hours. A workspace can also help you personalize your work environment with items that inspire, motivate, or relax you, such as plants, pictures, or music.

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Nataliia Horova

Global PR | Employer Branding | Copywriting | CIPR certified
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Understand your needs. Some people say avoid working from your bed. I, for example, enjoy have meetings on the bed, it makes me feel more comfortable. For task-oriented work, I prefer my sofa or, on warm days, a balcony chair. Listen to yourself and create an environment that suits you. It may be a music in the earphones or on the speaker. An episode of relaxing TV show helps me to distract from thoughts and do monkey job tasks.

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3 Communicate effectively

Working from home can make you feel isolated, disconnected, or misunderstood by your colleagues, managers, or clients. This can affect your collaboration, feedback, and support, which are essential for your work quality and satisfaction. To avoid this, you need to communicate effectively and frequently with your work-related contacts. This means using the appropriate channels, tools, and methods for different types of communication, such as email, phone, chat, or video. It also means being clear, concise, and respectful in your messages, as well as expressing your expectations, needs, and preferences. Additionally, it means engaging in social and informal communication with your peers, such as sharing updates, opinions, or jokes, to build rapport and trust.

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4 Manage your workload

One of the main causes of burnout is having too much work or too little time to complete it. This can make you feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or incompetent, and can affect your work quality and satisfaction. To prevent this, you need to manage your workload effectively and realistically. This means setting SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) for yourself and your work, and breaking them down into smaller and manageable tasks. It also means prioritizing your tasks according to their urgency and importance, and delegating or outsourcing the ones that are not essential or within your expertise. Furthermore, it means saying no to requests or assignments that are beyond your capacity or scope, and negotiating deadlines or expectations with your stakeholders.

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Nataliia Horova

Global PR | Employer Branding | Copywriting | CIPR certified
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As I mentioned above, writing down my to-do list for the day and prioritize tasks helps me to stay productive. When I stuck on one task too long it demotivates me. In this case, I start with easy and small tasks. When I complete them, I have a boost of motivation like after the gym. Then I can go to the bigger tasks.

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Michel Regoor

Occupational physiotherapist, healthy work specialist!
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Try to add downtime between tasks and meetings. Having a quiet environment at home enables you to concentrate, but the lack of distractions can also couse you to continue working without breaks.

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5 Take care of yourself

Finally, the most important way to avoid burnout is to take care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. This means getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising regularly, and staying hydrated. These habits can help you boost your energy, mood, and immunity, as well as reduce your stress and fatigue. Taking care of yourself also means engaging in activities that make you happy, relaxed, or fulfilled, such as hobbies, leisure, or socializing. These activities can help you recharge your batteries, cope with challenges, and enhance your creativity and well-being. Taking care of yourself also means seeking help when you need it, whether from your family, friends, co-workers, or professionals, and being kind and compassionate to yourself and others.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you avoid burnout when working from home?

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1 Set a routine

2 Create a workspace

3 Communicate effectively

4 Manage your workload

5 Take care of yourself

6 Here’s what else to consider

Business Reporting

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