Articles : Tired of Working from Home? 7 Tips for Beating Remote Work Fatigue

When the pandemic hit last year, working from home was a first for many employees.

At first, the situation looked ideal. After figuring out a few technical mishaps, working from home meant that employees didn’t have long commute times, they could dress casually (with many probably working in their sweatpants or pjs), and there was more flexibility in terms of when employees do their work.

But that was over a year ago. With what seems like no end in sight for COVID-19, remote employees are feeling more tired and less motivated about their work from home situation.

Below we have provided you with a few tips on how you can alleviate technology exhaustion and stress from working at home.

1. Communicate with another form of technology.
ZOOM meetings were huge at the start of the pandemic, but after a year in, it can feel a bit redundant. Don’t get us wrong, ZOOM meetings have its place, but think about what kind of meeting you’re having before jumping on ZOOM. If you’re just talking to one person, a call will probably suffice and be much more efficient. If you’re have a department meeting, having everyone join on ZOOM may be more beneficial. This simple change can be just the thing employees need to switch things up.

2. Do you really need to have a meeting?
In addition to the point above, really think about whether having a meeting is necessary. Does your question or what you have to say warrant a meeting? At the beginning of the pandemic, it was quite common for employees to jump on ZOOM for everything to get that human-to-human connection, but this might not be the case anymore. A lot of people are suffering from technology exhaustion, so you can try sending a more detailed email or combining smaller meetings into one to avoid being repetitive.

3. Stick to a routine.
It can be easy to have different parts of your day that used to be separate start to blur together when working from home. Try to maintain a routine as much as possible to prevent this from happening. If you used to wake up at 6am and have a cup of coffee for a half hour before you started getting ready for work – continue doing this. It’s important to set these boundaries so you don’t feel like you are working all the time, which can lead to mental exhaustion. Make sure you separate your work from your at-home life as much as possible.

4. Set up a space just for work.
Despite working from home for over a year, some employees may still not have a designated workspace set up. This may be one of the reasons why you have difficultly concentrating. Try to set up a space in your home where it’s just meant for work and make sure it’s equipped with things you would normally have in your office at work: a comfortable chair, a large enough desk for all your stuff, access to office supplies, natural lighting, etc.

5. Don’t multi-task too much.
Switching from multiple tasks may seem like a good idea to get as much done as possible, but it could lead to you feeling more drained. Multi-tasking has its place, but make sure you’re doing it within reason and recognize when things are getting too much for you.

6. Take breaks.
With the weather getting a little warmer, take your lunch break outside! The natural light, warmth from the sun, and fresh air will definitely get you feeling more energized for your second half of the day.

7. Talk to your co-workers about things other than work.
It doesn’t have to be anything major, but maybe you send them:

• An email about how they’re doing.
• An interesting news story you’ve read.
• A funny meme.
• An inspirational quote.

Communicating like this helps to break up your days with things that are not just about work.

How have you been feeling this past year working from home? Do you have any more tips on what you do to prevent yourself from feeling burnt out? Let us know!

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