This 2020, a lot of employees have transitioned from office work to working from home. However, there are also a lot of people who are feeling overwhelmed by mixing work and their personal life.
Office burnout is common in the actual workplace. It was even recognized by the World Health Organization as an occupational phenomenon.
An employee who’s experiencing a burnout may exhibit a reduced efficiency and energy, lower motivation, fatigue, increased errors, irritability, migraine, and frustration. However, with no presence of an HR professional dealing with the early signs of burnout of their employees, a higher risk of burnout for most people during these uncertain times is expected.
Tips to Avoid Work From Home Burnout
- Dress up to change the work mood
It is true that when you look good, you feel good. A study in 2012 found that clothes can affect your mood and even your productivity level. Scientific American also suggests that there are actually biological effects of wearing a nice outfit and it has positive effect on a work performance.
Another advice to prevent burnout is to wear comfortable clothes. Comfy clothes can boost productivity, especially now that people are mostly at home. Try experimenting with your daily wear or go online shopping for the latest release of your clothing line, and don’t forget to splurge yourself from time to time. You worked hard, so you earned it.
- Get a dedicated workspace in your house
Work from home can be stressful too. However, having a proper and ergonomic workplace can be a wonderful change in your daily routine. Try setting up an ergonomic home office – complete with a monitor stand, a CPU holder, a dual monitor mount (if needed for work), a height adjustable desk, and a well-ventilated space. Having an organized workspace will still make you feel that you’re an office worker, and also makes you productive and confident that you can finish all your tasks for the day. Create a to-do list and place it near you to make sure you’re on track with your tasks.
Plus! Ergonomic workstation and healthy working lifestyle cannot only help you prevent having a burnout but can also help you alleviate back pain and lower your risk of gaining weight. This set up will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle while working from home.
- Take breaks
A very cliché tip but a very essential one to prevent you from being burnout from working from home. Try squeezing in some power naps at break if you feel tired or sleepy. Have a break by watching your favorite series or talk show while answering your emails. Listen to new songs and podcast that could help motivate you every day.
According to a UK money saving brand Voucher Cloud, an average UK office worker is only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes out of the working day, with social media being number one on the major list of distractions, followed by reading news sites. It was observed in the study, that during an 8-hour working day, the average employee admitted to spending 25 minutes preparing and consuming snacks and beverages, with tea rounds and coffee making rounds.
Always remember that there is no harm taking a break from time to time. You can also try rewarding yourself from small success you make at work – whether it’s an increased sales, another month spent in the company, a compliment from a boss, or just simply payday. Try this simple tips on coping up with burnout from work from home and get yourself productive!
Let’s learn to be more understanding and creative as we approach the new normal. Nothing is really at first, but eventually, we’ll learn that perhaps it’s for the better.
