PharmEasy Blog
Work From Home Burnout – What’s It All About?
You may have heard that working too hard can cause you to burnout. A worrying trend has been emerging lately. More and more people are reporting Work from Home (WFH) burnout.
Doesn’t sound possible, right? What could beat the comfort of working from the familiar and cosy setting of your home? Yet it is spreading fast.
Read on to know more about WFH burnout.
What is causing WFH burnout?
The world has never experienced this degree of remote work. Nobody was prepared and new measures had to be enforced to make sure that productivity did not decline.
Bosses and managers thought that household distractions like children, family members, chores and pets would eat into the time that people put into work.
So they began to implement techniques to ensure that employees continue to be as productive as before.
But studies have found that people work more hours at home than they do in the office. On top of that, when you add the constant pressure exerted by employers, it results in a psychological breakdown.
Let us sum up a few more reasons leading to WFH burnout and psychological stress-
- Not being able to interact with people directly and doing everything remotely online.
- Having to do lots of household work along with office work.
- Not being able to stick to a clearly-defined routine because work life and personal life are merging.
How will you know if you are experiencing WFH burnout
WFH burnout is as dangerous as regular burnout. It can leave you feeling drained, empty, depressed and make you lose interest in life and the people around you. Stress and WFH burnout have serious consequences for your psychological health.
So, here are a few signs that can help identify the beginning of WFH burnout-
- You don’t want to work, you are not answering your phone or replying to your emails.
- Constant feelings of stress and anxiety are giving you insomnia.
- You are easily distracted and have to force yourself to focus on work.
- You are procrastinating.
- Even if you have been delivering assignments on time, you feel no pride or sense of accomplishment.
- Every time there is a mistake, you blame others.
- You may be experiencing digestive problems.
- Your productivity is going down and you have to make up by working late into the night.
- There is a change in your attitude, your family may notice that you have become more aloof or irritable.
- You feel like smoking or drinking to cope with the pressure and feel good.
Make sure you take note of these signs, the longer you take to respond to WFH burnout, the more difficult it will be to restore normalcy.
How to prevent or manage WFH burnout
Don’t worry, there are ways you can handle or prevent this kind of burnout-
- Designate a special place for your work where no one is allowed to come in.
- Request your family member to let you work in peace during your office hours.
- Divide the household work among the members of the household, do your share before or after work hours.
- Cut down screen time beyond work. And for news and entertainment, you can opt for offline sources.
- Workout at least 5 times a week no matter how busy you are as exercise eases stress and releases oxytocin- the happiness hormone.
- Take small breaks during work and do things you like.
- Opt for a day off from work, switch off your mobile and just relax.
- You should keep your laptop out of sight after office hours. How can this help? This can avoid working till late night and also avoid checking emails.
- Communicate with your loved ones, talk to them about your worries because sharing and talking help.
- Learn to say ‘no’, whether it is your boss or your family making irrational demands, you have the right to decline politely.
- Try yoga and alternate nostril breathing to calm and centre yourself.
WFH burnout is a serious condition and you should be aware of it so that you can do the right things to keep yourself and your loved one psychologically healthy during these difficult times.
