Working from Home Has Many Advantages But it Can Be Difficult to Set Healthy Boundaries to Reduce Burnout

Boundaries are some of the most essential and helpful things we can do for ourself and yet they can be some of the hardest things to put into place and maintain. However, boundaries can be really helpful to reduce anxiety and prevent burnout.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more companies have begun to see the value and benefit in allowing their employees to work from home or at least a hybrid schedule.

Initially, the work from home life created major adjustments for most people (just one more thing on top of a world pandemic). Working from home can lead to burnout and increased anxiety and stress. Working from home impacts the social life and can be difficult for those that get energized from others. Challenges also occur when having to adjust to a new physical space and making adjusting to make things work (shoebox FTW to prop up my laptop for video sessions).

Keep reading to learn more about boundaries you can set when you work from home and how a lack of boundaries can increase your chances of burnout.

I am a social worker that provides counseling for women in Wilmington, NC. I specialize in anxiety treatment, therapy to overcome perfectionism, treatment to overcome imposter syndrome, and burnout counseling for work stress.

If you are interested in starting therapy with, click the button below and schedule your free 15 minute consultation.

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Work From Home Burnout

After getting over the obvious enjoyments of working from home (heeeellllllloooooo comfy clothes, no commute, and random midday doggy snuggles), comes the realizations of the downside of working from home.

Some of the challenges of working from home include:

24/7 access to work
Minimal interaction with others and receiving supports
Reduction in moving your body
Family members or roommates having more access to you
Not feeling as creative or inspired as when you were in the office

Common signs and symptoms of burnout include:

Exhaustion - emotional and physical
Negative attitude and Pessimism
Feeling unhappy
Difficulty concentrating and poor focus
Lack of effectiveness
Poor motivation

To learn more about burnout, check out these helpful blog posts:

Burnout: What to Do When it is More Than Just Hating Your Job

5 Signs You Are Experiencing Burnout

5 Boundaries to Set When Going from Work Burnout to Work Life Balance

5 Boundaries to Set When Working From Home

Check out these 5 boundaries you can set when working from home.

#1 Take Your Lunch Break

Just like when you were going into the office every day and taking breaks, do the same thing when you are working from home. Most importantly when you are taking your lunch break, leave your working space. It is necessary to be able to step away and let your brain have a rest for a bit.

Action Step: Go into your calendar or planner and for the next week block off dedicated time each day. Bonus points if you set up an automated email you can turn on to let others know that you are not available at this time.

#2 Have a Dedicated Space

Having a dedicated space can allow you to physical boundaries and in turn allow you to recognize being in “work mode” versus “non work mode.” If you make your kitchen table your work area more than likely you will begin to associate your kitchen and dining room with work.

Action Step: Where do you feel the most inspired in your home? Can this area be a workspace? If no, what makes you feel motivated there and can you replicated this in your workspace?

Having a dedicated work space also allows you to be in a space where you can feel motivated, inspired, and creative. This is essential for preventing burnout.

#3 End Your Work Day on Time

Working from home it is easy to have loose boundaries with your time and then you can set yourself up for resentment. I encourage you to have a dedicated start and end time of the day for yourself and communicate it to your boss and or work colleagues.

Action Step: Take your planner or calendar back out and block off your quitting time.

#4 Put Your Electronic Devices Away

When you work from home it can be really easy to use your personal electronic devices and your work electronic devices together. Having your work email pop up on your personal phone or apps on your phone that are used for work. Having all this crossover makes it really challenging to set those boundaries.

It is also really good in general to take a time out from electronic devices and unplug when you can.

Action Step: Keep your work and personal technology use separate. Even better if you can leave your work technology in that dedicated space mentioned above.

#5 No Working On Your Days Off

You need a break. You deserve a break. It is important that you take a break or else it could lead to a breakdown in your mental health.

Knowing you have emails, progress to make on a project or task, or a deadline coming up, can make it very tempting when you work from home to just pick up your work and start anytime and even on your days off. Constantly pushing yourself over the limit doesn’t equal success, it leads to burnout.

Action Step: Make yourself a priority. Do something for you. Your body and mind deserve the rest. Start by taking 30 seconds to step away from electronics, family, the dog, etc. and take a deep breath to slowly inhale and slowly exhale.

For other ideas check out these two helpful blog posts:

5 Quick and Easy Ways to Practice Mindfulness During the Day

5 Ways You Can Practice Self-Care Right Now

Burnout Counseling in Wilmington, NC

Burnout is high for women for many different reasons. When you recognize the signs of burnout happening it can feel really difficult to figure out what to do about it. Using these boundaries listed above can help prevent burnout and manage work stress.

To get help for burnout and work stress at Calm Waters Counseling, follow these 4 simple steps:

Click the button below to schedule your free 15 minute consultation with me
Complete the brief online questionnaire sent to your email
Meet with the anxiety therapist (pssst that’s me)
Start setting boundaries in your life to live how you want

Schedule My Free 15 Minute Consultation

Other Services Offered at Calm Waters Counseling

Calm Waters Counseling specializes in therapy for women providing anxiety treatment, treatment for perfectionism, treatment for imposter syndrome, and burnout counseling. You can learn more about me and what you can expect with services at Calm Waters Counseling.

Online Burnout Counseling for Women

Online therapy appointments are also available to clients living in North Carolina and Maryland. Online therapy occurs over a HIPAA compliant video platform where we can both see and hear each other.