How to avoid burnout when working from home

Burnout: “to ruin one's health or become completely exhausted through overwork.”

Sound familiar? If you haven’t experienced it, chances are you know someone who has, especially in the past few years. The risk of burnout seems amplified when you’re working from home as the boundary between work and regular life becomes blurred.

Things like getting enough sleep, connecting with friends and taking time for your favourite hobbies are key to finding balance and preventing burnout, but it’s just as important to weave wellness into your 9 to 5. This way, it becomes part of your daily routine and helps to maintain your energy levels, rather than leaving you depleted and relying on short bursts of self-care as a way to refill an empty cup.

Make the most of lunch

It goes without saying that breaking up your day is important, and lunch is the obvious time to do it. Instead of seeing your lunch hour as a time solely for eating, reframe it as a personal hour. Whether you take a jog around the block, run errands or park up in the garden with a good book, pressing pause and separating your break from your workspace will work wonders for your energy and focus.

Stay hydrated

Make it easy for yourself by keeping a carafe on your desk, or use trips to the tap as an excuse to stretch your legs. We love adding a scoop of Renew+ Marine Collagen Powder to one of our glasses. The fact that it supports the health and appearance of your hair, skin and nails, as well as supporting immunity and gut health is a bonus.

Declutter your desk

Your desk should be set up ergonomically with screens at eye level and an adjustable chair with a supportive back. Once you’ve got that sorted, get rid of any junk in your workspace, leaving only essential items and things that brighten your day – these could be photos of people you love, plants that oxygenate the room or images that inspire you.

Create a daily ritual

Staying focused for a full eight hours each day isn’t always the easiest feat, especially when you’re in your home environment, but that’s where a supplement drink like Beauty Brain can help. It supports healthy brain function, keeping you alert for up to five hours while also leaving you feeling calm and zen. By having a glass at the same time each day, it becomes a daily pick-me-up ritual that you’ll look forward to.

Make movement a must

Movement throughout the day is super important, and you’ll be surprised how many ways there are to minimise the time spent sitting at your desk. Try spending some time at a standing desk, taking ten to stretch, or introducing walking phone meetings in place of Zoom meetings – every little bit helps.

Nourish your body

While it can be tempting to keep the snack drawer full of yummy (read: sugary) treats that give you a short burst of energy (and an inevitable sugar crash), they aren’t the kind of foods that’ll help you focus. One of the perks of working from home is that you can prepare fresh homemade meals for lunch, and have all your favourite healthy snacks on hand to keep you fuelled through the day.

Set boundaries

Setting boundaries is one of the best (and sometimes, hardest!) ways to avoid burnout while working from home. While it’s great to help others when you can, make sure you treat your to-do list as your priority, and only take on extra when you have the time. If your job allows, switch off and leave work at your desk, making a rule not to check emails until you log back on the following morning.