Signs of Burnout Working Remotely and What to Do

Dealing with burnout as a remote worker requires specific strategies to help you cope with the challenges of working from home:

1. Set boundaries

One of the causes of burnout for remote workers is the lack of separation between work and personal life. To avoid this, set clear boundaries between your work and personal hours and between your workspace and living spaces.

For example, you can create a dedicated distraction-free workspace that’s comfortable and ergonomic. You may also want to establish a regular work schedule that suits your preferences and needs.

2. Prioritize your health

Another cause of burnout for remote workers is the neglect of their physical and mental health. To prevent this, you need to practice self-care and prioritize your well-being. For example, you can:

• Ensure you get enough sleep.
• Exercise regularly to boost your immune system and release stress hormones.
• Meditate, do yoga, or practice mindfulness to calm your mind and emotions.
• Engage in hobbies or activities that bring you joy when you’re not working.

3. Take breaks

A third cause of burnout for remote workers is the tendency to work longer and harder than they would in an office. To avoid this, take breaks throughout the day to refresh your focus and creativity. You can use techniques like the Pomodoro technique to work in short bursts of 25 minutes followed by 5-minute breaks or the 20-20-20 rule to rest your eyes every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

You can use an app called Microbreak to remind yourself to take short breaks every hour or so. There are dozens of apps like it, so you can try several until you find the one that works for you.

4. Set up your routine

Having a routine helps push through days of low motivation. It also helps add enough structure to your day to fit in things like breaks and time for self-care, without disrupting your workflow.

Here’s a simple routine you can try:

1. Wake up, make your bed, and meditate for 30 minutes.
2. Think of a problem you’d like to solve (it can be yours or someone else’s), and brainstorm 10 possible solutions to help boost your creativity.
3. Go out for a quick jog or do some body lifting, then eat a healthy breakfast.
4. Start work by setting realistic and specific goals for the day, prioritizing the most important or urgent tasks.
5. Plan regular breaks throughout the day to rest your eyes, stretch, and refresh your mind.
6. Reach out to a colleague, a friend, or a family member during one of these breaks to stay connected. If you’re feeling particularly down or unmotivated, try reaching out to more people.
7. End the day with some self-care activities to unwind and recharge.

This is a routine that works very well for many people, but you can tweak it based on your particular lifestyle.

5. Eat healthy food

Making healthy choices could be a challenge when working from home, but it’s worth the effort. So consider drinking water instead of coffee or sugary beverages, and replace processed foods, candy, and bread with fruit, nuts, and fresh vegetables as snacks. These simple changes can have a profound effect on your general health while at the same time offsetting some of the negative sides of burnout.