In the past year, working from home has been thrust to the fore of modern society. Whilst it was becoming something of a trend before, improving technology and the need for self-isolation have led to more and more people working where they live. However, if you’re not careful burnout can still set in. Here are just a few ways to ensure that this doesn’t happen and seep into your day to day life.
Keep a firm separation
One risk that you can run by working from home is your home life and work-life blending and merging into one. This could make you feel like your workday doesn’t end, so having a clear separation between the two means that you can shut the laptop and leave it until the next morning. This can be done by keeping your work on a single device, or having a room that you’re only in when you’re “at work”. By keeping the parts of your life separate, you can really benefit from your free time.
Go for a walk
When you’re working from home, there is often very little reason to go out and get some good exercise. You don’t need to commute, and it can be quite difficult to build up the motivation to get some fresh air. If you’re able to form a habit of going for a walk every day, you won’t only be improving your physical health through getting more exercise, but it offers your brain a bit of a refresh and can be great for rejuvenating your mind.
Take your breaks
One issue that tends to arise when working from home is the case of employees not taking their breaks. Sometimes an employee can work incredibly hard all morning, see their remaining tasks for the day and then think they don’t have time for lunch. UK employees are legally guaranteed a break when working for more than 6 hours, so rather than forcing yourself to work the whole day through with no breaks, keep your own mental health in mind and take half an hour to cool down and collect yourself after a tough morning.
If you’re having issues with burnout when working from home, get in touch with me. I am a qualified health psychologist who has years of experience helping with a range of issues, from lifestyle changes to health psychology, and it is my personal mission to ensure my clients are in a happy and healthy mental space.
