25 Jul Bye Burnout, Hello Best Online Internship Experience!
We know how it goes. Working remote sounds like the best deal ever until you’re a few months in… Remote work in actuality can often be a lonely, overwhelming experience that many assume is simply not for them. Don’t let this mindset fool you! Working online can be a rewarding and super fulfilling experience, just so long as you make sure to set yourself up for success. With these tips below, say goodbye to burnout and hello to the best online internship experience EVER.
Set Boundaries:
Setting boundaries for yourself is a critical first step towards any successful work relationship. For an online internship, it is imperative that you keep strict boundaries around your working hours. Give yourself a set schedule and follow it! When work is over for the day, close your laptop and step away. It can be tempting to check your phone for messages, especially with how easy it has become to receive them. Don’t do it! In order to maintain the gusto you began your online internship with, give yourself time mentally on and off. During lunch, turn your computer and phone off and enjoy whatever it is that will help you recharge and be ready to tackle the second half of your day. If you want an online internship free from burnout and negative feelings, then you need to do the work to prevent it from the start!
Make an exciting workspace
It seems silly, but the environment you work in plays a MAJOR part in your energy towards working each day. Set yourself up to enjoy working by establishing a dedicated workspace. No more working from your rickety kitchen table! A proper desk will go a long way in making you feel official and productive when it comes time to do your work.
Watch TikToks or YouTube videos on workspaces to get some motivation! There are trillions of fun aesthetic workspaces on the internet to try to model your own off of. A clean and productive workspace for your online internship does not need to be expensive to be effective. Try going to a thrift store to look for second hand decor, or even rummage around friends and families attics until you find something good.
No matter what you choose—create a space that you love and you’ll want to work from it.
Set goals and reasonable expectations
Be reasonable with yourself. Without goals and expectations you’ll feel lost and overwhelmed by all that needs doing in your online internship experience.
Setting attainable goals and achieving them can do wonders for your work self esteem and confidence. Schedule a meeting with your supervisor to discuss potential important goals for your internship experience and ask about their expectations. You can use this to build out your own goals and expectations for yourself. This being said, don’t hold yourself to ridiculous standards. Make boundaries and communicate them to your colleagues. Learn when to say no and when to ask for help!
The bottom line is that you need to create a workflow for yourself that keeps you accountable while you aim to achieve goals for yourself that are realistic with your own and your managers expectations. This is a skill that will follow you for your entire career, so master it while you can!
Pro-tip! Got the summer blues, watching the world go by from your home office window? Take your laptop outdoors! Working outside every once in a while can be refreshing and allow you to still feel connected to the season!
Leave your house!
We cannot stress this enough, but sometimes you need to simply leave your house. Regardless of how lovely your workspace is, it’s no secret that staying in one spot too long will make any remote worker a bit stir crazy.
Try going to work from a coffee shop if possible. THis is a low cost way to perk up your week with a sweet treat and a relaxing work environment. If a coffee shop isn’t your vibe there are tons of libraries, museums, etc that have adjusted for remote working to work from.
Need a bit of social interaction? No one ever said you couldn’t work with friends! Plan a get together with all your favorite online interns and get working. Just because you work online does NOT mean you need to be a hermit. Leaving the home is part of a healthy online work diet.
Take breaks
All of that hard work needs off duty time too. You cannot expect to stay invigorated and excited about your work during your online internship if you aren’t properly giving yourself time to turn off your work brain.
An excellent way to do this is by taking short breaks throughout your day to recharge. There are numerous ways to take an effective break but most involve stepping away from your computer screen and moving around. If you need a bit of a creative bump, I highly recommend taking a walk outside. Walks can really allow your brain to refresh while changing up your scenery a bit! Not to mention, sitting at your computer all day can be bad for your health, so fitting in movement where you can is critical.
Another break that can be effective is calling a friend, or if someone else is in the house with you while you work, going to have a quick chat with them. Remote work can be isolating, so often it can be a good call to keep yourself socially full by reaching out to others.
Remember, preventing burnout starts with how you approach your online internship from the start. Self awareness is critical here, so check in with yourself often and take time to rest fully from your work. An online internship can be a great way to work from anywhere in the world from the comfort of home but that doesn’t mean you cannot experience burnout. Armed with the above reminders you should be able to create a healthy and sustainable work routine.
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