Remote Work Burnout and Solutions
While remote working increasingly made ground, the pandemic really triggered it. Most companies have announced that they will follow fully remote working or hybrid working models. Companies that have not yet decided will have to keep up with this trend at some point.
The freedom of not being office-bound or place-bound can please people. Yet, it also pushes them away from sociability and draws them into loneliness. We all lived through this during the stay-at-home orders. Remote working looked like a significant advantage at first, but many people felt trapped.
Statistics reveal that the burnout rate of people working from home during the pandemic is much more apparent than those working at the office or hybrid.
Source: Gallup
What causes burnout?
Long working hours: The time spent on the road, break, and short coworker conversations have slowly disappeared with the remote working model in our lives. The primary reasons are spending this time to work more, the lack of clarity between weekdays & weekends, night & day.
Pressure to be online and Zoom fatigue: Always being ready to have a meeting or complete tasks without knowing the effective remote working tools and without time limit. Working in eye contact with other people and also seeing ourselves in the camera over and over.
Monotonous Workplace: Not only living but also working in the same environment day and night. Unsuitable and creativity killer working environment for effective work.
Lack of Socialization: Becoming isolated because you don’t have coworkers like in the office. Meetings or calls are done just for work. Being straight to the point and judging without knowing the lives of others.
Not taking a day off: Feeling no need to take leave because of remote working. This is another reason for burnout.
You may not notice that you are dealing with burnout; you may be amid or at the beginning of it. You must first ask yourself whether you have felt like this before finding a solution.
In a nutshell, you must seek a solution if you feel (I) physical symptoms such as unable to complete the tasks on time, losing your time perception — mixed days & nights, emotional instability, bursts of anger, sleep deprivation, headache, exhaustion, and even (II) depression symptoms.
What can I do?
Workplace: Everything is already more than ready for you in the office. So, you don’t need to worry about it. Try to create the most effective workplace environment in your home. Separating your living space from your working space will improve your concentration.
Plan your work: Make a suitable work plan for yourself and set time intervals that you can focus on. Simultaneously dealing with more than one task and unable to complete them will make you feel like a failure.
Take a break: 5–10 minute breaks will get your head together, and you will re-concentrate.
Spare time for your social life: Don’t miss out on social life because of your work. Your social life will help you think straight.
Keep in touch: Keep in touch with coworkers who are also working remotely in your area. Talk about what’s new and don’t only talk about work but also chat.
Discover yourself: No one but you knows better the suitable working model for you. Listen to yourself. Find out new working ways that will increase your motivation. Spare time for hobbies and sports.
We have been through hard times. We had to quickly adapt to remote working. Some will choose the office, while some of us will adapt to this working model and move on. I believe our lives will be easier with social life going back to normal and the remote working tools.
We hope you stay creative and colorful…
Selçuk Sevindik, Head of UX at Softtech Ventures
