Five essential tips for avoiding ‘burnout’ working from home
Establishing a routine means working with your wellness in mind. It is easy to let work run into your free time, and while it can seem productive, overworking yourself can damage your mental health, especially if your job easily stresses you.
Setting a routine where you incorporate your own time, like breaks and finishing and starting at the same time every day, means you have time to stimulate your brain outside of work to reduce the stress that leads to anxiety or low moods.
Create a routine that suits you.
As many as 28% of people working from home temporarily report that it harms their mental health, but this problem is not a new problem.
Freelancers make up 15% of the UK workforce, yet they still struggle with mental health issues caused or increased by working from home or alone, not to mention the added pressures of sourcing work and completing it, causing a ‘block’ or ‘burnout.’
Tips for avoiding ‘burnout’ working from home:
- Create your working routine – make time for yourself.
- Be social – talk to friends and family and keep in touch with colleagues.
- Set realistic goals – don’t overwork yourself.
- Give yourself a break from worry by doing activities like walking or reading to keep your brain stimulated.
- Find support and advice – if you are struggling, seek help to improve your situation.
Why is it important to address these problems?
Experiencing low moods, anxiety, stress, depression, and others caused by work can affect your relationships outside work.
The exhaustion and poor mental health can take a toll on families and relationships due to this lack of energy, low self-esteem and lack of routine affecting physical health.
Many professionals, especially freelancers who experience some of the symptoms above, turn to substances.
Drug rehab might be your only option if substance usage is becoming a problem for you. See how you are affected by drug and alcohol usage concerning work and how you can improve your situation with online or in-person therapy.
Some choose stimulants such as cocaine to try and enhance performance, and some may use alcohol or benzodiazepines to help them relax and reduce anxiety or stress.
While this may solve the short-term problem, these mechanisms almost always become addictions or issues.
It is crucial that if you think you are struggling with poor mental health conditions due to work and are using substances to try and help with this situation, you get the help you need to get back on track.
Stats:
- 49% of remote workers note that their biggest struggle is wellness-related; 22% can’t unplug after work, 19% feel lonely, and 8% can’t stay motivated. (Source).
- 28% say it’s damaging to their mental health (Source).
- Sickness absence due to alcohol is estimated to cost the UK economy over £7.3 billion a year.
- 41% of remote employees report higher stress levels than just 25 per cent of their counterparts who work in the office.
- Freelancers (over 15% of the UK workforce) are pressured to find and produce work.
Working from home has been the norm for many of us for the past few years. While it can seem like a nice break from the office or regular working routines, many people have reported that it has hindered their ability to work and negatively affected their mental health.
The connection between working from home and poor mental health is likely due to a lack of routine and motivation.
Working from home means working on your own rather than in a team. This way, it can be easy to miss breaks and increase stress.