Taking breaks and days off when you’re already working from home might seem strange, even confusing. With that in mind, you still need it, and here’s why.
Here’s Why You Still Need Breaks While Working From Home
When the pandemic hit, the majority of America’s workforce needed to adjust to a new work setup: telecommuting or working from home. While working in your pajamas may sound like a dream come true, the reality is that it can easily throw your work-life balance out of track. And when everyone else is working from home, it’s easy to get pressured to be present all the time. This of course, can lead to working longer hours. In fact, a study showed that back in April, remote workers work an additional 3.13 hours per day while working from home, while there are some who log in as much as 4.64 hours more.
After all, it’s tempting to get a head start on tomorrow when you’re just sitting playing video games. And as you may have guessed, this is a recipe for burnout, even going as far as to make you feel like you’re not allowed to rest.
But you can only push yourself so much before your body gives up on you, which can lead to exhaustion, burnout and, in worse scenarios, even a health condition.
Thankfully, there are some strategies you can use to better handle your workload and let you see the importance of giving yourself time to rest and enjoy things you actually want to do.
One such strategy is tracking your days and how much you work to get a better sense of the hours you log in for yourself and your job. If you feel like you’re working too much, then you probably are. One other strategy is to simply set boundaries. This can be as simple as making sure you take breaks throughout the day or not accepting work during weekends. Time-block your schedule as well to make sure you don’t overschedule.
Working from home can be a two-edged sword and it can be easy to throw work-life balance out the window. However, reminding yourself that this is just work and that you need to prioritize yourself as well is one step closer to finding the balance.
