Lately, I’ve noticed how much of my workday revolves around a screen, from documentation and emails to telehealth sessions and supervision meetings. It’s amazing how technology keeps us connected, but I’ve also realized it can be emotionally draining. That balance between accessibility and exhaustion has become something I think about often. Between constant screen time, documentation, and video sessions/class/meetings, I’ve definitely felt that “Zoom fatigue.” I’ve also seen it in others around me, that drained feeling that comes from trying to stay present and compassionate through a screen.

What stood out to me most from Hilty et al. (2023) was the idea of the continuum from health to burnout. The “fatigue” stage really hit home because it’s such a slippery slope; one week you’re doing fine, and the next you realize you haven’t taken a real break in days. It reminded me that small habits, like taking short walks between sessions or setting clear “offline” hours, can make a big difference.

When thinking about the human factors in Hilty’s framework, I realized I experience fatigue in all four areas: in the tech and office category through eye strain and long hours at a screen; in training, by not always feeling prepared for new digital tools; in clinical care, through the emotional weight of back-to-back sessions; and in human factors, by noticing my own perfectionism and empathy fatigue. Recognizing these helps me set better boundaries and focus on prevention rather than burnout (Hilty et al., 2023).

MacDonald’s (2022) study on working from home really resonated with me because I’ve been working remotely since 2020, when I started going back to school and transitioned into a new role with more complex responsibilities. During that time, I learned just how important it is to have a clear separation between work and home. In the beginning, I didn’t have that, I worked from the couch, my bed, the kitchen table, even my car. There was no real boundary between home life, work, and school, and before long everything started to blend together. Some days I couldn’t even tell you what day it was. Weekends didn’t feel like breaks; they felt like extensions of the same long week. I’d stay up late doom scrolling on my phone just to “unwind,” but it only left me feeling more drained.

Eventually, I realized I needed a complete reset, so I made creating a dedicated office space a priority. Now, my home office feels like a completely different world; color-drenched in black with colorful lights and bold decorations that don’t match the rest of my home at all. I even painted the door a different color to mark that physical boundary. As strange as it sounds, that separation has been essential for my mental health and productivity. It’s a space where I can fully focus and then walk away when the day is done. Reading MacDonald’s research on blurred boundaries and burnout reminded me of how crucial that physical and psychological divide really is. It reinforced that remote work can absolutely be sustainable, but only when we create intentional structure and know when to shut the door, literally and figuratively, at the end of the day.

In Ratcliff’s (2024) piece, her description of burnout felt painfully accurate, that emotional exhaustion and sense of disconnection that can creep up if you’re not careful. Her focus on self-care wasn’t anything revolutionary, but it was a good reminder that the simple things really matter; movement, mindfulness, and connection. I’ve never taken the Maslach Burnout Inventory, but after reading about it, I’d actually be interested in trying it out as a check-in tool. It seems like a good way to stay self-aware before the warning signs get too loud.

All three readings reminded me how much intention it takes to care for yourself in a field that constantly asks you to care for others. Technology can be an amazing tool for access and connection, but it can also drain us if we don’t learn to manage it mindfully. For me, that means being more present, taking breaks without guilt, and remembering that I can’t pour from an empty cup, even when it’s through a screen.

References:

• Hilty, D. M., Groshong, L. W., Coleman, M., Maheu, M. M., Armstrong, C. M., Smout, S. A., Crawford, A., Drude, K. P., & Krupinski, E. A. (2023). Best practices for technology in clinical social work and mental health professions to promote well-being and prevent fatigue. Clinical Social Work Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-023-00865-3
• MacDonald, L. M.-H. (2022). Impact of working from home on addressing practitioner burnout and work–life balance in mental health. The Permanente Journal, 26(2). https://doi.org/10.7812/TPP/21.186
• Ratcliff, M. (2024). Social workers, burnout, and self-care: A public health issue. Delaware Journal of Public Health, 10(3), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.32481/djph.2024.03.05

Here’s a quick peek at my home office setup! It might sound a little unusual (maybe even like something out of a crime doc), but it’s honestly my favorite space to work and recharge.

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