11 Mar Work-From-Home Fatigue: 8 Steps Leaders Can Take to Curb It
It helps you improve focus, reduce eye strain and improve overall mood and well-being. It also helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm, improving sleep and overall well-being. https://remotemode.net/ For example, a student can place their study area near a window to allow natural light to flood in or use a desk lamp with warm yellow light to reduce eye strain.
According to the basic rest-activity cycle (also known as BRAC), humans are optimized to pay attention for about 45 minutes, but at 90 minutes, our cognition drops significantly. (Admittedly, there were also issues pre-pandemic with spending too much time sitting at the office.) But there is hope. We talked to experts to learn more about the short-term impact of WFH and what can be done to make remote work better.
Give Yourself a Break– Literally and Figuratively
For example, many companies allowed their employees to work from home to reduce the risk of infection [3]. More than half of all employees in Germany have potential access to a home office in principle, but this potential was barely realized before COVID-19 [2]. While only about 12% worked from home before the pandemic, this was possible for over 35% of https://remotemode.net/blog/remote-work-burnout-fatigue-and-how-to-avoid-it/ Germans during the first lockdown in April 2020 [3]. The data vary modestly; [4] report that up to 26.5% of workers worked from home between March and April 2020. Hence, the proportion of employees WFH has more than doubled/almost tripled. This increase in work hours and shift in setting are causing some pretty profound social and personal struggles.
This isn’t simply an emotional response; the chronic stress that results in burnout actually changes the anatomy and functioning of the brain. These changes overwhelm one’s cognitive skill (ability to think, learn, reason and pay attention) and neuroendocrine systems (which releases serotonin and adrenaline). Living in a heightened state of stress spark our brains to switch into “survival mode,” impairing ambition and responsibility. While this data may be difficult to digest, there are strategies to nip remote-work burnout in the bud before it gets too bad. I have outlined three of the main causes of burnout while working from home, along with ways to remediate them so you can get back on track with growing your career.
FAQ: Work from home fatigue
You’re used to having physical cues and boundaries that signal it’s time to work. Another day working from home, another day wondering when it will end. Many employees have been forced to telecommute due to the pandemic, and while remote work has several benefits, including increased productivity, for some, work-from-home performance is lagging. Part of this battle is about accepting the fact that working from home is a different experience from working in the office, setting realistic expectations, and programming good habits.