Remote working that started as an effective solution to avert the pandemic’s rising cases, has now transformed into an entire workforce transition. Working on a presentation in comfortable clothes within the confines of home, no commute, and increased family time, the joy of remote working is limitless. However, working from home can also have some grave effects on one’s mental wellbeing. While some employees did attune well to the drastically altered business environment, others did find it challenging to prepare for this enormous transformation to their work-life balance. Functioning remotely has been even more stressful for leaders and managers, who had to acclimatise quickly to upholding a remote-working team. It is hard to adjust to novel ways of working, think tactically, and encourage people when you are feeling overwhelmed yourself. Trying to cope with these challenges can increase the risk of burnout, loneliness, and anxiety build-up.
Burnout has been hitting an all-time high with more than two-thirds of employees experiencing remote working burnout symptoms. This incursion has been affecting the overall well-being of the workforce. Burnout cannot be limited to simply being fatigued from your job, instead, prolonged exhaustion is known to cause a host of physical and mental conditions like high blood pressure, obesity, a low immune system, anxiety, depression, and in some cases cognitive decline. Alongside distant work, which socially detaches people, feeling isolated and depressed are additional components that also need to be considered.
Below mentioned are a few strategies to nip remote-work burnout and the related isolation and anxiety in the bud before it gets too bad:
Never miss out on taking short breaks during working hours: To stay motivated and productive on task, make sure you freshen up your day with timely breaks. Get up from your chair, indulge in healthy snacking, sip onto teas or coffees, stretch when you start to feel cramped, or simply take a walk inside your home. A five-minute break every half an hour will give your mind some rest.
Setting realistic deadlines and sticking to them: Remember, the flexibility of working from home does not imply that you can start slacking off. It is necessary to set deadlines and work in a deliberate way to meet them. If you are unable to do this, it’s clear that you would end up working beyond regular working hours, increasing your possibility of potential burnout. At the same time, it is important to communicate if you feel you are burdened with work and under pressure.
Communicate with colleagues regularly: Working in a closed home-office set-up, with no co-workers can make people feel lonely, particularly the outgoing ones who thrive on social interactions. However, work from home does not imply you must stop interacting with your colleagues, managers, and bosses. Stay in touch with your teammates through messaging, scheduling video calls, or simply by making a phone call. Discussing work, indulging in casual conversation, or cracking jokes will ease your stress and will help to avoid burnout.
Enjoy family time: For any remote worker it is important to disconnect from work at the end of the day and dedicate time to your loved ones. Live, laugh, love, to witness the wonders it can create for your morale and emotional and holistic well-being.
Dedicate time to mindfulness: It is crucial to dedicate time to mindful practices like meditation, yoga, or even napping. For instance, sitting in a quiet spot with your eyes shut for two minutes can be an exceptional way to relax your mind, evade stress, lower anxiety levels and temporarily turn off from work.
Striking the appropriate balance between work and personal life holds the key to how well you manage to tackle the challenges of burnout while working remotely.
The writer is Mental & Emotional Wellbeing Coach & Founder – Let Us Talk.