Since the pandemic accelerated here in Australia in March, most people have been working pretty solidly since then or even the start of the year, so it can add up to a long time of working without a break.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines burnout as a syndrome resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, characterised by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one's job; and reduced professional efficacy.

You may not think you’re suffering from burnout, which may only be expressing itself in minor symptoms like the above, but it’s important to recognise when you are potentially feeling more fatigued than usual or less productive over a period of a few days or weeks. If this is the case, it’s time to be selfish!

Working from home doesn’t mean you can’t take care of yourself. We’ve gathered some tips for when you feel burned out and what you can do to help.

USE YOUR ANNUAL LEAVE:

Usually, we’d have holidays booked or perhaps even long service leave for an extended break. It’s a shame that restrictions are in place (especially here in Victoria) but taking time off is important for mental clarity and avoiding a feeling of monotony. Arrange some annual leave with your boss (which is no doubt accumulating big time!) and take time out for non-work related activities (read: binging that Netflix series that’s been on your list forever).

WORK-LIFE BALANCE:

Just like when you’re going into the office, it’s so important to draw a line between work and your home life. It’s become a hard one to distinguish when we are working from home and only five metres away from our couch and kitchen! Make sure you’re switching off at a reasonable time each day in accordance with your schedule. It’s easy to keep working, especially now that Daylight Savings is here to trick us into thinking it’s earlier! Breaking up your day with exercise and time spent doing other hobbies is a great way to separate work from home life.

SLEEP:

Sleep is crucial for everyone, so if you’re not getting enough of it, that’s the first problem to solve! Ideal sleeping hours for REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement; the cycle of deepest sleep) is 10pm-12am, so try to get into bed within this time — the earlier the better! A healthy sleep routine is important for physical and mental health. If you find yourself thinking about work when you’re trying to get to sleep, get up and perhaps make some notes on a piece of paper. Don’t go on your computer or phone! There is such thing as Sleep Hygiene which is basically just best practice for getting into the best routine possible — check it out and get those zzz’s!

MEDITATE:

If you’re feeling stressed at a certain point, step away and try to relax. Meditation is a great way to do this by controlling your heart rate and breathing to calm yourself down. Focusing on your inhales and exhales is a healthy distraction from a stressful work situation. Incorporating some gentle stretches or yoga poses may also help to allow the mind to concentrate on something else, even for just 5-10 minutes.

EXERCISE:

Working from home gives you the flexibility to exercise when it suits your schedule. Going for a morning walk before work gets blood circulating and oxygen flowing in to make you feel more energised to start the working day. Still keeping in mind that us Victorians have a two hour daily limit, make sure you get out more than once, like on your lunch break. Now that we are in Daylight Savings mode, you can go for your walk or run later in the evening if you prefer. Getting your 10,000 steps or whatever exercise you like to do helps take a break from work and also gives you a better night’s sleep.

GET OFF SCREENS:

Keep this is mind for all out of hours times, including nighttime and on weekends. During the week, set up Bedtime settings so your phone turns off notifications as you’re getting ready to head to bed. You don’t need any extra stress if you’re feeling burned out, and that can be triggered by a late night email or Instagram message. It’s also best to avoid using your laptop or computer when you don’t need to or aren’t working. If you need to for life admin or a bit of online shopping (guilty!), take your laptop or tablet out into a relaxed area of your house instead of your work space. You’ll feel like you’re working which may impact your time off.

If you’ve found this useful, you may benefit from previous blog posts about managing your mental health while working from home, improving productivity at work and how to reduce screen time.