A note first
This article offers general, non-medical suggestions. Burnout is commonly described as a state of prolonged exhaustion, detachment from work and reduced effectiveness, linked to long-term stress. If you feel persistently low, anxious or unwell, talk to a doctor or a qualified mental health professional, or to the support service your employer may provide. Habits can help, but they are not a substitute for care.
Why screens make it harder
When the office and home are the same place, and the tools of work live on the phone in your pocket, there is no natural end to the day. A few features of online work often contribute to overload:
- Always-on messaging. Chat and email arrive at all hours, and the pressure to reply can feel constant.
- Blurred boundaries. Without a commute or a closing door, the day stretches in both directions.
- Back-to-back video calls. These can be tiring in a way many people find different from in-person meetings.
- Less informal recovery. Chats by the kettle and walks to meetings, which break up an office day, vanish.
- Invisible workload. Managers cannot see someone struggling, and workers may overcompensate to appear productive.
- Isolation. Some people miss colleagues and the sense of belonging.
These factors differ from person to person and job to job, so treat the following as options to try rather than rules.
Build boundaries into the day
Set start and finish times. Write them down, put them in your calendar and share them with the team. Even a loose end-of-day routine, such as closing the laptop and tidying the desk, signals that work is over.
Create physical separation if possible. A dedicated corner or a desk you can leave helps your mind switch off. If space is tight, packing equipment away at the end of the day can help.
Replace the commute. A short walk before and after work gives the day a beginning and an end.
Protect your lunch break. Step away from the screen to eat.
Tame notifications
Constant alerts break concentration and keep the mind on alert. Consider:
- turning off non-essential notifications, especially on your phone
- using “do not disturb” outside working hours
- checking messages at planned times rather than continuously
- scheduling messages to send during the recipient’s working hours
The idea of not expecting an instant response is explored further in asynchronous communication, and it is one of the most effective changes a team can make.
Reduce meeting load
- Decline meetings without a clear purpose or agenda.
- Ask whether a written update could replace a call.
- Keep calls short and leave gaps between them.
- Set no-meeting blocks for focused work.
Ideas for better meetings appear in the piece on video meetings, and a framework for matching messages to the right channel is in the guide on choosing between chat, email and calls.
Take real breaks
A pause that involves another screen is not much of a break. Stand up, stretch, look out of a window or walk around. Many people find short, regular breaks easier to keep than a single long one. Physical comfort matters too, so check your chair and screen setup using the basics of desk ergonomics.
Take your leave. Vacation days work best when you are not checking messages. Set an out-of-office note and agree on a contact for emergencies.
Manage your workload
- Keep a short list of priorities each day, and accept that not everything will be done. Tools for time management and project management can help make workload visible, but too many tools can add to the clutter.
- Say what you can and cannot take on. A calm, specific message such as “I can do this by Friday if the other report moves to next week” is better than quietly working late.
- Tell your manager early if the load seems unsustainable, and bring options.
Stay connected without being always on
Social contact helps. Schedule optional virtual coffee breaks, join a team channel for non-work chat, or meet colleagues in person when possible. Quality matters more than quantity: a few real conversations may help more than many pings.
Look after life outside work
Sleep, movement, time outdoors and time with friends and family support resilience. Setting limits for non-work screen use can help if you spend evenings online too, which is the subject of digital wellbeing and, for households, screen time.
For managers and teams
Boundaries are easier when the team shares them. Managers can:
- Model good behavior, such as not sending messages late at night, or marking them as non-urgent.
- State expected response times clearly.
- Check workload in one-to-ones, and ask directly how people are coping.
- Encourage use of leave.
- Watch for warning signs, such as withdrawal, irritability, mistakes or very long hours.
- Make support options easy to find.
Remember that burnout usually reflects workload and workplace conditions, not personal weakness. Fixing it is partly a matter of personal habits and partly of how work is organized, and the second part is often the larger one.