Avoiding Burnout While Working from Home

I love working from home. I save money on fuel, I work more efficiently, and I get to wear stretchy pants any time I want to. For me, working from home has actually helped me work at my best and avoid burnout. For some people, though, it’s not so easy. You may need some extra steps to help you avoid burnout while working from home. 

In a recent post, I talked about burnout in general and how to avoid it. Now, let’s take a look at some tips for remote workers. 

Have a Designated Workspace 

As much as I prefer working from home, working from the office does have one advantage: There’s a very clear line between work and home. Once you leave the office, you’re out of the workplace. 

Working from home doesn’t have this advantage. My workplace is the same place where I relax, eat dinner, etc. So it’s easy for my “work stuff” to bleed into my “home stuff.” If an email shows up while I’m in the kitchen, I might think “Eh, might as well answer it.” These blurred lines can make you feel like you’re always at work, which can make it hard to relax. 

The solution? Try to set up a designated workspace. For a lot of people, this means a desk. Personally, I don’t focus very well at a desk, so I use a lap desk and a rocking chair. It doesn’t have to be conventional as long as your brain can associate it with work. 

Now, if you have ADHD, having just one work area may not work for you. You might focus better if you can move around a bit. If that’s the case, instead of setting up a designated workspace, set up designated non-work spaces. For example, you might have a rule against working from your bedroom or kitchen. This way, you get the variety you need, but you also set clear boundaries between home and work. 

Prioritize Social Interaction 

Social interaction is also important when it comes to avoiding burnout. It turns out that you have to talk to other humans, no matter how introverted you may be. In fact, if you’re an introvert, you may have to be even more intentional about socializing than your extroverted peers. As an introvert myself, if I worked from an office, I’d have to prioritize my alone time. But the thing is, with my current setup, getting alone time is easy. It’s finding time to interact with others that gets difficult. I imagine that if I were an extrovert, getting out of the house would feel a lot more natural. Since I’m not, it’s easy to fall into a default pattern of not going anywhere. 

If we start to feel overworked and underappreciated, isolation can often make things worse, so make sure you maintain meaningful connections with others. 

Get Intentional about Rest and Leisure 

Have you ever spent the whole day “resting” only to feel more bored and fatigued than when you started? That’s because “rest” isn’t always restful if it’s too similar to your workday. 

This one was a big challenge for me. When I think of “rest,” I think of sitting down. I don’t think of going for a walk or shooting hoops, and I definitely don’t think of cleaning my bathroom. And yet, I always feel more rested if I spend my weekend up and moving. That’s because my job already involves sitting down at my laptop. If I sit down at my laptop to watch a movie, then I’m not giving my brain and body much of a contrast. 

I still watch movies over the weekend, but I also make sure that I move my body as much as possible. Rest, on its own, isn’t enough. It’s better to be intentional about it. Honor your own limits and abilities, of course, but see if you can do something that looks the opposite of what you’d normally do. If your work day involves sitting at a desk, try doing something physical. If your work is mostly physical, prioritize sitting down. 

Clock Out 

Clocking out on time is crucial for avoiding burnout. This is true for everybody, but it’s especially critical for those of use who work from home. When you don’t have to drive home, it’s easy to give yourself “just five more minutes.” But whether you’re driving or not, those are your five minutes, and “five minutes” has a way of turning into ten or fifteen minutes. 

Final Thoughts 

Working from home may help protect you from burnout, but it’s also important to have boundaries. When you work remotely, you don’t just have to set boundaries with your boss and coworkers; You also have to set boundaries with yourself, and this can be even harder to do. Make sure that you stay intentional about it to maintain the peace of mind you deserve.