Prevent Burnout While Working From Home
By Karen Heslop
During the global pandemic, many employers are committed to making sure their staff can work from home. While there are some definite benefits to working from home, there is also an increased risk of burnout as the line between work and home gets blurred. Here are a few tips that will help you to get your work done without sacrificing your health.
Create Boundaries Between Work and Home
When you were in the office, the physical and mental boundaries between work and home were clear. Once you left the work environment, there was a perceptible shift. Working from home can make it difficult to maintain those kinds of boundaries so you have to create them. It's recommended that persons keep their work routine by setting an alarm, changing into work clothes, and establishing a work area. Once you're finished with work, changing your clothes and stepping away from the work area should have the same effect as leaving the office.
Set a Schedule
In an ideal world, persons who are working from home would be able to keep the same hours as they did when in the office. A lot of things are far from ideal right now. Still, you can prevent burnout by setting general office hours for yourself and those you work with. Just because you can be at your computer all the time, it doesn't mean you should. It's recommended that you take breaks and a lunch hour. Your schedule can be reinforced by using automated 'out of office' replies for emails.
Prioritize Important Projects
To say you might not get all your work done while at home may be an understatement for persons who are sharing the house with other family members. If you still try to cram everything into one day, that's a definite recipe for burnout. It's best to create a to-do list that states tasks in order of priority. That way, you'll avoid the added stress of seeing essential activities fall through the cracks.
Incorporate Some Flexibility
Routines are good but don't be too rigid. Working from home calls for flexibility, especially if you have kids. They'll need your attention for naptime or help with online school. Don't make your schedule so tight that a few minutes with them will throw everything off track.
Life is stressful enough so don't add to it by falling victim to burnout. Get ahead of things by using these helpful tips to work from home successfully. Your health will thank you.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Shreveport, La.