Let's Help Your Teammates Beat Remote Work Burnout

Remote work has been a trend ever since Covid broke and gave rise to unfortunate times. Even though remote jobs have been common for decades, work from home is given more consideration now.

This is partly because of the rise in productivity and partially because organizations have better time saving operational costs when the team is settled remotely. Remote work has many benefits for both the employees and employers, but remote work burnout is one common observation when work-life balance is lost.

Work from home burnout might still be a new concept to some but organizations must understand to consider employee burnout signs whether the team is located virtually or physically. Work from burnout has many reasons and leading causes, but remote work burnout symptoms can ideally help you identify the cause and rectify it timely.

If you are also experiencing employee burnout signs, then this article will be your savior to fight remote work fatigue and uplift your team's spirits all over again.

Signs of Remote Team Burnout

• Sudden decrease in productivity
• A lack of excitement and energy
• Feeling pessimistic or cynical about your job
• Productivity levels are lower than usual
• The inability to focus

How to Overcome Work from Home Fatigue

Remote work stress is a result of many factors, as mentioned above. First of all, organizations are not aware of the stress their employees have in their personal lives. While an office environment provides a separate place to focus on work, remote working has many distractions and challenges.

From managing kids to maintaining a private work corner at home, remote work burnout is bound to happen to remote employees in one way or another. This is especially common for people who undergo social work stress, and the effects can be long-lasting and impact mental health seriously. However, thankfully there are some ways to help address remote work burnout effectively.

Flexible Work Environment

76% of employees are likely to stay in their jobs if the employers offer flexibility. Workplace flexibility, especially controls over work hours, has been a major area of interest for many employees. Flexibility allows the employee to achieve better health and improved control over their work routine. This, in turn, makes them feel valued hence more productive too.

When employees feel taken care of, they are more likely to avoid any work-related burnout.

Separating Work from Life

If you are working from home, then your home is your office. Your bedroom is your cubicle, and your bed is your chair (though it should not be). This mix-up of home and office brings out a lot of stress as you find yourself constantly linked to the work routine.

Employees must set up a separate corner in the home where they can work properly. When done with the work hours, leave the workstation and get back to life. This is important because it creates boundaries; hence you won't feel overwhelmed.

Structure the Tasks

Your employees' workload can appear much more burdensome than it is if they lack structure. Giving the working week structure, on the other hand, makes duties more manageable and so reduces the risk of stress.

There are numerous methods to organize your work, and what works best for you may not be the ideal option for someone else. Moreover, you can also use the structuring tools to help set the tasks and prioritize the details. This can provide a virtual notice board, so none of you is overwhelmed regarding work progress.

Encourage Team Bonding

Remote employees often feel isolated because they are working from home, and in such cases, it is tough to feel like a part of the team. This could result in employee burnout as isolation could be your biggest enemy. Employers must encourage remote team-building activities if they want to address the issues on a clear level. Conduct weekly meetings so team members can connect and exchange ideas.

If your organization is working in a hybrid arrangement, involve all the employees whenever there is a celebratory event or any important office discussion.

Proper Communication

Make a list of your expectations when it comes to remote communication. What strategies would you employ to ensure that no one feels lonely or isolated? How will you avoid over-communicating with your employees?

To guarantee that your staff manage their time well and avoid being overworked, you must set a good example for them in terms of internal communication. When possible, this entails leveraging asynchronous communication. This will also make sure they are open about the hurdles and barriers faced while managing work from home.

Virtual Chit-Chat Session

Here is another way to remove all the remote work burnout. Employees love sitting together and chatting about the workday at the end of the day or even during the lunch break. This time slot is an important way to de-stress and also discuss the ongoing issues. Virtual breaks at work, conference call brunches, and even a Friday afternoon online happy hour can all help remote employees feel like they're part of a larger group with a common goal.

Scheduled Breaks

Make sure you take breaks to avoid work-from-home burnout before it happens. It's one of the most effective methods for creating a schedule for yourself. Anyone who works from home is probably guilty of being pulled into a project, a meeting that lasted twice as long as it should have, or rushing through tasks to meet deadlines.

Make sure you take breaks during the day to keep yourself focused, motivated, and productive.

Understand Employee’s Struggle

As firms struggle with the economic ramifications of COVID-19, it's easy to forget employees' emotional and mental demands. Business decisions, on the other hand, should not be undertaken at the price of employee happiness. When this happens, executives lose sight of the fact that their staff is their most valuable asset. What affects employees damages the business, and if employees are emotionally and mentally stressed, the company will suffer.

Set up your Workstation

This is extremely important for anyone working in a remote work arrangement and help to remove remote work burnout. Setting up a workstation can help you achieve goals better and also prevent physical fatigue. Make sure you have a separate corner with all the work-from-home accessories. It is important to have an ergonomic desk and an office chair so your body is prevented from physical fatigue; hence you don't experience burnout.