Overcoming Remote Work Fatigue

If you believe that you are suffering from remote work burnout, there are a variety of things you can do to pull yourself up into a more healthy and productive state of being, and prevent falling into remote work burnout in the future. Create and hold firm boundaries in order to create a more happy, healthy, and sustainable work-life balance and prevent remote work burnout. Moderation effect of resilience on impact of remote working experience before COVID-19 on subjective wellbeing. Moderation effect of remote work intensity during COVID-19 on impact of increased use of work technology on work platform technostress.

burnout no contexto do teletrabalho durante a pandemia

Governments in many countries adopted strict lockdown measures during what is known as the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing many individuals to stay at remote work fatigue home, where they had to find ways to work and entertain themselves and their families. This unique situation—i.e., enforced remote work—has increased individuals’ use of digital technologies for pleasure and work purposes since the first wave of the pandemic (Zhang et al., 2021). Meanwhile, a study conducted by Buffer showed that 20% of remote workers struggle with loneliness, making it crucial for companies to cultivate connections among team members. Patagonia, the outdoor clothing company, tackled this challenge by implementing “Wellness Wednesdays,” where employees could engage in yoga sessions, outdoor activities, or simply enjoy a longer lunch break to reconnect with their colleagues.

The results show five factors where all the eight items of PTPS scale loaded on one factor in concurrence with Cao and Sun (2018), and rest of the work technostress items loaded on four factors as designed by Ragu-Nathan et al. (2008). The techno-exhaustion and resilience constructs are adapted from Maier et al., 2015, Hua et al., 2018, respectively. The measures for subjective wellbeing, the dependent variable, are adapted from Steinfield et al. (2008), where four items out of the suggested eight items loaded with loading more than 0.6 and were thus retained. All items are measured using a seven-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. We are social animals, and remote workers struggle to feel connected to virtual peers. Sixty-one percent of the workforce is craving human interaction with colleagues, JLL research finds.

Part of maintaining an engaged workforce is encouraging a healthy work-life balance, and in the absence of after-work drinks or weekend outings, the options have narrowed considerably. Everyone has faced a number of challenges throughout the past year, but one common thread has been the anxiety many are trying to handle alone. As leaders in the midst of a public health crisis, it’s our responsibility to encourage our team to share their burdens, professional and personal, and do what we can to help lessen them. Moderation effect of resilience on impact of techno-exhaustion on subjective wellbeing. After conducting a pilot test to check the suitability of the items and to ensure the respondents’ understanding, the final survey was conducted via Prolific in July 2020.

workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: an integrative review

Along with the demanding enforced work-from-home situations and family/ work conflicts (Van Bakel et al., 2018), this complex situation taxes individuals’ time management demands as well as their cognitive abilities, ultimately affecting their wellbeing. Technostress has received a significant amount of research interest over the last fifteen years (Chandra et al., 2019, Califf et al., 2020, Tams et al., 2018, Tarafdar et al., 2019, Tarafdar et al., 2010, Tarafdar et al., 2007). Stress in general has been explored as an outcome of the imbalance between external demands and individuals’ capabilities and resources in meeting those demands (Tarafdar et al., 2011, Cooper et al., 2001).

These steps not only reinforce a sense of belonging but also create a more resilient workforce. Remote work-related technostress and psychological ill-health (Hayes et al., 2021; Miguel-Puga et al., 2021; Trinidad, 2021; Singh et al., 2022) reduced productivity, engagement, and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 crisis. Persistent burnout due to increased workload influenced sleep disruption, acute stress, state anxiety, and derealization symptoms, negatively affecting the work–life balance. Technology-facilitated remote working resulted in higher levels of work-related stress and burnout due to COVID-19 restrictions, bringing about low work productivity.

For instance, a survey by Buffer revealed that 22% of remote workers struggle with unplugging after work hours, which can lead to burnout and decreased productivity. Consider the story of a marketing firm called “Creative Minds.” Initially, they adopted a fully remote model without implementing clear boundaries for work hours. Recognizing the need for balance, Creative Minds introduced mandatory “unplugged” hours where no digital communication was allowed.

Strategies for Recharging: Mindfulness and Breaks

Remote work has become a norm for many people since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in early 2020. Although remote work has many benefits, such as increased flexibility, better work-life balance, and reduced commute time, it also comes with its unique challenges. Studies show that what employees miss the most about being in the office for work are the people. A sense of connection between peers can help minimize the monotony and isolation remote workers experience.

1. As such, workers have been forced to adapt to the new and increased use of technology while also demonstrating their capability and adaptability in delivering at their maximum potential.
2. Similarly, a renowned global consulting firm, Deloitte, recognized the mental health crisis among remote workers and responded by launching a mental wellness program.
3. Psychologists suggest that Zoom fatigue may come from the intensity of being hyper-focused while attempting to constantly process non-verbal communication from other meeting attendees.
4. The survey shows that the loss of face-to-face interaction among office workers has led to dips in emotional engagement.
5. Strategies such as setting boundaries, prioritizing social interaction, managing workload, establishing a routine, and taking regular breaks can help individuals overcome remote work burnout and maintain their well-being while working remotely.
6. Severe psychological symptoms and emotional stress were related to unsatisfactory organizational communication and increasing workload.

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1. Stanford researchers recently found that employees are also experiencing “Zoom Fatigue,” and developed a quick tool to see if you or your team members might have it.
2. Future research should investigate whether COVID-19-related unmanageable workplace stress, demanding work tasks, and excessive job expectations led to long-term negative impacts on mental health and psychological wellbeing.
3. Without clear boundaries, it’s easy to find yourself working longer hours and losing track of personal time.
4. When you get a sense of what’s working and what’s not, you can create a more supportive atmosphere that encourages those essential pauses.
5. Remote work has revolutionized the way we approach our professional and personal lives, yet it has also blurred the lines between them.
6. WFH often means setting up an ad-hoc workstation on a laptop at the kitchen counter, or in the living room.

Working remotely caused feelings of being less connected with the organization and colleagues, thus configuring social isolation, enabled being engaged in decision-making fostered feelings of control and reduced burnout. Remote work intensified tensions of work–life balance among employees during the COVID-19 pandemic, but such conflicts could be alleviated by instrumental leadership and by a sense of social belonging, resulting in lower levels of burnout. Supervisor social support, constant and relevant information exchange across organizational teams, and planning on time management reduced burnout and improved productivity in remote workers. One limitation of this study is that we inspected only research published between 2020 and 2022 and covered only the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest databases.

“Walking away from our screens can reduce the urge to multitask, reduce eye fatigue and increase our capacity to move around.” “We all found ourselves at home looking at the people we worked with, the people we went out for drinks with and the people in our extended family on a computer screen,” he told Fox News Digital. Dr. Kyle Elliott, a tech career coach in San Francisco, defines Zoom fatigue as “incessant tiredness or lack of energy as a result of spending a large quantity of time on Zoom.” Thought to be coined by Stanford University professor Jeremy Bailenson, the term refers to a level of exhaustion that comes with interacting with others on camera all throughout the day. In the years since the COVID pandemic triggered a spike in telecommuting, many have complained of so-called “Zoom fatigue.” If you or your loved one are ready to connect with our team of compassionate professionals, we’re here for you.

A recent study revealed that 55% of remote workers experience feelings of isolation, leading to emotional fatigue. Engaging with colleagues, participating in virtual coffee breaks, or joining online communities can combat that suffocating feeling. It’s amazing how simply sharing a laugh or venting about a tough day can lighten the mental load so many of us carry while working from home. The onslaught of distressing images and negative information related to the COVID-19 crises in conjunction with new work/ family communication needs can cause techno-exhaustion.

Cisco launched the “Wellness Passport” program, allowing employees to allocate company-sponsored funds to fitness activities, mental health days, or family events. This initiative not only promotes personal well-being but also fosters a healthy work culture. For those struggling with work-life balance in remote settings, it’s essential to set clear boundaries, utilize digital wellness tools, and encourage open communication with colleagues and supervisors.

Nevertheless, remote work was originally shaped by practices embedded in an organisational setting, which traditionally gave users time to adapt to new technologies or procedures. As quick adjustment to technology has become necessary under conditions of pandemic-induced crises, individuals must effectively manage work demands without a period of adjustment. Learning and making new technology work while meeting the job demands at the same time leads to fatigue (Richter, 2020). Finally, outcome refers to the psychological/ behavioural effects of a stressful situation, where subjective wellbeing is considered as an outcome. We further posit that the effects of increased use of work and personal technology-related platforms on technostress and wellbeing are not homogenous for all individuals. Following Salanova et al. (2011), we use the resources-experiences-demands (RED) model to better understand the variable experiences of technostress among individuals.