Working from home is no longer a privilege but a necessity. Owing to the coronavirus pandemic and the need for self-isolation, millions of working professionals around the globe have made the transition to working from home. But this new normal has posed serious and unusual challenges for many, which are directly impacting their productivity and mental wellbeing.
On the surface, working from home has several benefits: flexible working hours, the comfort of your home, no commuting, more time in hand. But on a deeper level, working from home can become challenging as the line separating professional and personal life begins to disappear. People are putting in long hours to be “more productive”, which makes them susceptible to mental exhaustion and eventual burnout. What’s missing is a quintessential work-life balance to give your mind enough time to unwind. The balance will come on its own once you have figured out when to work and when to relax. In this feature, Soulveda explores key measures that will help you redraw the line separating your work and personal life, and avoid burnout while working from home.
Readjust your expectations
Our efficiency and productivity levels are quite different when we work from home as compared to working from the office. At the office, we are surrounded by distractions, which are beyond our control. Unplanned meetings with your team; phone calls to answer; a bunch of extra emails to respond to; a casual chat with a colleague passing by your desk—distractions are endless. But at the end of the day, you need to make it up for the lost time. At home, however, your environment is under your control and so are the distractions. You have more time and better focus to finish your tasks well in advance when working from home.
Keeping this in mind, readjust your expectations. You don’t have to do more than what you need to do. Plan your days well; spread your tasks evenly. Keep your weekdays and weekends separate, unless there is an urgent requirement. And if your work is getting done in lesser time, don’t take up extra assignments. Keep some time off for yourself as well. Do something you enjoy doing to loosen up and relax.
An hour of dedicated workout or yoga is the best way to keep your body and mind healthy.
The main challenge faced by people while working from home is the blurring of the line separating professional and personal life, which can lead to mental exhaustion and burnout.
Putting an end to procrastination, taking short breaks to stretch and unwind, engaging in physical exercise or yoga, enjoying the therapeutic touch of music, and planning the day in advance to balance work and personal activities.
Engaging in physical exercise or yoga can keep the body and mind healthy, helping to cope with stress and avoid burnout while working from home.
Planning the day in advance helps in understanding the priority of each task and creating a clear schedule that includes both work and recreational activities, reducing stress and the risk of burnout.
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