This pandemic has caused a giant shift for how many people work. Thanks to technology there is been an increase of telecommuting jobs for the past several years, but this crisis has led to a huge number of people now working from home. While there are indeed several benefits to this arrangement, the downsides are becoming more evident as the quarantine continues.
The major problem is that working from home can lead to a work-life imbalance. When everything is being done from the same location, boundaries that used be clear become muddled. An eight-hour workday can become a fourteen-hour workday due generous, and often necessary, breaks to deal with children, or meal prep, or technology issues, etc. The chaos of this new, unexpected blending can make us feel like we’ve lost control. Trying to meet the demands of our bosses and our families, while also dealing with the existential stress of living during a pandemic, can clearly lead to burnout.
God understands that we all have our limitations when it comes to the amount of stress we can handle. There is evidence that plenty of people in the Bible experienced burnout – from Moses to Elijah to the disciples. But God promises that if we carve out some time to spend with Him, He will recharge us with His power. "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:28-31). May we take the time we need to be renewed by God!