Work From Home Burnout: Causes and Prevention

For people who need to go to the office every day, it may sound like bliss to have the ability to work from home full-time, and many current remote workers agree! In fact, people who say they would rather go into the office are the minority. One study showed that 61% of people prefer working from home over commuting to an office.

The pandemic lockdowns forced many workers into a situation they never imagined. Day-to-day work lives changed dramatically, and office workers turned from donning a suit, with commute time, to a waltz upstairs, sporting jogger pants — sometimes paired with a fancy shirt for Zoom calls.

It may not surprise you that the number of people working from home tripled between 2019 and 2021, with many workers continuing to work from home or working a hybrid schedule, splitting work time between home and office.

When asked about working from home, many respondents tout the benefits of adding more time to their day without the need to commute to an office or sit in traffic. Some say they feel more work-life balance, but others report that despite the many benefits of WFH, they still experience burnout.

While working from home definitely has its perks, at the end of the day, many Americans still feel overworked or overwhelmed. The Covid-19 pandemic put work-life balance in perspective, but it also created new challenges with remote work burnout.

How do you know if you’re experiencing burnout? Keep reading to learn more.

Not sure if you’re feeling work-from-home burnout? Watch for signs that could indicate you need to evaluate your schedule, job, or work environment to make it more pleasing and suitable for productive work habits.

Job enthusiasm can wax and wane for everyone, but employee burnout can begin to show when you have a sustained lack of motivation. The result of work burnout can be a lack of productivity or output that reveals a lower quality of work. If you find you’re making a lot of mistakes, you're irritable, or you just can’t focus, you may be experiencing work-from-home burnout in your current job.

Burnout symptoms can present in a variety of ways. Physical symptoms, such as headaches, back pain, and jaw pain, can be a sign of work stress that's antagonized by work-from-home burnout. Sometimes, neck and back pain can be the result of not having the right ergonomic office chair — and for that, we’ve got you covered with affordable options.

If this option provides a better work-life balance, why do some people still have symptoms of burnout?

You may be going through the motions of work and daily life and not fully realize what’s causing feelings, such as a lack of motivation or resentment toward your job. The truth is, working from home can cause burnout for many reasons. While everyone’s situation is unique, there are a few common reasons.

Isolation

Not seeing co-workers in person during the workday and decreased social interaction with colleagues can play a role in burnout, making employees feel isolated, which can impact mental health. When you’re working from home, there’s no water cooler talk or social interactions with fellow team members in the break room.

Interestingly, pet owners report feeling calmer, more relaxed, and less alone with a dog at home with them, but still, the effects of isolation are real, and isolation can contribute to burnout.

Screen Fatigue

For remote employees, video calls are now the number one mode of communication. Although the convenience of meeting with colleagues around the globe has been a boon for business expansion in some ways, staring at a screen can feel monotonous, especially if your schedule is heavy on meetings. The influx of these calls has led to what’s being called “Zoom fatigue.”

In many cases, hours of video calls have replaced meetings down the hall in the conference room. The result of working from home can mean an increased amount of time staring at a screen. Even training is delivered via webinars. When workers have too much screen time, they can start to feel job burnout.

Add overbearing bosses who require needless video check-ins, and workers who are normally energetic and productive can feel fatigued and unmotivated.

One data set revealed that neck pain worsened for 50% of workers who conducted business from home. With employees thrust into a WFH situation around the globe, few had the proper office furniture, such as desks at the right height and ergonomic chairs. Instead, home furnishings like couches and dining room chairs were used, leaving monitors at awkward heights.

Another factor cited with physical pain was a lack of lumbar support. Lumbar support is important because it reduces the tension in your lower back and promotes proper alignment. Selecting an ergonomic chair with built-in lumbar support is a great investment in your health. Your posture will thank you!

For example, the Ergonomic Chair offers firm lumbar support that, with eight points of adjustment, fits your precise needs.

These factors, combined with long hours of sitting, add up to neck and back pain when working from home. Many workers who have maintained a WFH schedule since the pandemic have since invested in their health with ergonomic furniture.

Some employees report working longer hours when working from home, as it’s too easy to keep working once the clock hits 5 PM. Before they know it, they’ve put in an extra two hours to finish up emails. WFH can create a lack of structure and blur the lines of when the work day is over. This can cause burnout over time.

Isolation, screen fatigue, neck and back pain, and a lack of structure are common reasons why working from home can contribute to major burnout, but that doesn’t mean workers want to return to the office. Work burnout can happen no matter what space you call your office. The key is to be aware of symptoms and address them before you start living for weekends.

Let’s dive into how to prevent WFH burnout:

Take Breaks

Find a balance between work time and small breaks. Setting a timer on a fitness watch or computer will remind you to get up and move around or make a cup of tea. Frequent breaks help to invigorate you and can spark creativity. Ideally, breaks shouldn’t involve anything work-related, including texting your co-workers or scrolling LinkedIn.

Invest in Your Workspace

Just because you’re not on-site at work doesn’t mean you can’t have a functional, healthy, and professional workspace. From the aesthetic of your office to the ergonomic fit that’s just right for your body, investing in your home office is investing in yourself.

After all, when you spend a lot of time working in the space, you should enjoy it! Consider a bright, cheerful ergonomic chair or a colorful Desktop Organizer in your home office.

Schedule Exercise

You schedule meetings, so why not schedule exercise as part of your work day? Consider a hard stop mid-day at a consistent time, and stick to it. Exercise can be an exercise video at home, some resistance moves, or a few rounds up and down your stairs. Small changes like this can improve your physical health.

Beyond moving, a standing desk can help encourage you to stay more active during work hours. This Standing Desk has four customizable settings, from sitting to standing, so that you can enjoy max comfort.

Get Outside

Take a break from your work schedule and get outside. Fresh air can do wonders for everyone, and when you’re working from home, being outside for 20 minutes can give you health benefits that will last throughout the day. Take a walk around the block, or sit on your porch and breathe in the fresh air to avoid work burnout.

Although working from home has many benefits, and the majority of workers prefer the flexibility of working from home, as well as the benefits, burnout can still happen. When you recognize the symptoms and the causes of burnout, you can address it early and make the necessary changes.

Sources:

61% of people working from home are doing so because they want to, even though their office is open | CNBC

The Number of People Primarily Working From Home Tripled Between 2019 and 2021 | United States Census Bureau

Characterization of Home Working Population during COVID-19 Emergency: A Cross-Sectional Analysis | NIH

The Role of Dogs in the Relationship between Telework and Performance via Affect: A Moderated Moderated Mediation Analysis | PMC

Four causes for ‘Zoom fatigue’ and their solutions | Stanford News

14 Critical Video Conferencing Statistics to Know | Fit Small Business

Creativity can't be forced. Take breaks, zone out to find new inspiration | NPR