The pandemic has changed the course of everyone’s lives in months. Children are forced to continue their studies at home, and adults are greeted with longer workdays as they attend more meetings and accomplish more tasks, even during the weekends. Though working from home has its benefits, data shows that the pandemic workday has increased about 8.2% longer than the average length before COVID-19. As workdays seem to be longer, employees send more emails and get more work done than normal.
However, more employees are experiencing burnout and stress because of the circumstances. The boundary between work life and home life is blurred, and individuals are finding it hard to manage their time, take care of themselves, and effectively function at work.
More employees are experiencing burnout
Although working from home is made easier through the advantages of using technology, most employees experience zoom fatigue and burnout. Deciding when to turn off the screen is becoming a real problem among adults working online. As a result, an individual’s workday can significantly increase. Along with working online comes unexpected pc and connectivity issues that can push back the completion of the day’s work.
Other than the inevitable interruptions caused by technology, working from home also exposes employees to further distractions due to personal and family reasons. Trying to balance the time allotted for work and home can be a struggle for many individuals.
About 69% of employees are going through burnout symptoms as they work from home. The pandemic has caused high stress and anxiety levels because of personal and financial matters like failing to get a good mortgage company or struggling to pay student loan debts. Nevertheless, employees forget to rest and recharge since a work from home set-up can generate feelings of unproductivity as the comfort of their homes surrounds workers.
Additionally, getting angry and irritable can be some of the effects that people experience. Not only does this affect the person, but it can also affect family members or loved ones within the household or co-workers and bosses in the workplace.
Furthermore, burnout can also cause physical complications such as heart disease, high blood pressure, weak immune system, obesity, Alzheimer’s, and in worse case scenarios, death. Most individuals experiencing burnout will have lower energy levels making it difficult to get through a workday. You can also experience chronic fatigue, insomnia, and minor issues like headaches.
Possible solutions to try
As more extended pandemic workdays can increase the chances of burnout and zoom fatigue, it is vital to keep your well-being in check and enhance efforts in taking care of yourself. Here are some preventive measures that you can apply at home.
Primarily, finding a balance between work and home can be a great way to establish a healthy routine every day. Administer work hours and pick out an area at home that can be treated as an office. Physically separating areas for work and personal matters coach the mind to establish the boundaries between the two. Practice discipline and avoid inserting personal errands whenever you’re in the middle of work hours.
A study shows that what a person wears can affect how they think and act during the day. Choosing to wear formal clothing even if you’re staying at home can effectively get you into a mindset of productivity and focus. This lets a person get the feel of being in a work environment instead of a comfortable home.
The pressures of the pandemic and working from home can lead employees to think that they need to work harder to survive the current circumstances. Pushing oneself to the limit can be a great way to boost work performance. However, this leads to higher possibilities of burnout and anxiety. That is why it is important to remember that saying ‘no’ will not always bring negative consequences. Figure how long the body and mind can endure work and learn to say no when the workload gets excessive.
Another effective strategy is to talk to co-workers or superiors. Address concerns and interact with people who are in the same boat. Working at home without the interactions of co-workers, supervisors, or managers can allow a person to be unaware of the shifts in an employee’s behavior. Burnout is a significant concern that your co-workers should know. In this way, you can reduce the chances of dragging down the entire team because of your condition. Social support can be an effective solution for lessening the levels of burnout and employee experiences.
The bottom line
Giving an adequate amount of attention to one’s well-being is just as important as working hard and earning money. The pandemic’s unpredictability can cost weeks and months of burnout. That is why it is essential to incorporate the preventive measures mentioned above to survive the surge of longer pandemic workdays.
