Ineffective separation of work and life stems from both employer and employee actions. In the long term, doing so causes lowered productivity, increased errors, and eventual burnout. Some employees might have access to quiet spaces and stable internet connection, while others may not. Given the restrictions brought about by the pandemic, overhauling work spaces will take significant time and resources not available to many.
As long as you communicate your availability to your team, there is no shame in changing up your routine. Remote workers often receive less positive reinforcement than in-office employees, and virtual employees may feel less productive and effective than they really are. Tracking wins and good habits remote working fatigue can prove that even when you finish the day with items left on your to-do list, you might accomplish more than you think. This approach helps you more accurately gauge your progress and performance. Plus, having a visible measure of your productivity encourages you to keep up the good work.
However, that is not to say that all 8 hours of the work day must be spent in the same spot, staring at the screen the whole time. Workers who need time away from a laptop or desktop can seek out offline activities. For example, organizing a swag-stash, meeting a prospective client for coffee, helping with a company philanthropy event, or attending an industry event or in-person training.
It’s not just the feeling that work is never really finished that contributes to work-from-home fatigue. A survey by Blue Jeans found that remote workers are actually logging an additional 3.13 hours of work per day. According to a report by Fast Company, remote workers are putting in, on average, an extra 3.13 hours per day. As a matter of fact, workers who are slightly more productive are logging an extra 4.64 hours each day. COVID-19 has caused fundamental shifts in the ways we work, by making us to start working from home due to mobility restrictions.
Consider using an exercise ball as a variation to your desk chair so you can engage your core while sitting and look away from your screen for at least five minutes every half hour. With digital data overload, your brain can’t prioritise what to focus on, which seriously hinders your ability to work. There are plenty of best practices to help combat the WFH blues and get you back in working order. A collection of resources, all around a certain remote work topic, sent every other week. We’ve put together some info to help you understand the reasons why working from home fatigue is happening, as well as some ideas to help you combat it. Since you can’t walk down the hall to connect, schedule a call or text chat to catch up with your work buddies.
We’re deprived of the fulfillment of basic human needs of meaning and purpose that we get from work. Our sense of self and identity, our narratives of ourselves and the sense of meaning-making we have in our lives, are tied to our work. It’s extremely important to check in and keep checking in on your team. Whether it’s a quick hello in the morning or an offer of support, it should be ongoing.
While vaccine rollouts from both Pfizer and Moderna are underway, we are still months from returning safely to pre-COVID socializing. In the meantime, continue to follow the advice of the CDC, wear a mask, and socially distance. Your focus inevitably shifts https://remotemode.net/ when you fidget to figure out what is your best side. This reduces the number of attendees visible to just the speaker. While this data may be difficult to digest, there are strategies to nip remote-work burnout in the bud before it gets too bad.
