When covid’s work-from-home burnout doesn’t let up

As people get vaccinated and more parts of society open up, reconnecting with a spiritual practice in the community can be another balm, whether you spend time in a place of worship or a

yoga class. “Spirituality was challenged during COVID because we were separated from our groups,” Wehrenberg notes. However, Weiss points out, burnout can't always be entirely addressed

by personal shifts. “It's created as part of a system,” she says. “And you may not be able to yoga and meditate your way out of it.” Sometimes, she adds, you have to address the issue

head-on in the workplace itself. If you're a manager, try to be sensitive to workloads, and be conscientious about tracking them, so you're not adding assignments that go beyond

employees’ job descriptions. It's also hugely helpful to establish weekly check-ins with your team. "One of the most powerful things individuals can do is raise conversations,”

Weiss says. “Say, ‘Can we carve out 15 minutes to do a quick go-around? How is everyone doing? What's distracting you?’ That can build community, and from there can come compassion and

support." Communication is also critical on the employee side. “If you're already overwhelmed with the amount of work you have, and you're continuing to get more and more

piled on, have some phrases at the ready, such as ‘This sounds important. So what is the priority? Is it this or the other five things on my plate?’ “ Weiss advises. “That can change

everything.” You can also simply ask for help prioritizing your workload; you may be surprised by how helpful your boss can be. And with warmer days approaching, by all means take a vacation

— even if it winds up being a staycation. While some people are afraid of the stress they'll experience when they return from vacation and have to catch up on all the work missed while

lounging by the pool, others are hoarding vacation days for use post-pandemic, Weiss notes. Bad idea. Just as scheduling regular time-outs throughout the day is key to battling

work-from-home burnout, so, too, is marking some larger breaks on your calendar. Get a vacation on the books. Or, if you truly can't find a coworker to cover for you, at least plan a

couple of long weekends so you'll have something to look forward to. Finally, give yourself grace. It may not be possible to do your best work from a house full of family members or if

your obligations to kids and parents don't let up. “We need to lighten up on ourselves about not fulfilling our highest expectations of ourselves,” Wehrenberg says. Weiss agrees.

“Having some self-compassion is going to help us more in the long run than self-criticism,” she says.