How to prevent burnout by working from home?

What exactly is burnout?

Burnout is classified as an “occupational phenomenon” or a syndrome according to the World Health Organization:

In addition, the WHO affirms that burnout should not be considered as a medical condition, but as an occupational phenomenon resulting from work stress. Thus, this syndrome cannot be applied to describe experiences in other areas of life outside the working environment.

Can only the working force be burned out?

Although the WHO’s precise definition of burn-out only refers to it as an occupational syndrome that can only be linked to work stress, other medical sources have stated that this condition can be provoked by other activities under the same level of pressure. As a matter of fact, the American Psychiatric Association brings some clarity on this topic:

“While burnout is often linked to work, it can occur in any part of life—from caregiving to academic pressures. The key is to recognize the early warning signs and take action before it takes root.” American Psychiatric Association.

Symptoms and warning signs

There is some common agreement that burnout syndrome provokes chronic exhaustion of mind and body, feeling physically and emotionally drained. Additionally, this type of exhaustion also comes with sleep disturbances, frequent insomnia and severe headaches.

On the other hand, cynicism, pessimism and a sense of detachment from the responsibilities also belong to the list of burn-out symptoms.

Besides, the feelings of helplessness and ineffectiveness should be considered in this list. For instance, the American Psychiatric Association has revealed that burn-out provokes a diminished sense of accomplishment and self-worth, leading to “negative filtering” which is the reason why people only focus on the troubling aspects of a situation. Hence, burnout ends up becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

People who suffer from burn-out might often feel overwhelmed and demotivated. In consequence, feelings of dread, worry and anxiety can stick around and be persistent.

Moreover, being burnt out not only affects the individual and their internal world, but also the way they behave and interact with others. A burnt out person would be most likely to isolate themselves from people and responsibilities, to be irritable and to take frustrations out on others during interactions.

What are the causes of burnout?

People can feel burned out after experiencing big loads of stress and fatigue (physical and mental) for long periods of time. Nevertheless, being underchallenged and unrewarded can also contribute to someone’s burnout.

In addition, people who are normally under pressure, who have conflicts with colleagues and managers and who neglect their own needs for excessive commitments can be victims of the burn-out syndrome, especially when they don’t have much time to rest.

As an example, the World Health Organization has listed poor work environments, discrimination, inequality, excessive workloads, low job control and job insecurity as potential risk factors for mental health.

Is now everyone burned out?

Although the situation can vary among the countries because of different working laws and policies, it is possible to find some common and recurrent trends.

As a matter of fact, 48% of workers from a diverse list of countries have stated that they were dealing with burn-out syndrome according to the Boston Consulting Group’s report.

Additionally, the BCG has also indicated that the numbers and percentages of burnt out people increase exponentially when it comes to LGBTQ+ members, people with disabilities and deskless workers.

For instance, in France recent studies have shown that 51% of workers have been through a state of extreme physical exhaustion, 40% of employees are struggling with social interactions with their coworkers and 40% of the surveyed working population feel detached from their office responsibilities, aiming to quit their job.

On the other hand, the statistics in America have proved that normally 30% of the working force feels very often or always burned out.

Is working from home helping with the burn-out syndrome?

Some employees would consider working from home as a solution to burnout, whereas others would say that online working is the main cause of this problem.

According to a report about remote work, burnout usually comes from the difficulty of having clear boundaries between personal life and professional life. For instance, 81% of remote workers check emails and messages outside of working hours, including on weekends and vacations. Moreover, 48% of virtual employees often work outside their scheduled work hours.

However, a recent study has shown that around 40% of employees believe that having options to work remotely would help with their burnout, along with other working policies, such as increasing the time off and setting up self-care programs.

In addition, companies are now trying new solutions to keep remote employees engaged by implementing tech and software solutions for remote team collaboration, while offering more flexibility and new opportunities to connect with co-workers in person thanks to a hybrid system.

How to prevent being burned out whilst working from home

There’s no magical solution to the burnout syndrome, and the recovery process can be different and take more or less time depending on the individual. However, the American Psychiatric Association strongly recommends setting boundaries between personal and professional life.

For personal life, it is recommended to cultivate interests and hobbies outside of work, taking more breaks and time off work.

Moreover, the medical institution suggests engaging in self-care, mindfulness and stress management practices. This should help to reframe the perspective and the way people see their responsibilities, viewing them as opportunities for growth instead of burdens.

On the other hand, there are some recommendations to improve someone’s professional life, such as asking for help from colleagues and teammates and looking for opportunities to shine and add value to the company.

How WorkAdventure fights against burnout

As it was stated, encouraging online employees to bond with each other can be helpful in order to prevent and heal the burnout situation. It was mentioned that companies and institutions are currently adopting new software solutions to enhance remote team collaboration and interaction. 

In this scenario, WorkAdventure takes the wheel as an open source software product that replicates the real life office environment on an interactive interface that emulates the physical office whilst integrating the best features of the digital world, strongly improving the experience of employees and employers when it comes to interaction and teamwork. 

For instance, users can spontaneously interact with each other by approaching themselves with their avatars or by entering a meeting room. 

In addition, since taking breaks is mandatory to prevent burnout syndrome, silence zones are available for users who want some peace to catch their breath and maybe to do some mindfulness exercises.