KEY POINTS

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has led businesses to opt to remote working or work from home setting
  • However, employers are concerned not only about employees' productivity but also potential employee burnout
  • Check out the tips and tricks on how to avoid work from home burnout

Since scientists are still unable to come up with the vaccine to fight coronavirus, most countries all over the world decided to lock down their borders and subject their residents to home quarantine. Businesses that choose to operate opt to remote working or a work from home setup. Right now, aside from employee productivity, another concern among those working from home is burnout. Check out these tips and tricks on how you can prevent burnout when you are working from home(WFH).

Concentrate On The Most Important Work

In a report released by Harvard Business Review, it suggests that employees who opt to work from home should commit their energy only to top priority issues. The report claims that those working from home feel pressured to show productivity. However, this could lead to working more immediate tasks instead of focusing on more important ones.

Research suggests that this practice is counterproductive and could cause burnout in the long run. It only benefits productivity for a short time. To avoid WFH burnout, employees should prioritize more important tasks instead of juggling family and work related responsibilities.

The work-from-home phenomenon has left many offices, including co-working spaces like this one in San Francisco, largely abandoned
The work-from-home phenomenon has left many offices, including co-working spaces like this one in San Francisco, largely abandoned AFP / Josh Edelson

Maintain Usual Work Routine

In a paper by Blake Ashforth of Arizona University, suggests boundary-crossing activities for people to transition to work from home setting. The paper says that there are social and physical indicators suggesting that something has already changed. Moreover, it notes that these indicators must be maintained when working from home or working remotely to prevent burnout.

Maintain Temporary Boundaries

It is crucial for one’s work engagement and well-being to maintain temporal boundaries according to a study. Defining these temporal boundaries are relative to the employees’ ability to coordinate their time with that of others. It could mean leaders are assisting employees in coordinating, managing, and structuring the pace of work.

The leader could also regularly check on employees through virtual meetings or even offer them useful tools to make virtual workspaces or coffee spaces. Through this, those working from home could maintain a sense of normality and prevent getting overwhelmed by work that could lead to burnout.

Working from home or remote working is new to most employees. However, when not managed well, it could lead to employee burnout in the long run.

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