The WHO warns remote work can lead to burnout and health risks Quartz at Work

86% of employees who work from home full-time experience burnout. If these happy vibes don’t light your professional flame like they used to, maybe it’s time to look for a remote job that’s better for you.

For example, my burnout symptoms included anxiety, fatigue, heart palpitations, and inability to focus. I am not sure about anger and irritability, because I’ve always been an irritable person. If you’re nomadic, bear in mind that travel can be stressful without the added burden of having to think about work at airport terminals, remote work fatigue or break out your laptop on a train. Seeing some nice scenery and touring picturesque cities might be fun, but it’s also a distraction. Besides, the human mind is wired to adapt to just about anything. As you keep moving, the buzz you get from travelling to a new place starts to fade, but travel-induced stress does not.

Pre-coronavirus pandemic statistics

Learning from the styles of the past and influenced by these unique times, companies and employees are choosing their colors, applying brushstrokes to the canvas, and trying to paint an inspiring picture. While many workers feel they are more productive working from home others are starting to get stir crazy. Often remote workers feel trapped at home during the pandemic. Employers can provide support by showing that they care and taking an interest in the well-being of remote employees. Connection through regular video calls and asking for honest feedback about how home-based employees are feeling is a step in the right direction. Remote work is predicted to continue for the foreseeable future as the world continues to battle COVID-19 in all its variants.

Mindset matters a lot when it comes to thriving in new work environments. By practicing some of these habits, you can strengthen your mental health and gain more energy to be productive at work, from home. The COVID-19 pandemic inspired companies to reevaluate their paid-leave practices. A 2021 Mercer survey on time-off trends, including parental leave, UPTO, and holiday observances, found that the number of companies offering UPTO to at least some employees (20%) rose 6% since 2018. This list of potential burnout causes is commonly accepted and can be used by business leaders to help detect remote burnout warning signs and start meaningful conversations with employees.

Take a Staycation.

Working from home stress is remarkably common for remote employees. That’s why learning how to take care of your mental health when working from home is crucial for today’s ever expanding remote workforce. Exhaustion is another one of the major symptoms of remote work burnout.

For someone whose job involves mostly independent work, however, working from home might be less stressful than commuting to the office just to do the same thing they could do from their quiet home. This lack of a break from work exhausts employees and sucks away their enjoyment of their work and their motivation to do good work. Moving from full-time office to full-time remote work increases loneliness by 67%.

“ 55% of employees say that whether or not they can work flexibly will impact whether they will stay.”

This could mean going outside for a walk or just spending time with your loved ones. Disconnecting from work will help you come back fresh and motivated. Emotional signs of burnout like remote work anxiety, a loss of motivation, feeling helpless or defeated in their position, feelings of self-doubt and failure, detachment, cynicism, and overall negativity. The pandemic actually saw people taking less time off, with 59% of people taking less vacation days over lockdown.

Block an hour on your calendar every morning for an “inspiration session” where you work on what you love most completely uninterrupted. A study from just a few years ago suggests that consistently making yourself available for work during your off-hours can create feelings of anxiety.