Our latest webinar revealed the blurred the lines between work and home life leading to overworked, stressed, and burned out individuals.
For many ‘home’ has morphed into an office, a sports hall, and a school as we engage in social distancing. This with the added time we are given by cutting out the daily commute can make us feel like we should have more time to achieve, to be available to others, and get work done. Of course, this is not always the case.
How can we avoid these negative feelings of being overworked as employees?
Set realistic routines
Just because your commute time has been taken off, doesn’t necessary mean you need to be logged in an hour before you start. Try to give yourself a realistic routine on a workday. Giving yourself regular breaks (set 30-minute timers if it helps) and always remember to take your lunch break. This will give you time to switch off and come back to your desk with a clear mind, ultimately increasing your productivity.
Change up your work environment
If you have the space and facilities, changing up your workstation location could help you stay engaged and focused with your work, which can prevent feelings of stress associated with being distracted.
Share your workload
Just like you would if you were in the office, use systems like Microsoft Teams and Slack to share and review your work with your team. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and alone, but software like this allows for easy collaboration whilst we work remotely.
Communicate with your manager
Depending on your circumstances, talk to your manager to ensure your workload is manageable for you. This is particularly important if you are caring for another family member or have the added responsibility of home-schooling your children. They should be made aware so that they can effectively support you and understand what they can expect.
How can we help our employees avoid these feelings of being overworked as managers, leaders, or employers?
Unlike working from home under normal circumstances - where it was possible to set up an office in a local coffee shop or have the freedom to go out for lunch as a break – it’s important to appreciate this is a completely new way of working, even for your employees who would usually work from home.
It is important to regularly communicate with your team, particularly those who are more introverted as they are vulnerable to being overworked and thus burnout.
Our upcoming and past webinars may be useful at providing employer support on managing employee wellbeing during this time:
Webinar | Supporting Employee Emotional Health
Webinar | The Power of Emotional Intelligence in a Remote Working Environment