5 Tips To Avoid Work From Home (WFH) Burnout

With Pandemic creating havoc all around the world, more than half of the world’s working class people are working from home (WFH). The acronym WFH is being used quite widely now, by businesses and business journals.

The initial jubilation of employees on being asked to work from home on a long term basis, short lived. Even though, you don’t have to wake up early to commute to work, WFH has its own challenges. More and more people are reporting heightened stress and anxiety and complete burnout at the end of their day’s work.

In the attempt to show their productivity to the senior management, staff are working long hours. Juggling work with household chores and kids at home, has been quite challenging for most parents.

So, what could be done? How can you maintain a good mental health, while being productive at work? How to maintain the boundaries between work and family?

These are a 5 tips to enjoy your WFH while being super productive.

1- Dedicated workspace

Its always better to have a dedicated desk for your work, ideally at a quiet place (away from distractions) with ample of sun light. Better to keep the desk tidy without any clutter. Ideally you should have an ergonomic chair, which helps to keep your spine straight avoiding back and neck pain.

2- Time Blocking: stick to your original working hours

Even if you have more time now, as you avoid the commute time to work, its very important to stick to your original working hours (9–5). Having more time should not mean working more hours, unless you are required to. It is a well known fact that working long hours is detrimental to your productivity. As per one study done by Harvard Business Review, one individual is most productive for only 3 hours out of his 8–10 working hours. So, its better to log-in and log-off at the required time. If you are a leader of a team, you should encourage the same within the team members, so that everyone is more happy and productive.

Another quick tip here is- Time blocking will definitely help. Blocking your calendar for lunch or break, reduces your urge to go and check that email even when you are having a coffee or putting cloths into the washing machine.

3- Your extra time — Rejuvenate your mind

Now that you have extra time in your hand, you could read a book, meditate, play with your dog, go for a jog or help your kids with their homework which you always struggled to find the time for before. You could even play your favourite video game, as research shows playing video games activates your brain, which may help you to be more productive.

4- Breaks (What about social breaks?)

Taking regular breaks is another best way to be more relaxed and productive. A 5 minute coffee break or a walk in the garden instantly increases the productivity. How about a virtual coffee break with your colleagues ? More and more organizations are adopting the culture of virtual coffee breaks to give their staff a chance to interact with others virtually. Speaking to someone does reduce the stress level and boost productivity.

5- Planning your next day

Before you log-off, it definitely helps to plan your next day and to write down your action plans or tasks. This helps you in keeping you mind calm, as you would know the following day, one day in advance and prepare accordingly and you won’t run to your morning meeting in panic.

In conclusion, I would say working from is a bliss when you know how to manage your time between personal and official works. Happy WFH 🙂