Working from Home 18 Months Later: Tips for Avoiding Burnout
Eighteen months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are reevaluating and restructuring their ideal work environment. Some teams have transitioned back into the office, others are operating under a hybrid model, and many remain fully remote.
As my own team at Piper & Gold Public Relations continues to work from home, I’ve grown to recognize both the benefits and the drawbacks of remote life. Some days, I love spending my morning in sweatpants and working flexible hours. Other days, limited socialization and kitchen table Zoom meetings completely drain my productivity and motivation.
If you’re working remotely and know the occasional feeling of a decreased interest in work and a struggle to feel productive, you may be experiencing work from home burnout. I’ve been there too, and it’s definitely not fun. However, there are steps you can take to combat that burnout you’re experiencing. When you feel yourself slipping into a work from home rut, consider trying out the following:
Change up your work location
We all need a change of scenery sometimes. After months of working in the same makeshift home office, it can be hard to feel productive in that space. If you’re starting to dread hours spent at your desk or kitchen table, it’s time to move around a bit.
Consider relocating to a new spot in your home, or even to a local coffee shop or library. A fresh environment with a new view and surroundings can spark productivity and motivate you to crush your daily responsibilities. Challenge yourself to work in a new space at least once a week, even if it’s just for a couple of hours, and take note of how it has the potential to lift your spirits.
Don’t forego your morning routine
While one perk of working from home is the ability to roll out of bed and get straight to work, doing so could be negatively impacting your productivity and motivation. When you’re still in your pajamas, it can be hard to fully feel like you’ve gotten your day started and get into a working mindset.
Instead of spending the day in your favorite bathrobe, try to develop a strict morning routine and stick to it. This can mean picking out a fun outfit, eating a balanced breakfast, or taking a few minutes for skincare/makeup. When you go through the motions of getting ready for the day, you’ll be surprised to see how much more awake you feel as you sign onto work.
Give yourself a break, literally
At the office, we hardly think about the short breaks we take chatting with coworkers or stopping into the kitchen for a snack. When working from home, however, we can forget to take those small but much-needed breaks and push ourselves to work until a task is done. This can result in forgetting to eat lunch, stay hydrated, or even take a bathroom break.
If you’re finding yourself in this situation, practice penciling in breaks throughout your work day. For example, consider taking an allotted five minutes to refill your water bottle, 10 to get up and stretch, or 20 to take a short walk. Quick mental health breaks will help refresh your mind and give you the power to refocus and get things done when you return to your desk.
While periods of work from home burnout are inevitable, they don’t have to be permanent. The next time you feel unproductive or unmotivated, consider a change in location or a daily walk around the block to clear your head and get your work from home life back on track.
About Rebekah
Rebekah Banasik is a senior majoring in Advertising and Public Relations and minoring in Writing. This is her second year involved in GVPRSSA and GrandPR, where she serves as the Vice President of Public Relations for GVPRSSA and as an Account Executive for GrandPR. She works as a Student Strategist at Piper & Gold Public Relations. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and being with friends or family.