Work from Home Burnout: What It Is and What Can We Do to Avoid It
Years ago, the term remote working may sound appealing to everyone. For some, especially those who have to take care of his/her family, working from home is like a win-win solution, where they can work and be present at home simultaneously.
Due to the virus outbreak, millions of people need to take their work home. While the sudden change has shown a big impact, it will also greatly impact the company: employee burnout.
A new research conducted by Glints and LinkedIn shows that the biggest emerging trend threatening employee’s well-being is burnout. The employee survey comments around burnout doubled from March to April, showing that this is a risk to productivity.
According to WHO, Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by “feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.” It can lead to job dissatisfaction, extreme stress, and decreased productivity.
While working from home has its perks (who doesn’t love waking up late for work without having to face traffic?), this arrangement might blur your healthy boundaries between work and no work as there is no fixed working hours. Working from home makes us feel like we didn’t do enough work, so we compromise that feeling by working all the time. Especially in times full of uncertainty, people tend to prove their devotion and loyalty to the company by being available anytime.
Everyone has their own battles to fight during the Coronavirus outbreak. For employees who have to take care of their family, they have to juggle between work and their many responsibilities. Others may be stuck in their apartment alone coping with loneliness that comes from not meeting a loved one for a long time.
What Can We Do to Avoid Burnout?
Do more with less
My CEO always says that we should focus on the things that matter the most. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by everything all at once, try to prioritize things that are most important. Our brain is designed to do one thing at a time, so focusing on several things at the same time will only put additional strain on the brain.
As for me, I create weekly goals. Instead of writing a to-do list and feeling anxious for not checking on them at night, I’d rather put an end goal in mind and do some planning on best practices to achieve those goals
If you feel exhausted and that feeling lingers for a long time, I really recommend prioritizing your work and focusing on achieving your goals. If you have any difficulties in doing so, talk to your manager. Remember, communication is the key to success!
Be Easy on Yourself
We never know when the pandemic will be over. So please, be easy on yourself. It’s okay to lower your expectations and slow down for a bit. Try having a me-time by reading a book, listening to your favorite songs, or even play your favorite games without checking your email or Slack. You have 24 hours a day, it never hurts to spare 1–2 hours for yourself.
As a working from home mom I rarely got some time alone throughout the day, so I took the time to play video games at night. It really helps to relieve the stress and all the exhaustion that I experienced that day.
Stay connected
Another thing that you can do is to stay connected with your families and friends. I remember feeling overwhelmed with work, my old friend called me and we talked for over an hour. It was out of the blue, the last time I talked to her was a year ago. Yet, it was heartwarming making it easy to cope up with the stress. Especially for employees who live alone in their kosts or apartments, communicating with your loved ones is also a big help to reduce burnout.
Don’t forget to have regular discussions with your managers and coworkers. Do not hesitate to ask for help if you need one. As a team, it is important to have each other’s back. If you are a leader, it would be great to have a routine check up with your team so you know their physical and mental health.
We believe that travel is one of the largest and most resilient industries in the world. Travel industries are being tested during this pandemic crisis. Leadership and problem solving skills are more apparent now than ever. Join us to make traveling more accessible for all Indonesians. Find your journey on Pegipegi’s Career Page and let’s #GrowTogether.
References :
Sarkis, Stephanie. (2020, March 26). How To Stay Sane During Quarantine. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephaniesarkis/2020/03/26/how-to-stay-sane-during-quarantine/#7815b2765efd
World Health Organization. (2019, May 28). Burn-out an “occupational phenomenon”: International Classification of Diseases. https://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/burn-out/en/
Giurge, Laura M, Vanessa K. Bohns. (2020, April 3). 3 Tips to Avoid WFH Burnout. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/04/3-tips-to-avoid-wfh-burnout
Joseph, Shelcyv. (2020, March 18). How to Avoid Burnout in the Age of Remote Work. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelcyvjoseph/2020/05/18/how-to-avoid-burnout-in-the-age-of-remote-work/#47463a0b4ee2
Black, Justin. (2020, May 8). How Employees Are Feeling : Burnout Rises to Top Stressor List. Linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-employees-feeling-burnout-rises-top-stressor-list-justin-black
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018, Nov 21. Job Burnout : How to Spot it and Take Action. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642
