How to Battle WFH Burnout

While working from home (WFH) is more convenient for many, blurring the lines between work and personal lives has become an issue for a lot of remote workers. 

It takes some time to adjust to WFH and figure out how to create that perfect balance of productivity without overworking yourself. 

1. Take your breaks

It can be tempting to power through a task, even if you’re due for a break. In fact, sometimes it’s necessary to meet hard deadlines. But it’s important not to make a habit of delaying your breaks.

Giving yourself time to breathe between tasks is necessary for staving off long-term burnout. 

If you’ve got a particularly busy day, taking a moment to stand up and stretch, enjoying a work-free snack, or taking a quick walk around the block is necessary for your wellbeing.

Taking your breaks now pays off in the long run and helps to maintain a healthy relationship with work.

2. Set work boundaries

Some workers complain that WFH habits lead to being on call for work at any hour of the day. Remote workers find themselves answering emails through dinner and working late.

Set your expectations early if you’re starting a new position or request time to speak with your manager about work boundaries. No one wants to be working 24 hours a day, and this conversation could lead to solutions that benefit your whole team.

3. Learn when to say “no”

Sometimes, workloads just become too much. Many people find it difficult to decline new projects, clients, or tasks. However, if your to-do list is constantly overloaded, there’s no way that you’re going to be able to do an effective job on each task.

What’s more, you’ll be burning yourself out from constant stress. The first strategy to prevent this is to keep a detailed planner or calendar. Consistent planning shows you how much time it takes you to complete tasks and helps you learn how to budget your time.

Try our planner printables below to help get yourself organized.

Now that you’ve got some new planner habits started, how can you politely decline new projects? Being firm and clear in your reasoning is a good place to start. 

Try saying, “I’d love to take this on at a later date, but I don’t have the time to do a good job right now.” This makes it clear that you don’t have the bandwidth for this new project and are working hard to prioritize as needed.

Being kind to yourself now pays off for long-term WFH success. Overworking yourself early sets unreasonable expectations for yourself and your employer. Just remember to take time for activities that you enjoy so that you can continue to WFH without burnout.

Download Printables:

Productivity Planner

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