How to Deal With Burnout When Working From Home?

It was 2 AM and Neil jolted awake with a stiff neck. He had dozed off on his keyboard with his incomplete presentation still staring at him. It was the 3rd time in one week that he had slept at his coffee table/temporary work desk, which was barely a stretch from his bed in his studio apartment. As he made his way back to sleep, he dreaded waking up to another workday, still setting an alarm just in time for his early morning zoom call.

It was 10 AM and Neil had already missed his morning jog for the nth time in a row, sneaked in an excuse of a protein bar for breakfast, finished a pot of coffee, gone through 2 virtual meetings, never-ending email and slack updates, had a heated conversation with a teammate regarding a group task, and still hadn’t caught up with most of his delegated tasks for the week. Neil was constantly stressed and exhausted, had fallen into a cycle of sleeplessness that fed his irritability, had forgotten fresh air or cooked meals, and had developed a habit of procrastinating and delivering subpar results.  

Just a few months earlier, however, Neil was a different person – he was mindful of his health and daily habits, had started learning French for fun, always had a smile and tons of insights for his colleagues, did great work, and was always on time. Even when the Covid-19 pandemic enforced a remote work practice, Neil was able to cope with the sudden change, delivering more outcomes than the rest of his team, earning his manager’s recognition because of all the extra work he had piled on to his to-do list, and generally enjoying what he called “the hustle”. 

However, as the pandemic and the remote work model stretched on and became a long-term reality, Neil reached his threshold for resilience. 

Today, Neil represents the 62% of US employees working from home, experiencing varying degrees of burnout. 

What is Burnout?

Burnout, as defined by The World Health Organization, is a serious condition and a workplace syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. The WHO furthers elaborates burnout as being characterized by 

1. Chronic exhaustion and feelings of energy depletion, 
2. Alienation from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job, and 
3. A feeling of professional inefficacy.

Burnout takes many shades and forms, manifesting as restlessness, resignation, apathy to work and life, inappropriate responses to everyday situations, or can take more stark forms of anger, anxiety, or depression. Its multifaceted and changing nature makes it hard to identify and pre-empt burnout. 

However, a growing understanding of the problem has helped us evolve mechanisms to understand the root causes of burnout and how to prevent and address the challenge.

WFH Burnout – Managing the Modern Challenges of Remote Work

For knowledge workers, remote work was once the dream – a chance to focus, manage work-life balance, and escape the daily grind of commutes, cramped offices, and noisy colleagues. However, the pandemic's forced shift to remote work was anything but a perk.

The global workforce pivoted overnight, often unprepared. Many juggled childcare, loneliness, financial anxieties, and health concerns amidst a backdrop of rising inequality. This chaotic environment lacked routine, leading to:

1. Work-Life Blur: The sudden shift to working from home disrupted boundaries. Employees adapted workspaces in cramped homes, managed expectations, and faced constant distractions or isolation.

1. Invisibility Anxiety: Remote workers worry their efforts go unnoticed. This "invisibility anxiety" fuels overwork, late nights, and skipped breaks in a desperate attempt to be seen.
2. Always-On Culture: Millennials and Gen Z, already accustomed to a digital world, struggle to disconnect. Remote work's "always-on" culture, often intensified by global teams, forces people to work odd hours just to stay visible.
3. App Fatigue: Companies bombarded teams with productivity and communication tools, but without proper training or integration, this led to "app fatigue." Constant context switching and tech frustration drained employees.
4. Job Security Woes: Economic Uncertainty Fueled Job Insecurity. This constant anxiety pushed some into "panic working," ultimately hindering performance and contributing to burnout.

Professor Gianpiero Petriglieri, an organizational behavior expert, explains, "Workers became numb, eventually collapsing from the constant effort to maintain normality."

The unprepared shift to remote work created a breeding ground for burnout. By understanding these factors, we can develop strategies to build a healthier remote work environment for everyone.

How to Recognize Work-from-Home Burnout?

Recognizing burnout while working from home can be tricky, but there are some telltale signs to watch for. If you or your team members are feeling persistently exhausted and find it hard to muster energy, it might be a red flag. Another sign is a noticeable dip in productivity—tasks that were once manageable now seem overwhelming. Increased irritability and frequent conflicts with colleagues can also indicate burnout. Feeling disconnected or disengaged from work, as if you're just going through the motions, is another common symptom. Finally, watch out for recurring health issues like headaches or insomnia, which often accompany stress and burnout. Keeping an eye out for these signs can help you catch burnout early and take steps to address it before it worsens.

The shift to remote work has been a game-changer for many, offering flexibility and freedom. But with great power comes great responsibility, and in this case, the potential for burnout. It's like trading in your office cubicle for a home office haven, only to find yourself feeling more trapped than liberated.

Burnout isn't just about feeling tired. It's when the constant grind starts to take a toll on your physical and mental health. We're talking headaches, heart palpitations, mood swings, and that overwhelming feeling of being stuck in a hamster wheel. To tackle this beast, we first need to identify its sneaky symptoms.

So, what does burnout look like when you're working from home? You might find yourself struggling to get out of bed in the morning, feeling like a grumpy bear all day, or zoning out during important meetings. Maybe you're constantly checking your work email even on weekends, or you've replaced water cooler chats with endless Slack notifications. These are all red flags that something's off.

It's important to remember that burnout doesn't hit everyone the same way. Some people might experience a few mild symptoms, while others might feel completely overwhelmed. But the key is to recognize the signs early on before things spiral out of control. After all, prevention is always better than trying to put out a raging fire.

How to Prevent Work From Home Burnout? Your WFH Survival Guide

Now that we've covered the warning signs, let's talk about how to keep burnout at bay. It's like building a fortress around your mental health. The first step is to establish some ground rules.

Working from home can feel like one endless workday. To avoid turning into a workaholic, it's crucial to set boundaries. Think of it as creating a sacred space for both your work and personal life. Designate specific work hours, and when the clock strikes "off-duty," shut down your computer and focus on relaxation. It's like hitting the pause button on work mode.

Another important factor is your workspace. Ideally, you should have a dedicated area for work that's separate from your relaxation zone. This mental separation helps your brain switch gears and unwind when the workday is over. It's like having a backstage pass to your personal life.

Lastly, structure is your secret weapon against burnout. Creating a schedule might sound rigid, but it can actually boost your productivity and reduce stress. Planning your tasks in advance gives you a clear roadmap and helps you avoid feeling overwhelmed. It's like having a GPS for your workday.

Remember, preventing burnout is an ongoing journey. It's about finding what works best for you and making small adjustments along the way. By taking care of yourself, you're not just protecting your mental health, but also ensuring your long-term success.

How Managers and Leaders Help Prevent Work From Home Burnout?

As remote work becomes a staple in our post-pandemic world, managers and leaders have a crucial role in preventing team burnout. Here are some practical ways to support your team:

1. Rely on factual visibility 

Your team’s performance hinges on creating a culture of transparency. This environment allows team members to self-evaluate, seek peer support, and collaborate without the pressure of merely being present.

• Communicate Fairly: As a leader, ensure fair and transparent performance assessments. Stay mindful of biases and focus on data-driven decisions. Set clear goals, communicate strategies, and create an open space for discussions. When employees trust the process, they feel more confident their efforts will be recognized.

• Celebrate Wins: Recognize and celebrate both personal and professional achievements. Encourage a supportive atmosphere where colleagues uplift each other. This team spirit can drive exceptional work without the pressure of overworking.

2. Data-driven workload management

A data-driven approach to managing workloads helps employees maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life. Insights into how teams are handling workloads and collaborating can ensure tasks are manageable. Monitoring early signs of burnout or missed deadlines allows managers to intervene early and prevent burnout.

3. Facilitate asynchronous work

Asynchronous work allows employees to complete tasks when they are most productive, without being tied to a specific schedule or location. This flexibility helps them balance work with personal responsibilities. Encouraging async work not only boosts productivity but also supports better work-life balance, allowing time for personal well-being.

4. Improve 1:1 Meetings

As a leader, keep your (virtual) doors open. Be accessible, empathetic, and reliable, and when you connect with your team, connect authentically. Remember that remote interactions are intention-driven – they need consistent and inclusive communication. A well-structured 1:1 meeting can go a long way in building resilient teams.

• Be Accessible and Authentic: Keep your virtual doors open. Be approachable, empathetic, and reliable. Authentic connections during remote interactions, driven by consistent and inclusive communication, can build resilient teams.

• Provide Constructive Feedback: Offer structured, relevant, and empathetic feedback. Check-in on your team's mental well-being and show genuine concern. Be open to receiving feedback as well. This mutual exchange fosters mindfulness and strategic discussions aimed at improving team well-being.

5. Work-life balance, from the top down

Encourage your team to maintain a healthy work-life balance by promoting social connections, healthy habits, and periods of digital disconnection. Highlight the importance of taking vacations and breaks. Leaders who model these behaviors can set a positive example that trickles down through the organization.

6. Cultivate a Purpose-Led Team Culture

Engage in conversations about employee goals and priorities. Connect individual aspirations with team objectives to foster long-term commitment. This alignment helps employees feel more connected to their work, moving beyond short-term motivators to a deeper sense of purpose.

By taking these steps, leaders can create a supportive and balanced work environment that helps their teams thrive in the long run.

[Read: How to Prevent Software Engineers' Burnout?]

Closing Remarks

Burnout has a long-lasting effect on the ethos of a team. Leaders must step in to create an environment that focuses on performance outcomes while supporting and prioritizing workers’ engagement and well-being. An interesting development on this front has been the use of data to support practices of well-being in the remote workplace. It is encouraging to witness the modern workplace evolving with data-driven practices that embody fairness, connectedness, and transparency. This will go a long way in building resilient organizations that can reset, relearn, and reimagine a new normal for the future of work. 

💡 Hatica’s work analytics platform identifies imbalances in work allocation, patterns of cognitive overload and a lack of quiet days, and other burnout signals in your engineering teams and provides data-driven visibility for managers to take action.