During the time of the global coronavirus pandemic, the most effective thing everyone can do is stay at home and maintain self-quarantine and social distancing. This is not as easy as we might at first think and can lead to burnout, stress, and depression. Here are ten ways to avoid these symptoms.
Forbes reported that burnout refers to a collection of different reactions that occur in response to prolonged stress and overworking. This includes physical symptoms like headaches along with emotional ones such as a negative attitude about your work or career as well as a loss of motivation. You may find yourself short-tempered with family or colleagues or easily offended by even the slightest criticism.
Burnout can also masquerade as imposter syndrome. Because you are exhausted, you may feel like you are not good enough, productive enough, or falling behind. Then you credit that to personal failing or the fact that you are in fact a fraud.
You might find yourself sitting in front of your television set with your family and answering work e-mails instead of relaxing and spending some quality time with your loved ones. This is exactly what could lead to complete burnout. To avoid it, follow these ten simple points.
Adjust your expectations
During a typical work week, it is likely you spend eight hours a day at the office. When you work from home, that changes. Distractions, like your boss swooping by your desk, suddenly disappear. You have your privacy, your environment, silence, and you can sit in front of your computer in pyjamas. Think about these facts. They might give you more energy and make you more productive than before.
Prompt yourself to wrap up
The end of the workday usually ends with your colleagues when you walk out of the office together. At home, you cannot have this experience. Instead, set your alarm clock to signal the end of the working period half an hour ahead of time.
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Turn off the computer
When work is over, turn off the computer for a bit and close all the apps. You can even put away your phone for one or two hours.
Plan your next day
It is advisable to spend 5-10 minutes planning your next day. When you wake up in the morning, you will feel much more relaxed because you have a plan.
Have a transition ritual
Create a practice that helps you change gears and transition from work to downtime. That could be: taking a shower, changing your outfit, meditating for five minutes, making a list of the top three things to be done the next day, zeroing your inbox, straightening up your workspace.
Extract meaning from the day
Be it good or bad, they are part of our everyday life. At the end of the day, spend some time to think about or write down what you did, how you did it, what was good and bad about it, and how it improved you.
Do something tactile
After work, do some workout practices at home, cook, write in a diary, paint, draw, anything to relax your mind.
Create accountability for yourself
Make commitments that force you to end work on time. For example, in the age of the coronavirus, that might be a virtual happy hour with friends or playing board games with your spouse and kids.
Detox your attention
Do not open your e-mails in the evening. Relax, read a good book, watch a good movie or series.
Outsource like a boss
Free time is precious. When you have downtime, you want it to be restorative—but that cannot happen if you are running around doing laundry or cooking. If you have the means, you can create more time for yourself by outsourcing errands. These days, there is an app for everything, and depending on how busy you are, the benefits of hiring someone’s services can seriously outweigh the costs and give you back valuable time and energy.
Source: www.forbes.com
