How to Prevent Burnout When Working Remotely?

In the era of remote working, many people do not know how to prevent burnout. Regular breaks, physical activity, different forms of reward, and some other things can help them. In the end, everything depends on good time management.

The covid-19 pandemic is one of the reasons why more and more people are working from home. However, it seems that things won’t change in the post-covid period as well. Around 47% of the companies in the world plan to allow their employees to work full-time from their homes.

On the other hand, digital nomads and employees work remotely all the time. Their working hours do not depend on global happenings. However, it seems that all these people have a common problem. They are not sure how to prevent burnout while working from home.

Indeed, the work-from-home option brings freedom, flexibility, and motivation. However, that doesn’t mean it is easy. The good news is that people can solve their problems in a couple of steps. Those steps are

• Improvement of Physical Activity
• Regular Breaks Are Essential
• Taking a Day Off Is Not a Mistake
• Think of the Best Reward System
• Use Different Methods to Improve Your Mindfulness
• Stay Social!

Improvement of Physical Activity!

Hard work and persistence are essential for every remote worker. That is the only way to become successful. However, they should never forget about the importance of the physical activity. There are a couple of ways how remote workers can solve that problem.

Going By a Walk at Least Once a Day

People believe that improvement of physical activity is the same as exercising. However, for a clear mind, going for a walk to different destinations can make them more productive as well.

Yet, there is one crucial thing that people should remember. The place where they plan to walk should be peaceful. Silence is all they need, and that is the reason why parks and places near the river can be an excellent option. Nature will calm them down, and help them recharge their batteries. Fortunately, there are many riverside cities in the world that can be an excellent destination for people that work remotely.

Going to the Gym

Going to the gym will not only help people be in good shape. Wellness in remote working is also essential for a clear mind and release of negative energy. Yet, that type of activity usually takes a lot of time. Because of that, remote workers need to prepare themselves.

They should schedule workouts in the best possible way. For instance, if they work early in the morning, going to the gym in the noon would be much better. On the other hand, they can arrange meetings with colleagues via phone and exercise while they are doing that. In that way, they will complete two mini-goals at once.

Without the improvement of physical activity, people will not understand how to prevent burnout. It doesn’t matter which option they decide on, time management is essential. If they do not matter a lot about their physical appearance, going for a walk in nature can improve their mental health.

Regular Breaks Are Essential

Here comes another reason why time management is essential. Every remote worker that wants to know how to prevent burnout should ensure regular breaks. Improvement of physical activity may be beneficial, but people should not consider it as a break.

In other words, people need time for themselves. While they are working, they should make mini-breaks to clear their mind. For instance, each mini-break should last for 10 minutes. However, during their work hours, they should also make one longer break to drink coffee with friends, listen to music, or do anything else that relaxes them.

No one says that digital workers should work 8 hours in a row. They can work four hours, then take a 2-hour break, and continue working on the tasks they have after that.

Taking a Day Off Is Not a Mistake

We will continue in the same manner. Self-discipline is one of the characteristics that all remote workers have. Their work hours are usually flexible while they can always choose the best place for working on their own. They enjoy their work that always pays off in the end (financially). However, their concentration and mental strength are not unlimited. That is the reason why they need to learn how to prevent burnout.

“Remote workers lose the habit to take a day off here and there. They collaborate with many clients, and they want to use every opportunity to improve their financial stability. Despite that, no one will cover their financial losses when they do not work. That is the reason why they don’t feel comfortable taking a day off. Unfortunately, that also means they forgot the reason why they started to work in a specific and modern way. Freedom and flexibility are two main reasons why they became freelancers, digital nomads, etc. When they do not know how to prevent burnout, the level of their motivation goes down.” says Elison Lee, and editor-in-chief at subjecto.com.

Sundays can, for instance, be the day when remote workers can recharge their batteries. On the other hand, if they work 8 hours a day, the entire weekend can be the part of the week when they relax. Everyone should adapt his time to his needs.

Think of the Best Reward System

There is one common mistake all the remote workers that want to find out how to prevent burnout make. They understand the importance of vacations and breaks. However, they do not use them in the best possible way.

It is essential to define the reward system that will boost mental ability. There is no such thing as a perfect reward. People are different, and they have different tastes, interests, and habits. More precisely, different things make them happy.

Let’s use a couple of examples to make things clear. People that only want silence and peace should organize weekend camps, hiking tours, etc. There has to be a reason why 77 million households in the US contain someone who regularly counts. That is a fact that all remote workers should have in mind.  On the other hand, digital workers that want to spend time with people should go to parties, drink coffees with friends, travel around with other people, etc.

Despite that, it is important to mention that there are short-term and long-term rewards. Short-term rewards are actually mini-rewards that we can get every single day. For instance, going on a massage, going to a beach after work or during the breaks, etc.

On the other hand, long-term rewards are those that motivate us to work hard every day to reach the main goal. For instance, the remote worker wants to complete the entire project for three months. If that person manages to meet the deadline, he/she can go on a 2-week vacation.

Use Different Methods to Improve Your Mindfulness

Motivation comes in different forms and sizes. As previously mentioned, people need time for themselves. They need a moment of silence when they won’t think about their duties and problems. The best way to enjoy the moment is by using different methods to improve mindfulness.

Doing that is possible in several different ways. One way is to practice meditation. The good thing is that there are many YouTube channels that can help people do that properly.

On the other hand, people should read motivational books that will give them additional energy. If reading seems like a challenging task after many hours of work, people can find books in audio format. That can be an excellent option for people that also plan to go to the gym. They can do two relaxing things at once in that way.

Stay Social!

Remote workers must not forget that they are human beings. It is great if someone considers his work as the main priority. However, that doesn’t mean they should spend the entire day alone in their room working. They need to stay social and hang out with other people.

Still, as previously mentioned, motivation comes in different forms. Because of that, digital workers should not spend time with people that demotivate them. Even when people love their work, that doesn’t mean things will always be perfect. Every path to success is full of different difficulties that can negatively influence a person’s mental health.

Despite that, spending time with positive people should also be a perfect moment to forget about work. Because of that, talking about work while spending time with good friends does not have any sense. In that way, they won’t manage to prevent burnout because they will spend their free time inappropriately.

F.A.Q

How often do remote workers take breaks?

Different researches confirm that people remain fully concentrated for 2 hours and 53 minutes during an eight-hour day. That fact should give some answers to people. For instance, they can make 15-minute breaks after 1 hour of work. On the other hand, after three hours of work, they should take a longer break (between 1 and 2 hours).

Is Exercising at Home Also an Option for Remote Workers?

Yes and no. Exercising without equipment is also an available option. People can exercise at home as well if going to the gym takes a lot of their time. However, people should not forget the last piece of advice from the list. They need to find a way to stay social. Of course, no one says all the people from the gym will be interesting. However, meeting new people is the only way to reach those that have the same passion as you.

Final Thought

By going through these six steps, people will know how to prevent burnout when working remotely. As mentioned above, everything depends on good time management. Without proper breaks, an effective reward system, and physical activity, the productivity of every person goes down. It is about time to change some bad habits!

Author’s Bio

Marques Coleman is a blog writer and specializes in marketing and copywriting. Moreover, he is an avid traveler and always tries to learn something new.