By now, the novelty of working from home has certainly worn off. Instead of a new twist on old tasks, studies have found that remote work may be contributing to new levels of professional burn out. As a leader, it’s important to get ahead of this unique trend of work-from-home malaise.
At one point this summer, a whopping 62% of the American workforce was working from kitchens, bedrooms, and home offices around the country. On the surface, that may have seemed a dream to the millions of workers freed from the commute, from the grind, and from chatty co-workers around the water cooler. But already, experts have spotted that remote work isn’t all pajamas and Zoom calls. More than two-thirds of workers, 69%, have reportedly experienced the symptoms of burnout.
That is of great concern to business leaders who care about their employees. Remember, burnout isn’t just being bored or tired of working. There are medical symptoms that include high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, obesity, and more. It has also led to another epidemic; loneliness. Isolated in the same space all day and all night, many workers (and leaders, too) are missing both the personal and professional relationships that enrich our everyday lives.
The key is to communicate the risks and symptoms to your teams, as well as encouraging boundaries.
Clock In and Clock Out. Without the commute and with technology making us more connected than ever, it’s easy to develop habits like checking email the moment you wake up or as workers relax after dinner. On average, workers say they’re working an average of three extra hours per day. Every notification and email spurs them into action, causing many to skip lunch, or pull out their laptop after dinner to answer emails or knock out a report. Set the tone, and set the example, by setting normal working hours or asking employees to limit their availability to a normal eight hour day. Help workers create a process of clocking in and clocking out; one idea is to leave laptops in one room and when the day is over, leave it there. Get dressed as if you were going into the office. Use a diary or planner to map the whole workday and give your pandemic life some structure, penciling in plenty of time for lunch, breaks, and exercise.
You can help employees by not emailing or calling outside of normal 9 to 5 hours, or whatever works best for your company.
Get Motivated. When passion and enthusiasm wanes, make an effort to rekindle what ignites motivation in normal times. Work elements of your work life that you enjoy into your day or week. For example, if you love leading training sessions, put a presentation together and lead team members through a new product or report. If you enjoy designing ads or graphics for a specific client, schedule a call with them to drum up exciting new ideas that everyone can get excited about. When you need motivation, don’t wait for divine inspiration. Sometimes, you have to manufacture your own motivation to get back on track.
Ask For Help. Sometimes, there isn’t a good way to re-create the connected, communal experience of going into the office and getting things done together. Encourage workers to reach out if they feel overwhelmed, Think of ways to bring those workers into touch one interactive or team projects, a special assignment or, and this is often the best, give them a paid afternoon off to do something they value. Working more often as a diminishing return, while working a little less can sometimes offer the deep breath that we all need to feel refreshed.
Are you or your employees struggling with remote work? Are you facing concerns or fears about getting everyone back in the office? We can help.