10 tips for how to work from home (& not burn yourself out)
I bet for a lot of us…
we hoped we wouldn’t still be working from home, huh?
We hoped by this time during the pandemic, there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. And though many people are returning to work, many aren’t. In October 2020, Amazon became one of many companies—including Apple, Facebook, Uber, etc.—that extended its work-from-home policies until June 2021. In December, many of those companies extended their policies further, with Google, Microsoft, Uber, American Express, and Airbnb among them, with some extending as far as 2021 and even making work-from-home policies a greater part of their working future. So, as much as workers might want an end to the work-from-home shenanigans…they’re not getting one. And trust me when I say, many workers are not going to last until then…
Firstly, let’s address the elephant in the room—COVID19. Since March 2020 when quarantine and the pandemic went into full-swing, 37% of workers have reported longer working hours due to earlier start times and later end times. The lines between “working remotely” and “being online” have been hugely blurred. In fact, in a new survey from FlexJobs and Mental Health America (MHA), 75% of workers have experienced burnout and 45% of those works said that their burnout was a direct result of the current pandemic.
But, the notion that burnout is solely caused by overwork is a MYTH. It’s not as simple as working less, taking a break, etc. Those are short-term fixes. Band-aid solutions to a greater issue that has likely been weighing employees down for years—yup, pre COVID19 pandemic. It’s all the added factors—too many people at home, constant disruptions, at-home schooling, how a workload is perceived, etc. Now, admittedly, several of these are out of your control.But what burnout contributors can we control in our work-from home environment?
Here are my tips for WFH without Burnout...
1
have a morning & evening routine
Part of the reason why work-from-home has been so challenging for employees is the lack of structure they’re experiencing in their day. They used to get up, do the whole morning routine, commute in, do their work, and commute home. The seperation was obvious and the routine was intact. But now? The routine is lacking.
It’s easy roll out of bed and immediately into work. It’s easy to work through lunches and breaks. It’s easy to let work bleed into your evenings. That’s why the routines you bookend your workday with are crucial. In your morning and evening routines, you will a) prioritize your personal time and your personal activities, and b) set boundaries around when you start and finish your workday.
Your morning routine, which is something that I use to prioritize and complete my personal self-care habits, needs to be something that you guard with your life. And that might sound extreme or dramatic to say, but we’re talking your sanity here and your stress. It’s the truth. You need to prioritize this with your life. Your kids, your significant others, your pets, and (#duh) your work cannot get in the may of that. When I wake up in the morning, I don’t check email (and try to stay off social media) and I use that time to prioritize myself. I journal. I meditate. I read. I workout. It’s my time.
My end of day routine? Honestly, it’s much more loosely defined. I still struggle with the routine that signifies to me mentally that I’m shut down and off for the rest of the day. But one thing I do make sure to do? Close out all of my work-related tabs.
I’ll loop back with more routine ideas later, but this is a great place to start. And if you struggle to make your routines stick, check out this podcast episode.
2
set hard boundaries
You might be wondering why I said “hard”…and why I italicized it, huh? Well, lemme break it down for ya…. * clears throat *
You see, there are two types of boundaries: hard and soft. Soft boundaries are a suggestion. It’s like when you put your preferred method of contact on a form. It’s basically a preference - plain and simple. A hard boundary? It’s something you don’t violate. A hard bounday is something you set when you won’t settle for anything less. A hard boundary is when you tell someone who is yelling at you that you won’t accept being spoken to in that way. That’s a hard boundary.
When it comes to your work, you need some hard-er boundaries. You need to set hard-er rules that you abide by when it comes to your work.
But, first, what are boundaries? Boundaries are rules that you establish for yourself or for others that guide how you’re going to live your life. For example, here are some boundaries that you might set:
I will only say “yes” to a new work task when I remove or delegate an existing one
I will not check email or social media before 8am or after 8pm
I will only check my email on work days
I will only agree to personal engagements if it’s a “hell yes”…
I will give myself one full day off each week to rest, relax, or do whatever feels fun or enjoyable…
These are, actually, some of my exact boundaries. These are my boundaries around social media. These are my boundaries around work. I actually set a weekly out-of-office for my customers and clients in my day job every single week. It sets the expectation outright that I’m unavailable and sometimes communicating that helps people back off.
I also - and I think this is so important for people with side-hustles - insist on taking one full day off each week. Saturdays are my day off. It’s a non-negotiable because I already work so much between my day job and this business. So, those boundaries that I set for myself are huge.
3
take breaks (& do it frequently & STrategically!)
We all know that we should take breaks, but, honestly, there’s very little guidance beyond that. When should we take breaks? That seems like a simple question, but sometimes not having a clear plan is exactly why we don’t take breaks as much as we know we should. So, let me break it down for you a little bit more.
Firstly, before we get into the frequency and what to do, let’s talk about the why. The long-and-short of it is this: taking breaks is good for your productivity.
The bottom line is, if we don’t take breaks, our productivity goes downhill fast. We - as human beings - are simply not designed to concentrate for 8+ hours on end. In fact, one study said that during our 8-hour workdays, we’re really only able to focus for about 3 hours or so. When we don’t take enough breaks it causes decision fatigue, affects our ability to focus, and damages our eyes.
But the big thing with breaks is that the frequency and type of break we need depends upon the type of work we do. But the bottom line is this: we’ve gotta shut off so that our brain can use that downtime to make connections and to literally clean itself, which happens when we sleep. Taking breaks also prevents decision fatigue, helps you stay focused, and will help with creativity (more of that here).
Basically a lot of shit is going on in your brain, so we need to take care of it.
Frequency. I wish I could tell you a hard and fast rule here, but the gist is this: your ideal break schedule is going to be every 30-90 minutes. I wish science agreed, but it rarely does and that’s because the types of work we do require different levels of focus and duration. For example, writers or content creators might work for 90-minutes before taking a break because they’re in flow and locked in.
It also might depend upon the day. If you’re typically able to last for 60-minutes, but on a give day you’re on making it to 25, you might need to adjust your break schedule for the day.
Length of your breaks. I’m a big fan of lots of shorter breaks. Whether that’s a 10-minute break every hour or a 5-minute break every 30-minutes, I find that this keeps your energy levels and your focus more consistent.
But, also remember how important it is to take a longer break after you’ve been at it for a couple hours.
Now, all of the advice here is obviously if we had an ideal schedule, but I totally get that that’s rarely the case. So, the biggest thing that’s going to affect the frequency of your breaks and how long you take them is likely going to be your work schedule. My day job is basically meetings. That’s it. Day-in and day-out, I’m in meetings and those meetings can last for 60 to 90-mins, typically, with 5-min breaks in between. Sometimes I’m in meetings for 4.5 to 6 hours straight. That’s not ideal for any of this.
Do your best. Just make sure you’re taking breaks as frequently as possible!
You might also be asking, “what should I do DURING my break?” and that’s what we’ll dive into now…
In short: do anything that gives your brain a chance to shut-down. Your break is going to be more effective if you’re fully disengaged from your work.
It’s really tempting to do easy, tedious tasks that don’t require your full focus, but it’s actually going to make you more productive overall. So, what might this look like:
Meditating. I love this for helping you fully disengage (but I also know that personally I don’t have enough time for a meditation during my typical break).
Jumping on a mini-trampoline.The best $30 I’ve ever spent on Amazon was on this little mini-trampoline/rebounder. It makes taking breaks fun and injects a hit of energy into my break, which is exactly what I need. I love it!
Get outside. This can look like so many different things. Go out on your patio or balcony for a hit of sunshine or fresh air. Take out your trash or go get your mail. Go for a walk. The Vitamin D from sunshine and the emotional release of getting outside is great for stress and creativity, but more so then that…
Move your body. This is a great one to couple with the last tip, but the bototm line is this: sitting all day is terrible for you. We - as humans - were not designed to do that. So, whether you get in a short 5-minute walk between meetings, a mid-day workout (ya’ll know I love Beachbody OnDemand), or something, it’s going to be great for you. In fact, one study said: “almost every dimension of cognition improves from 30 minutes of aerobic exercise.”
Avoid screen time. Personally, I do get a nice hit of distraction and entertainment from being on social media or YouTube. But, honestly, I know that content consumption isn’t always the best break. Do I browse IG and the internet during my breaks? Yes. Do I recommend it? No. It’s a habit I’m trying to break.
Take a nap. Naps as short as 10-20 minutes can increase your productivity and focus. But there is definitely a sweet-spot to naps. A short 20-45 minute nap will give you an extra boost like a cup of caffeine, while a longer 90-120 minute nap will give you a full sleep cycle. Don’t nap for between 45 and 90-minutes or else you’ll feel that groggy, drunk-like post-sleep feeling called sleep inertia!
Have a snack. Whether you’re having a snack to boost your blood glucose (and therefore boost your energy) or you’re having an actuall coffee during your coffee break, both will boost your productivity.
BONUS Hacks for leveling up your breaks:
Get a standing desk. I got mine for Christmas and it’s a Flexispot adjustable standing desk. I love it! It gives me the flexibility to sit when I want or need to, as well as to stand. I usually look for certain tells during my day, like when my legs are starting to fall asleep or I feel myself getting low on energy. I usually just try to stand for at least a portion of my day, especially if it’s a long day.
Oh - and take your lunch break. That’s going to be huge.
4
Schedule long-term renewal
In a 2013 article from the New York Times, I love how they said it: “…strategic renewal - including daytime workouts, short afternoon naps, longer sleep hours, more time away from the office and longer, more frequent vacations - boosts productivity, job performance, and, of course, health.” You see, they didn’t just focus on the day-to-day breaks we need to take, but also the longer term breaks we need to be at our best sustainably.
Vacations and time away from your desk are just as important when you’re working from home as they are when you’re working at the office. I aim for at least a quarterly break and time off. Now, this does not have to be a vacation. You don’t have to leave the state or the country for this to be effective. It can be a staycation as little as 15-minutes away. My boyfriend and I are actually doing just that this weekend. The idea is that you’re getting away, changing your scenery and - importantly - stepping away from your desk and your work in the process.
5
mix up your environment!
I did an Instagram story forever ago about how much of a productivity boost I got out of mixing up my environment. When I say this, I mean changing up where you’re working at. When I would do this before, I was going to a coffee shop instead of working at my desk. Now, I get that for many places in the US and the world right now, that’s not possible. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t mix up your work environment within your house. Some ideas for what you can do instead of sitting at your desk all day:
Take a call or a meeting from your patio or desk (especially if it’s nice outside)
Move your laptop around with you and get some work done at your kitchen table or couch
Take a call while out on a walk
Sit criss-cross applesauce (I really wanted to type that out - haha) at your coffee table
Re-organize your office space and move around the furniture to give yourself a different view while you work
Mix up the stuff that you have on your desktop
All of these things are subtle shifts to the environment you typically work in, and that little change in environment might be exactly what you need to give yourself an energetic and creative boost in your work.
6
if motivation is your issue, try coworking power-hours or a reward system
Sometimes the issue isn’t working too much. Sometimes it’s motivation to work at all when there’s not a boss hovering over your shoulder. I get it. Procrastination is human nature and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
So, if you’re struggling with motivaiton, you need to find some external way to motivation yourself.
One way is a coworking power hour. I’m in a networking group and on Tuesday mornings, we all login at 9am PST and work together for an hour. Not only does this motivate me to get working earlier than I otherwise would during my day, but it also is a fantastically productive time. It always shocks me how much I’m able to get done during that time.
Second, try a reward system. What this might look like is this: tell yourself that you’re not able to do yoga, watch your TV show, cook dinner, etc. until you get done whatever you need to get done. Maybe it’s emails you’ve been struggling to power through or a phone call you’ve been avoiding making. It will incentivize getting things done, and not only motivate you to stop procrastinating, but will also help you truly log off and shut down at the end of your day without whatever this task is looming over you…
7
set realistic deadlines
This is something I get on my boyfriend about. He has a tendency to get work done in the evening when he doesn’t actually need to. He tells himself that it “can’t wait” and that the people that he’s working for “need it”. He’s not the only one. I’ve seen this with many of my past clients as well.
But the fact of the matter is that these deadlines ares self-imposed. You don’t actually need to deliver that deliverable at that exact moment. It can wait until tomorrow. A good way to assess this - and it’s important that you’re honest when you do - is to say: “Will this have the same result and impact if I do it tomorrow at 9am?” OR better yet, “Will the result of this be better if I do it tomorrow when I’m rested?”
If the answer in your gut is yes, stop working. Engage in that leisure activity.
Another way to think of this one is, when you tell someone when you’ll get back to them, don’t way “End of day Wednesday” if it doesn’t actually have to be the end of the day on Wednesday. If something doesn’t have a pressing timeline, I’ll tell them “I’ll get it to you by the end of the week.” That way, if I have the time and am able to get it done by Wednesday, great! I’ve delivered early. If I don’t and it doesn’t happen until Friday, okay! I’ve still met the deadline I communicated.
Last, but not least, if you find that you’ve communicated a deadline and aren’t going to hit it, communicate it. I have yet to hear of a situation where people have been mad if you’ve said “Hey, I got swamped this week and I wasn’t able to complete that this week. Can I get it to you by the end of the day on Monday?” Most of the time, they say. “Sure no problem,” right? The only time people get bad is when they’re expecting something and you don’t communicate the delay.
8
make time for human (& animal) connections
My days were long, boring, and draining when I went from working all day at my desk to spending all evening on the couch. It was long, dull, boring, and definitely not rejuvenating. That’s why it’s so important to make time for some human connection.
When my boyfriend and I are both working at my apartment for the day, I can’t tell you how nice it is to be able to connect with him between sessions or during my 30-60min breaks. It’s like having a coworker that I can chat too, and it’s so nice. Even if you don’t have something like that, connect with someone via text or give them a call. Whether it’s during your breaks or at the end of the day like a regular old, pre-COVID happy hour, it’s going to feel amazing and is going to give you some much-needed social self-care…
And if you count time with your fur baby in that, too, do it! I get that sometimes our pets are as much like our family as our humans are.
9
practice (& prioritize) self-care
Since we were just speaking about self-care, it seemed only fitting to have our next tip be about self-care. Here’s the thing - most people are doing self-care wrong. They’re merely thinking of things from the perspective of physical health. But that’s not the end-all be-all of self-care. There are multiple types of self-care.
Physical self-care. This is the obvious one. It’s your sleep. It’s what you’re putting in your body. It’s your workouts.
Social self-care. Setting aside time to establish and maintain your close relationships. Your social needs won’t be mine. So it’s about knowing what you need.
Mental self-care. You exercise your body, right? Or at least you know you should. This is about exercising your mind with books, learning, etc.
Spiritual self-care. Not just religion or spirituality, but anything that helps you develop deeper meaning, understanding, or connection…
Emotional self-care. Having healthy coping skills to deal with negative emotions and ways to acknowledge and express your feelings regularly
10
make evening plans
This last tip is directly inspired by one of my clients. She knew that she should disconnect at the end of the day. She knew that she should log-off. And yet she didn’t. She couldn’t quite pull herself away from her work even though she knew that it was burning her out.
So, what did we have to do? We had to make plans for her. Sometimes it was joining a book club discussion. Sometimes it was a movie night with her family. However, sometimes even simpler than that. Sometimes it’s just about doing some housework—folding laundry, putting away dishes, etc.
What she did—and what she found helped her a lot—was planning early in her week the things that she was going to do each night to get herself out of her home office and done with work. She alternated which activities she did each night, but just having a plan for what would help her log off of work each night actually held her accountable to doing just that: logging off.
