IT Career Guide

How to Avoid WFH Burnout

All around the world, workplaces have shifted and transitioned to the work-from-home and remote settings due to the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has raised multiple concerns regarding employee productivity and workforce efficiency. However, the more significant problem that should be prioritized is how this situation can pose a long-term risk – employee burnout.

When people begin to work from home, the lines blur between personal lives and work lives. Employees who are used to working remotely may not be as strongly affected as those new to the transition, but they can still be victims of burnout. These struggles associated with burnout can be detrimental to the overall health of professionals and can affect how the company produces output.

There needs to be a distinction between work and personal lives because it can become confusing for a person’s mind and body when the two merge. Some may think that they need to work more or all the time, and the sense of time can be lost along the way. However, there are a few things that can be done to prevent this, so read more if you’re a victim of burnout. 

What Makes Burnout Bad?

Several researchers have suggested that the line between professionalism and personal life is highly crucial. This can have severe effects on the mental health of a person. Experiencing burnout is a difficult position to be in, especially when working from home, because the guilt can come from both sides.

Some employees feel the need to be working all the time because the boundaries have been merged. They may think that this signifies their loyalty and productivity more when it only worsens their condition. Then, this guilt seeps on to not spending more time with family and yourself.  

The IT industry is a prominent victim of work-from-home, especially since working remotely has been a popular trend in tech. Burnout can harm professionals significantly if not treated immediately. The drawbacks are more significant because the necessity to face screens and live through virtual means are not just methods, but it is also what you’re working on.

Being forced into a work-from-home environment can trigger deterioration in mental health because the separation between home and work dissipates. Troubles are amplified in the IT industry because working from home in tech can sometimes mean no face-to-face interaction. There might be a lack of support for the individual, especially if they are self-reliant. 

However, burnout is different for everyone. At times it may feel like work is a chore. Sometimes it feels as though you no longer have energy left. Then it can also be experiencing confusing emotions and getting no sleep. It depends on how a person copes with the problem causing burnout. No need to worry, though, as no matter how you experience it, there are ways to prevent it.

Tips to Prevent WFH Burnout

Here are a few tips, from minor to significant, that can make a difference in the way you execute your work-from-home routine. Implementing these can create a significant difference and help establish a clear line between work and personal life.


Never forget to take breaks. This includes standing up to stretch for a few minutes, eating food on time, and taking naps to get rest. Burnout quickly happens when you forego self-care and prioritize overworking.

Give yourself a pat on the back. Motivation can disappear when the only person you can rely on working is yourself because no one else is there to motivate you, like a boss or a co-worker. These pats on the back can be in the form of indulging in a hobby for a few moments, buying yourself something you want every once in a while, almost like a rewards system.

Do yoga or develop an exercise routine. Most work-from-home jobs will leave you seated at a desk for hours on end, which can cause plenty of problems with your body. Try to stay active and dedicate time to medicate. You can choose to do any form of physical recreation that gets your body moving, but yoga is one of the best as it relieves you of stress and teaches you to be mindful.

Separate the weekends from the workdays. Sometimes, when you have free time at home, you may think that doing extra work can free you from anything to do on Monday. However, this can condition you into blurring the line further. Always make sure that Sundays are your day off if you can’t afford to stop working on Saturdays.

Take a deep breath and forgive yourself. The work-from-home situation is difficult for some people, but others push themselves further. This can damage you a lot, which is why it’s important to remember that you are not superhuman. You can get tired, take a break, and don’t forget to stop being too hard on yourself.

Keep your connections to loved ones alive. It’s easy to get lost in working so much that you forget to be a social person. When you have the time, talk to your family, friends, someone you love. Isolation can induce negative feelings, which triggers stronger burnout.


Work-from-home burnout is real. In this day and age, it’s becoming a more significant problem because of the conditions we are forced to face. Remember that this is not just a negative phase of being tired or weary. Burnout is a serious condition that only gets worse when ignored.

Once you realize that you are experiencing burnout symptoms, it’s time to take a few steps back and assess the situation. It’s always okay to feel tired and burned out. It’s normal. But if it happens, immediate action should be taken so it doesn’t worsen.


If you’re afraid of going into the tech industry for the higher possibilities of WFH that it presents, it’s always good to start conditioning yourself to adapt early on. At Yellow Tail Tech, we’ve transitioned to a fully online set-up, but we promise great results.


Not only do we offer programs that help you attain high-paying jobs, but we also offer a community that can motivate you and helps you develop a healthy WFH routine. Take that leap forward into tech and take on the challenges with us at Yellow Tail Tech. Book a 10-minute intro call with our Enrollment Advisor today.

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Silvana Zapanta

Sil brings a wealth of experience to her writing and editing projects. After nearly a decade guiding college students in research and communication, she shifted her focus to freelance writing and editing. Her passion for education continues through volunteer work, where she empowers others by teaching research and writing skills.

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