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If you're reading this, chances are you work from home like I do.

And you've probably also either experienced burnout or want to avoid it at all costs.

Right?

I've been down three very different roads since I began working from home.

At first, I went from morning into night without any planning or boundaries and ended up burnt out and hating the business I created.

That's when I made the mistake of not working as much to prevent burnout.

Does this work? Yes.

But that meant I wasn't getting nearly as many things done.

Both were really bad times for me and my business, so I realized something had to change.

Now I have set up quite a few things to prevent either from happening again, especially feeling burnt out.

How to Avoid Burnout When You Work From Home

There's nothing wrong with working a lot, even from home.

But if I've learnt anything, it's that your mind needs a breather often.

Without them, I would have given up on my business a while ago.

But even if you aren't a business owner, this blog post is still for you!

Learning to balance relaxation and work is important.

So I'm going to share all of the things I do today that have not only helped me prevent burnout but also helped me fall back in love with my business.

Creating Boundaries

One of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started my business was not having boundaries.

And sure, I had a few, but I bent them constantly, making them pointless.

I was always working, thinking about work, or worrying that I wasn't working.

It was a recipe for disaster.

The worst part was that I didn't know what I was doing was wrong.

And sure enough, within the first few months of starting my business, I was burnt out.

That's why, after a lot of trial and error, I have set up a few boundaries that I stick to.

Of course, there are times when I have to stretch them, but I do my very best not to.

Set Your Work Hours

Deciding on when to start and end your work day is important!

I mentioned this before, but when I didn't stick to my work hours, I never stopped working and neither did my brain.

I often woke up at night thinking about the next thing I needed to work on.

So how did I stop it?

First, I knew I had to stick to my hours.

No more exceptions unless it was absolutely necessary.

But I also knew my old hours didn't work too well.

So I thought about the time of day I was the most productive.

For me, that's between 9 AM and 2 PM.

I shifted my workday to be between the usual 9 AM and 5 PM.

Towards the end of my workday, I always try to do work that uses my brain a little less.

The easier stuff.

I still do virtual assistant work when it comes up, even though I'm a full-time blogger.

That means I had to tell my clients about the change in my hours.

If you have clients, I suggest you do the same!

Then I created a routine.

It's the things I do to start and end my work day.

For example, the first thing I do when I open my laptop is post my 2 Pinterest posts for the day.

They're usually linked to my newest blog post.

Take Breaks

When I first started my business, I didn't focus on this.

I thought it wasn't as important as getting my work done.

Little did I know that now that I take breaks, I finish faster and my work has better quality.

Giving multiple breaks throughout the day is important!

The first step is knowing that there are 2 main types of breaks I use: long and short.

Short breaks are around 5-10 minutes each.

I take them about every hour or so.

There are a few things I use shorter breaks for:

• Grabbing a snack

• Stretching

• Refilling my water/tea

• Talking to a family member

• Spending time with my dogs

On the other hand, long breaks are usually 30-90 minutes.

Here are some things I do during my long breaks:

• Eat lunch

• Go for a walk to stretch my legs

• Watch an episode of a TV show

• Play a bit of a video game

Usually, I only take 1 long break during my work day and it's for lunch.

So that I don't get carried away during one of my breaks, I sometimes set an alarm to remind me to get back to work.

When I get back to work after a break, I might need to change up where I was working.

Moving from my desk to the kitchen table can really help me feel ready to work again.

Client Hours

If you have clients, setting specific times when they can contact you is a good boundary to have.

It helps you to focus on your work without constantly being "on call".

I started by telling them my hours of work and when I was available to them.

Yes, they can be two separate things!

As an example, let's say your hours of work start at 10 AM and end at 4 PM.

You can tell your clients that you're only available to them from 10 AM to 1 PM.

If you don't mind the two of them mixing, you can skip this.

But keep it in mind if you're looking for time when it's just work.

If a client contacts you outside of your available hours, gently remind them about your availability.

I would also decide where your clients are meant to contact you.

Personally, I don't allow calls.

But choose what you're comfortable with!

Stressful Tasks

We all have tasks that we dislike more than others or that cause us more stress.

But that being said, they are necessary!

For these tasks, it helps to add a break either before you start or after you finish them.

This gives your mind a chance to mentally prepare or relax.

For example, if I have a particularly stressful blog post I have to write, I take a short break beforehand to clear my mind and another one afterward to relax.

You might not be able to set all of these boundaries in place at once.

That's ok!

Do what you feel comfortable with and what is best for your business.

Change Your Workspace

One of the best things I do to keep my mind fresh is to change up my workspace.

Working from the same spot every day became boring.

I rotate between my desk, the kitchen table, and the couch.

Sometimes, I even leave the house and work from a café for a few hours.

This change of scenery can do wonders for your productivity and mental well-being.

Changing my body's location or position has really helped me keep going on days when my mind feels exhausted.

Respect Your Mornings and Evenings

Creating boundaries between my mornings, work, and evenings has been one of the best things I've done to prevent burnout.

Before I start work in the morning, I do my best to not think about it.

Instead, I focus on my morning routine.

I do it every morning and it really helps me get ready for the day ahead.

In the mornings, I go for a walk, exercise, make breakfast, and get ready for the day.

This routine helps me start my day with positivity, without dreading starting my work day.

As soon as I'm done working in the evening, I fully disconnect.

It's time to wind down and slowly prepare for bed.

In the evenings, I spend time doing things I enjoy that are completely unrelated to work.

I catch up on my favourite shows, play video games, make dinner, and spend quality time with my family.

This separation between work and personal time has been vital to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Something I didn't have before.

Make Your Own Routines

The important part of routines is that you have to make them your own.

I'm telling you mine as an example, but make yours based on what you enjoy and your schedule.

The thing that makes a routine great (to me at least) is that it not only helps you manage your time but also gives you time to relax.

My Morning Routine

I always start my day pretty much the exact same way.

1. Wake up early. I wake up at 6 AM which gives me just enough time to complete my morning routine before work.

2. Exercise. I do a 30-60 minute workout as soon as I wake up 5 days a week.

3. Breakfast. Taking the time to make myself a healthy breakfast is how I end my morning routine.

4. Planning. I take 5 minutes to review my schedule for the day. This acts as the bridge between my morning routine and my work routine.

I really like starting my day the same.

If I want to switch it up, I'll add time to read or do a bit of yoga.

My Work Routine

My work routine isn't as set in stone as my evening routine.

It's more like a guideline.

1. Prepping my blog posts. I have 2 new blog posts a week, so I use Monday and Tuesday to prepare everything I need for them.

2. Focused work periods. I do my best to work for an hour and then take a 5-10-minute break.

3. Task prioritization. I start with the tasks that take the most brainpower when my energy levels are highest (first thing in the morning).

4. Lunch break. I take a longer break around noon for lunch.

5. Afternoon tasks. I do easier tasks in the afternoon because it's when my mind begins to feel exhausted.

This structure helps me stay productive while preventing burnout.

My Evening Routine

I call this a routine, but it really isn't.

My evening routine changes every day depending on what my brain needs.

But there are a few things that stay the same.

I finish work around 5 PM and immediately close and plug in my laptop.

This means I'm done for the day.

Then I eat dinner, play video games or watch a show.

Finally, I do my before-bed routine.

Are You Worried About Burnout?

Thanks for reading this far!

It might sound scary, but when it happened to me I made a few changes and haven't felt it again.

You got this!

If you want to chat about anything I mentioned in this blog post, I'd love it if you DM me on Instagram!

See you soon!

Isabella