Written by Karen Huang, MSW Candidate, Kovir LLC Intern
If you’ve been working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, have you been enjoying the extra time at home or have you been feeling exhausted?
Working from home could have its advantages, such as skipping the commute, wearing comfortable clothes, enjoying flexible schedules, avoiding crowds, and spending time with family. Yet, surveys from Monster, a recruitment company, found that workers are also experiencing disadvantages, such as burnout symptoms, taking less time off than they would typically take, and deteriorating mental health.
Why might that be the case?
When spending time at work, people may experience loneliness, difficulties in balancing home responsibilities and work, a lack of caregiving relief, interruptions from family members, financial anxiety, and pressure to continue being a competent employee. They may also have numerous video meetings to attend, prompting a need to constantly pay attention to their screens. With these changes, people may experience burnout, which is considered to be a syndrome that is due to chronic workplace stress. Specifically, it is considered to be an occupational phenomenon by the WHO, and could be diagnosed and treated. Symptoms are related to a lack of energy, a distant or negative attitude towards a person’s job, and reduced productivity.
What adjustments can be made if you are experiencing burnout?
- When it comes to errands or caregiving, consider grocery deliveries, dog walkers, tutors, house cleaners, personal trainers, daycare options, babysitters, and adult day care centers. Allowing other people to play a role in those responsibilities could free up more time for yourself and your work.
- While traveling may not always be an option, take those vacation days off anyway, just to indulge yourself in your interests, hobbies, or any other activities you would like to do. These days could be a refresher, which could lift your mood and reenergize your body.
- Instead of video meetings, opt for phone calls when possible, as a way to lower the strain on your eyes and the need to be intensely focused on everything that’s happening on the screen. Create and stick to the boundaries between work and your personal life, whether that involves changing your workspace location or detaching yourself from your workspace when you are taking a break.
- Remind your family about not disrupting you during work hours, as they are separate from your personal time.
- When your work hours are up, disconnect and consider going outside, doing exercises, or participating in activities that do not involve screen time.
Are there any tips you would like to share in regards to addressing burnout? Comment below!
References
Millard, E. (2021, January 27). How to cope with work-from-home burnout. Everyday Health. https://www.everydayhealth.com/self-care/how-to-cope-with-work-from-home-burnout/
San José, C. A. D. (2020, July 29). Remote work burnout is on the rise: Here’s how you can beat it. Allwork. https://allwork.space/2020/07/remote-work-burnout-is-on-the-rise-heres–how-you-can-beat-it/
Wilkie, D. (2019, July 11). Workplace burnout is now an ‘occupational phenonmenon.’ SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/employee-relations/pages/workplace–burnout-a-medical-condition.aspx
Verasai, A. (2021, May 10). Tackling burnout while working from home. The HR Digest.