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Managing stress from the pandemic: A doctor's advice

If you’re feeling burned out after two years of working from home, psychologists recommend setting boundaries.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The pandemic brought on new challenges, working from home being one of them.  

With that, a new set of stressors as people navigated balance between home life and the home office.  

In July 2020, a poll by Monster showed 69% of workers experienced burnout symptoms while working from home.  

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"People often experience burnout when they feel like things are out of control," Dawn Potter, PsyD, of Cleveland Clinic, said. "When they have a lot of stressors and they feel like their needs are not being taken into account, or they don’t feel like they can do something about the stressors."  

If you’re feeling burned out after two years of working from home, psychologists recommend setting boundaries. 

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Unplug for the night, try not to check your email after your shift or finish up a project.  

Create a designated office space in your house to limit distractions.  

And take some time for yourself, consider going to the gym, a walk, or a bike ride.  

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“I think the COVID pandemic has really caused us to have to be creative in the way we take care of ourselves, the way we socialize with other people, the way we work, and the way we stay connected," Dr. Potter explained. "And so to manage burnout, the same sort of flexibility and creativity is required.”  

Psychologists also recommend letting a supervisor know if you’re struggling and need help or talking with a medical professional if work stress is a major disruption.  

Contact Kendall Morris at kmorris2@wcnc.com and follow her on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.


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