How to avoid burnout while working from home?

Remote working seems to be the new ‘normal’ with more and more professionals working out of their make-shift home offices. Somewhere between meeting deadlines, coordinating on work calls, and managing housework, the lines between work-life balance aren’t exactly aligned.

While it is difficult to predict at this time how long the remote working situation will persist, the shift into this certain work culture is surely taking some time for professionals to get acquainted with. Stress at such a time is very common as is burnout.

So here are a couple of tips to avoid burnout while working from home to help you stay positive as you sail your way through this.

• Start the day on a positive note

Look forward to the day ahead when you wake up in the morning. If it helps do some yoga or read for a while and make some breakfast. If you’re an early riser, it is best if you can squeeze in time for a jog or a quick run. A change of surroundings helps to declutter the mind and help mentally plan the day.

• Get into a routine

Try and follow the same ritual that you used to earlier while going to the office. Wake up at the usual timings, take a shower, make some food, get into the groove by listening to some music. Retain the short tea break timings from office, stick to the regular lunch hours as well.

Plan your meetings and tasks around this routine to get into a rhythm so that when the day has ended you still do not find yourself slouching over your desk.

• Take that occasional day off

Working from ‘home’ doesn’t mean you don’t need that occasional day off. If you’ve been under a lot of stress lately, a day off helps you reset and unwind. Switch on the DND more, spend some time with your family, brush the dust off that long-pending book, and sit with a cup of coffee to read. Or cook a new dish, paint, watch something you’ve been meaning to — whatever makes your clock tick!

• Eat right and on time

Don’t put off a meal cause you’re working. Work your calendar around mealtimes and not during it. If there’s something you must tend to on priority, make sure you go eat right afterward. It is a well-known fact that a hungry stomach isn’t exactly the warehouse for productivity. Also, meals at regular intervals keep you going through the day and help avoid fatigue.

• Set up a clutter-free working space

Find a corner of your home to work in, peacefully. It’s very difficult to make the most of your workday while sitting on an unmade bed or a cluttered dining table. Only when the chaos around you is organized, your mind is at peace. If you can, get a succulent for your work desk; helps add a dash of green to the ordinary.

• Be kind to yourself

There will be days when you’ll feel extremely stressed and overworked. Remember the world isn’t going to come crashing down if you’re not at the peak of your productivity level on a given day. Be kind to yourself.

 Hope this helps. Just remember, this too shall pass.