Working at Home Strategies: 3 Tips to Beat Burnout

Working from home sounds like a dream when you’re sitting in rush hour traffic, but it can also be a drag. Really, the fuzzy slippers work uniform can add serious stress to your professional and personal life.

In a recent study from the Scientific American, researchers found that telecommuters actually work far more hours than those with offices outside the home. These extra hours produce feelings of exhaustion, overwhelm, and burnout.

Especially for small business owners, these are the project killers you have to actively fight against. No worries, there are some simple and powerfully effective exercises you can use to beat burnout.

Check out our 3 telecommuting strategies that erase the project stress from your workday.

Burnout Beater 1: The Blank Screen is Your Friend

A blank computer screen and a blinking cursor may seem intimidating at first. When you begin a project, think of your empty word processor document as a canvas. Ask yourself what you want to create, and come up with a plan to pull it off.

Before you begin creating content, start with a list. Don’t think too much about it. Instead, simply write down qualities you want the content to have. Include specific objectives you need to hit.

Once you finish that list, start working. Later on, re-read what you’ve down and check off the goals you’ve completed. If you’ve missed the mark on the first go-round, your list provides you with a catalyst for revision.

Burnout Beater 2: The Rule of 20/20/20

The computer screen is as much your enemy as it is your friend. While you shouldn’t feel intimidated by a blank canvas, the body is not designed to stare at a glowing screen all day. Not only is this a strain on your eyes, but the physical effects may also hinder your mental performance.

To beat this level of burnout, apply the rule of 20/20/20 every day. It’s simple: every 20 minutes, stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It can be a photograph or a tree outside the window. Case in point: momentarily avert your eyes from the computer. The 20/20/20 rule saves your eyes and improves the quality of your work.

Burnout Beater 2: Create Your Own Energy

Working from home drains your physical and cognitive energy. Even though you’re most likely seated all day, fatigue will suck the quality out of your work. To stay at your optimal mentality, you have to establish a physical equilibrium.

You may not have time to go for a run in the middle of the workday. You may not even have a moment to take the dog out. Even in you’re on a tight deadline, you can still create your own physical and mental energy.

Try working standing up for a few minutes, or you can complete five-to-ten pushups every couple of hours. In the end, a moving body means a moving mind.

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