Beat Work from Home Burnout: Tips and Strategies for Balance

While most of the workforce is at least back in an office part of the week, around 12% of workers are still fully remote. For those still clocking in from your home office or alternate workplace, it’s normal to feel like you occasionally hit a wall of work-from-home exhaustion and lack of efficacy and productivity.

In that case, you may be experiencing the beginning of a work-related syndrome called “burnout.” The initial novelty of working from home may have worn off long ago, especially in confined work settings or for those juggling family care (let’s face it, work-from-home mom burnout is a thing).

In some cases, simply the lack of variety and diversity in your daily experience may lead to anxiety and a feeling of reliving the same day repeatedly. If you feel burnout may be causing you severe mental or physical distress right now, it may be best to contact a trusted advisor or professional counselor. Otherwise, here are seven ways to fend off those potential feelings of working-from-home burnout:

Prevent Remote Work Burnout with these 7 Tips

1. Recognize the Burnout Symptoms and Prioritize Self-Care

Acknowledge that although you may feel working from home is causing burnout, combining all the above factors may be more likely. Even those well accustomed to working from home may feel more stress and anxiety working from home than they would otherwise. Being mindful and self-aware can help you “check-in,” focus on your mental well-being, calibrate how you are doing, and prioritize countermeasures against burnout.

2. Begin Each Day with a Sense of Purpose

Review and appreciate your accomplishments. If you feel somewhat lost, take a step back, confer with your manager and teammates, and re-focus on the expected work that matters. Make sure you know how to use the available collaboration tools to your best advantage and use them to stay engaged with your team.

3. Avoid Joining the “Cult of the Busy”

Some people want everyone to know they are working 12 to 14-hour days. This kind of propaganda can load anxiety on others, especially if you feel like you need to do more and more but you are not sure exactly why. You will likely feel more relaxed if you clarify what is expected regarding work objectives and measurable outcomes and engage in that.

4. Proactively Deal with Practical Problems

Increased (unmanageable) workload, altered job responsibilities, poor communications, vague or uncertain expectations and direction, and missing or deficient collaboration technologies and tools can all create remote work burnout. Don’t ignore them – instead, constructively and creatively reach out to engage in a dialog with your management and team members to address what you can to improve the situation.

5. Take Frequent Breaks – and Get Moving

Indoors or outdoors, identify helpful, healthy, and enjoyable distractions like talking walks or going to a coffee shop. If your job allows for it, leverage flexible work terms to vary the time of day and setting while working from home. Not only is that good for your mental health, but it’s also essential for your long-term physical well-being.

6. Take that Paid Time Off

Although it might not be the ideal time for an outbound holiday, it may be the right thing to do to stave off burnout when you think, “I don’t know how much longer I can do this.” Using some vacation time to disconnect for a while can let you also get at some of those projects or things to do around the house and homestead that have lingered in the background.

7. Embrace a Mindset of Gratitude and Optimism

Perhaps reflecting on the simple things your grandfather used to say, like “this too shall pass,” “there are better days ahead,” and “perseverance pays off.” Maybe volunteering or helping someone in need can provide a sense of renewal and gratification when you feel that job burnout is closing in on you. Some people also find buoyancy in faith, spirituality, and meditation.

While most workers are in hybrid work models or part of the return-to-office movement, working from home is a continuing feature for many of us. That means working-from-home burnout still exists. Exhaustion and detachment are shared experiences, so it's crucial to recognize these signs and prioritize self-care to combat burnout effectively. Remember to seek support from trusted advisors or counselors if burnout worsens.