How to avoid burnout when working from home this festive season
By Fay Capstick
More and more of us are working from home, which is a great thing for many, but it also comes with new challenges too. This week we will be looking at how to avoid burnout when working from home, which is especially important during this busy festive time of year.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a name given to a collection of symptoms that all signify that your body is telling you that something isn’t right. These can include feeling exhausted, anxious, reduced performance, being unmotivated, feelings of dread towards work, or generally unwell or unhappy. During the festive season this can be exacerbated by the extra demands that are put upon us; shopping, wrapping, decorating, visiting family, seeing friends.
Why is it a problem?
During the pandemic, which was a peak time for working from home, research found that 69% of home workers were suffering from burnout. This means it is far more than a hypothetical problem and one that impacts the majority of home workers at some stage.
What can be done to prevent burnout?
Annual leave: The first thing is to make sure that you take your full entitlement to annual leave. The cost of living crisis means that you might not be able to afford to go away, but try to take day trips so that you experience something different to your daily routine. Take the time to truly switch off from work during the holidays.
Sleep: Sleep really is the key to a balanced life. Your body and mind will not function adequately without enough sleep to recharge it. If you are having trouble sleeping try mediation through apps such as headspace. If it is turning into a chronic problem, consider seeing your doctor.
Balance: Working from home doesn’t mean that you can’t switch off. Make sure that your day is broken up by breaks as it would be in a physical office. Schedule them in if you need to. Make time for exercise too, especially if your job involves spending a full day sat at a desk. Use some of the time saved from not commuting to go outside and enjoy some fresh air, maybe even leave your phone inside. Make sure you try and enjoy the season by enjoying any snow and focusing on the festive activities when they are happening, rather than worrying about work.
Hours: It might be tempting to get ahead or carry on with a task past the end of your scheduled working time, but if done repeatedly could lead to extra stress and burnout. Work on prioritising what needs to be done and what can wait.
Hide your desk: If you need to hide your workspace so that you can’t see it after your work hours are done. Shut the door if you have the luxury of a separate study. If you are on a laptop or at a small desk in the corner of a room, consider how you could shield it from view when not in use.
What to do if you think you have burnout
If you think that you are experiencing feelings of burnout it is important to acknowledge them and take appropriate action to rebalance your life. The first step is to talk to your employer and make them aware of what is going on. If you can, take a small break from work if you have any annual leave left. Then set about getting your work/life balance in order following the tips above. Schedule work, exercise, family time and self care time, and try and stick to it. This will all hopefully result in a reduction of your symptoms and an enjoyable festive period.
Final thoughts
At Parker Shaw we have been at the forefront of the sector we serve, IT & Digital Recruitment and Consulting, for over 30 years. We can advise you on all your hiring needs. If you are looking for your next job in the IT sector please check our Jobs Board for our current live vacancies at https://parkershaw.co.uk/jobs-board.