Here are some ways you can set yourself up for a more relaxing, manageable, and productive work and home life. Unfortunately, the more often we have meetings, the more difficult it is to regain focus. According to a University of California Irvine study, “it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to recover your concentration from a distraction.” Now, imagine if most of your day is in meetings...

Is remote work making me depressed?

Work from home depression can happen when you feel stuck. Without career milestones like a new nameplate on your desk or a fancy corner office, you may not feel as if you're achieving as much as your peers. The anxiety, stress, and loneliness of working from home can lead to depression or make it worse.

His courses on LinkedIn Learning have been viewed tens of millions of times. His five books have been published in eight languages, the most popular of which is The Myth of Multitasking—a time management bestseller. As an author, speaker, and online instructor, Dave has transformed the lives and careers of hundreds of thousands around the world. Many positive attributes of remote work culture have inspired companies across the globe to make a permanent switch to a full or hybrid work-from-home model.

Working From Home Productivity Statistics [2023 update]

And while many of them are adopting a hybrid model, this is often the hardest approach to pull off compared to all remote or all in office. An incredible 54% of employees currently working exclusively from home said that would cause them to quit and 38% of hybrid workers said the same. This post also includes data about remote work from companies such as Gallup, PwC, and others. We've read the report so you don't have to; we've compiled the most important insights managers like you should know to help you deal with the challenges of leading teams who do remote work. Leaders and executives haven’t been immune to the challenges posed by the pandemic and the need to work remotely. The term “Zoom Fatigue” was coined during the pandemic in 2020 when everyone was thrust into remote work.

  • While your symptoms of burnout may be a little different, notice more than a few of these and you may already be deep in burnout territory or very close to it.
  • It is also important to distinguish between hard-core nomads and people who just like to extend their holidays by a few weeks.
  • Working with folks you have never met in person can be a strange feeling.
  • 86% of remote employees have experienced high levels of exhaustion .
  • One great way to do this is by establishing a core set of on-the-clock hours for everyone to follow.

Other employees may have healthcare concerns that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and financial concerns about seeking treatment. Many employees that used to have “windshield” time or white space in between meetings find themselves engaged in back-to-back Zoom meetings, which elevates pressure in getting their work done. The best way to approach this is to encourage employees to share their struggles and ask them what you can do as a team to alleviate those pressures.

The WHO’s ideas for making remote work healthier

Given the nature of remote work environments, it can be challenging to replicate synchronized activities that produce mirror neurons, but that’s where low-stakes play comes in. Zoom fatigue, eye strain, and back pain are all symptoms of remote work. Gabriela Molina is a journalist passionate about remote work, wine, and content. As Director of Content at ThinkRemote, she focuses on content planning, strategy, and optimization. Her goal is to ensure that Thinkremote becomes the number-one authority for quality resources, news, and content around the remote work world. 6 Benefits of Background ChecksEmployers view background checks as a valuable tool that provides comprehensive insight into an applicant.

You may have to take care of your children and family responsibilities during your workday. When you worked at the office, you could set those duties aside while you focused on your job. Finally, participants in Buffer’s survey believe they are in more meetings than ever. However, eliminating it will give your team the freedom from distractions they need to do their best work. Use tools built for async communication to make this adoption easier (e.g., Github pull requests, Basecamp for project management, Google docs for notes, key discussions, and information dissemination, etc).

Establish Meeting Days

There’s no time to get real work done if meetings keep interrupting you all day. Employees that report they can get all the information they need in one spot so that they can get on with their day are happier, more productive, and less prone to mental fatigue. With all the challenges that remote work presents, the last thing your employees should have to deal with is hunting all over the place for the information they need to do their jobs. Effective remote workplaces provide their employees a simple and easy to use platform to find anything they need to do their jobs within a central, unified location.

Work from home remote working fatigue may feel permanent and insurmountable in the moment, however the feeling often passes. Regardless, you should not bet that the slump will go away on its own. There are many precautions that can prevent remote work burnout, and actions that can counteract the condition. Above all, be open to change and experimentation, and ask for help when and if you need it. Separating office space from living space and cultivating a healthy work life balance is a key to sanity.

Here are some ways you can set yourself up for a more relaxing, manageable, and productive work and home life. Unfortunately, the more often we have meetings, the more difficult it is to regain focus. According to a University of California Irvine study, “it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to recover your concentration from a distraction.” Now, imagine if most of your day is in meetings...

Is remote work making me depressed?

Work from home depression can happen when you feel stuck. Without career milestones like a new nameplate on your desk or a fancy corner office, you may not feel as if you're achieving as much as your peers. The anxiety, stress, and loneliness of working from home can lead to depression or make it worse.

His courses on LinkedIn Learning have been viewed tens of millions of times. His five books have been published in eight languages, the most popular of which is The Myth of Multitasking—a time management bestseller. As an author, speaker, and online instructor, Dave has transformed the lives and careers of hundreds of thousands around the world. Many positive attributes of remote work culture have inspired companies across the globe to make a permanent switch to a full or hybrid work-from-home model.

Working From Home Productivity Statistics [2023 update]

And while many of them are adopting a hybrid model, this is often the hardest approach to pull off compared to all remote or all in office. An incredible 54% of employees currently working exclusively from home said that would cause them to quit and 38% of hybrid workers said the same. This post also includes data about remote work from companies such as Gallup, PwC, and others. We've read the report so you don't have to; we've compiled the most important insights managers like you should know to help you deal with the challenges of leading teams who do remote work. Leaders and executives haven’t been immune to the challenges posed by the pandemic and the need to work remotely. The term “Zoom Fatigue” was coined during the pandemic in 2020 when everyone was thrust into remote work.

  • While your symptoms of burnout may be a little different, notice more than a few of these and you may already be deep in burnout territory or very close to it.
  • It is also important to distinguish between hard-core nomads and people who just like to extend their holidays by a few weeks.
  • Working with folks you have never met in person can be a strange feeling.
  • 86% of remote employees have experienced high levels of exhaustion .
  • One great way to do this is by establishing a core set of on-the-clock hours for everyone to follow.

Other employees may have healthcare concerns that have been exacerbated by the pandemic and financial concerns about seeking treatment. Many employees that used to have “windshield” time or white space in between meetings find themselves engaged in back-to-back Zoom meetings, which elevates pressure in getting their work done. The best way to approach this is to encourage employees to share their struggles and ask them what you can do as a team to alleviate those pressures.

The WHO’s ideas for making remote work healthier

Given the nature of remote work environments, it can be challenging to replicate synchronized activities that produce mirror neurons, but that’s where low-stakes play comes in. Zoom fatigue, eye strain, and back pain are all symptoms of remote work. Gabriela Molina is a journalist passionate about remote work, wine, and content. As Director of Content at ThinkRemote, she focuses on content planning, strategy, and optimization. Her goal is to ensure that Thinkremote becomes the number-one authority for quality resources, news, and content around the remote work world. 6 Benefits of Background ChecksEmployers view background checks as a valuable tool that provides comprehensive insight into an applicant.

You may have to take care of your children and family responsibilities during your workday. When you worked at the office, you could set those duties aside while you focused on your job. Finally, participants in Buffer’s survey believe they are in more meetings than ever. However, eliminating it will give your team the freedom from distractions they need to do their best work. Use tools built for async communication to make this adoption easier (e.g., Github pull requests, Basecamp for project management, Google docs for notes, key discussions, and information dissemination, etc).

Establish Meeting Days

There’s no time to get real work done if meetings keep interrupting you all day. Employees that report they can get all the information they need in one spot so that they can get on with their day are happier, more productive, and less prone to mental fatigue. With all the challenges that remote work presents, the last thing your employees should have to deal with is hunting all over the place for the information they need to do their jobs. Effective remote workplaces provide their employees a simple and easy to use platform to find anything they need to do their jobs within a central, unified location.

Work from home remote working fatigue may feel permanent and insurmountable in the moment, however the feeling often passes. Regardless, you should not bet that the slump will go away on its own. There are many precautions that can prevent remote work burnout, and actions that can counteract the condition. Above all, be open to change and experimentation, and ask for help when and if you need it. Separating office space from living space and cultivating a healthy work life balance is a key to sanity.