Can Working at Home Cause Burnout Faster? And Why it Happens
Going to meetings in more comfortable clothes, not having to endure traffic and the long queue at the subway, and having the luxury of eating home-cooked meals. These are some of the perks of working at home. Thus, it should be better and you feel happier, right?
Well, it does have its trade-offs.
While a WFH situation is practical and comfortable, it does have disadvantages. Before it used to be temporary when the world was closed off due to the pandemic. But now, a lot of companies have decided to maintain this strategy. But here comes the surprising fact, it can cause burnout faster if you’re not going to be careful. Let’s see how this can happen in the comfort of your own space.
Extended hours of work
Veering away from the corporate routine of waking up earlier, commuting, or driving to work, can save you a lot of time. But if you do not plan your day carefully, you might spend extra hours of work instead.
This can seemingly happen if you have been working at home for an extended period. You now see your home as an extension of work. Most used to leave any work worries behind soonest they parked their car in the garage. But with the proximity of your working station to your bedroom, there is always that temptation to do a bit more since you don’t have to commute and all. What seems like an hour of overtime can now lead to three to five more hours. Before you know it. It’s already time to hit the sack and you’re sitting there answering emails that can be dealt with the next day.
That might seem okay and productive at first, but this turns into a routine, this will rob you of time intended for rest, recovery, and doing things that matter the most. You will be working 24/7 with little rest in between.
Your brain will be wired to answer every email even if you have clocked out already.
Poor work-from-home setup
The lack of proper boundaries and a setup conducive to work can make everything a blur.
White this might not be the case for all, a lot of folks who find it difficult to maintain boundaries and a healthy work-life balance. Their workspace is not inspiring enough. It may be if you live in a smaller space or are sharing living space with someone. The lack of proper equipment and storage also can be a problem.
A proper WFH setup can make you feel inspired at work, This can help you get things done and sways you off procrastination.
Since you see your home now as the extension of work, it’s easy to just procrastinate. Setting up boundaries and creating an inspiring desk can prevent this. It can put you in a work mode the moment you sit on your station.
Lack of communication and isolation leads to faster burnout
While you may still have your Zoom meetings and online conferences, this will never be able to replace the face-to-face interaction you have with your colleagues and employers. On occasion, online meetings may not make you miss a thing, but when done in a regular pattern, this may make you feel isolated and alone.
Though you are connected online with your colleagues, it still feels like there is a lack of communication. Nevertheless, face-to-face banter with your colleagues may help you cope with stress and burnout.
Remember when everybody heads for lunch and just talks about your day, be it over a salad or a cup of coffee? This simple and short interaction can help you get a new perspective and blow off a bit of steam. This can prevent burnout.
As a human, you have the need to have a professional connection with the people you work with. An online setting, despite everyone being logged in, can be isolating. It can be difficult to maintain open communication, which can lead to failed and delayed projects, altogether leading to faster burnout.
Work becomes monotonous
When everything seems to be getting more comfortable, you’re on your way to quicker burnout. While this still happens in the corporate setting, many are falling to burnout faster if your work desk is in their living space.
The lack of face-to-face interaction and random banter with colleagues, the feeling of being isolated, and having to work alone can make everything seem monotonous.
What to do
Wfh burnout is inevitable. If it didn’t happen to you yet, it can eventually. Thus the need to ensure a work-life balance and plan things ahead. It might be more challenging since the physical boundaries are almost non-existent, there is just a wall separating your bedroom from your work desk.
Despite these hurdles and challenges, you can still enjoy productive work at home without messing up your personal life and succumbing to burnout now and then.
