Work From Home? 6 Ways to Stay Focused and Avoid Burnout

AT FIRST, the work-from-home life had the elemental thrills of a snow day, with its languid commutes from bed to sofa. But with Covid-19 variants snuffing out the light at the end of the tunnel and companies postponing returns to the workplace, W.F.H. is becoming W.T.F. for many.

As we edge toward remote-work burnout, it’s getting harder to stay focused and productive. Even our diversions are digital—“breaks” to play phone games bloat into 30-minute lapses—exacerbating our lack of human connection and our minds’ tendencies to wander. Eugene Kim, the Los Angeles-based founder of design brand Dims., is deeply Zoom fatigued. “There’s so many little physical and visual things that we communicate to each other non-verbally that are just lost,” he said. Atlanta-based Eric Heyward, COO of watch brand Talley & Twine, similarly longs for water-cooler conversations that let him gauge his colleagues’ moods and adjust “the tone of my next Slack message.”

According to Kirsten Clacey, a remote-work expert who co-founded the Remote Coaches, spontaneous interactions can help combat the unfocused WFH malaise some folks are feeling. To create “playful moments,” she recommends beginning each meeting with five minutes spent “connecting as humans.” But you also have to carve out a personal life within your work life. Here, other expert advice.

1. To dodge the feeling your entire life is “condensed into the computer,” Ms. Clacey suggests getting into nature daily. A walk along the ocean would be ideal, because “awe and wonder have neurological benefits.” But even a few trees will do.

2. Create a separate, Pavlovian space for work mode—possible even if you have no spare room, said Liam Martin, co-organizer and CMO of remote-work conference Running Remote. No door to close? “I’ve even seen people…have a different set of ‘work’ headphones,” he said.

3. Try to spend no more than 25% of your workday in meetings to maximize your productivity, said Mr. Martin, who also co-founded the productivity app Time Doctor.

4. Clearly defined work hours are a key burnout barrier. Delete work email and IM apps from your phone so you “don’t turn working at home into living at work,” Mr. Martin said.

5. Plan weekly adventures (e.g., gallery hopping one night), said Laura Vanderkam, author of “The New Corner Office: How the Most Successful People Work from Home.”
“A lot of burnout is about feeling there is nothing to look forward to.”

6. Avoid miring yourself entirely in banal tasks. Spend 30 to 60 minutes a day doing the work that first drew you to your career, Ms. Vanderkam said—the “cool part you’d tell people about at cocktail parties, if anyone was still going to cocktail parties.”

Klaus Busse would like you to close your eyes and imagine yourself behind the wheel of a Maserati. Picture the GranTurismo, which launched in Australia in 2024. Where do you see yourself? Chances are, Busse suggests, it’s not during the school pick-up or commuting to the office.

“You’re probably on a wonderful road in Tuscany, or Highway 1, or you’re going to a red carpet event,” says Busse, who holds the enviable title of Head of Design at Maserati, the iconic Italian car manufacturer. “Basically, it’s about emotion.”

At the luxury end of the market, the GranTurismo Coupe—priced between $375,000 and $450,000—is designed to transform the driving experience into something extraordinary. For Busse and his team, these “sculptures on wheels” are not just status symbols or exhilarating machines but expressions of pure joy. Their mission is to encapsulate that feeling and translate it into their cars.

“I really feel the responsibility to create emotion,” he says. “We have a wonderful word in Italy: allegria, which is best translated as ‘joyful.’ Our job as a brand is to lift you into this area of joy, perfectly positioned just short of ecstasy. It’s that tingling sensation you feel in your body when you drive the car.”

Even as 60 percent of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, Maserati’s design ethos captures the essence of “everyday exceptional.” Whether navigating city streets or open roads, a Maserati turns heads without being ostentatious or aggressive. “I’ve driven these cars all over the world, and no matter where I go, people smile at me and give a thumbs-up,” says Busse.

Since joining Maserati in 2015, Busse has reimagined and redefined the brand, steering his team through the reinvention of classic models and the transition to electric vehicles. Iconic designs like the Fiat 500, which entered the EV market in 2020, serve as a testament to Maserati’s ability to blend tradition with innovation.

Unlike other luxury car brands, Maserati embraces radical change with new designs every 10 to 15 years. Busse loves connecting with fans who follow the brand closely. He explains that each Maserati model reflects a specific era, from the elegant 35GT of the 1950s to the wedge-shaped designs of the 1970s and the bold aesthetics of the 1980s.

“I often ask fans, ‘What is Maserati for you?’ because their responses tell me so much about how they connect with the brand,” he shares.

Inspired by legendary Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, Busse balances tradition with modernity in his designs. As Giugiaro once told him, “We always do the best in the moment.” This philosophy resonates deeply with Busse, who believes in honouring the past while embracing future possibilities.

Through advances in technology, techniques, and societal trends, Busse ensures Maserati remains at the forefront of automotive design. For him, the creative process is more than just a job—it’s a way to create joy, connection, and timeless elegance.

Work From Home? 6 Ways to Stay Focused and Avoid Burnout

Remote workdays are leaving us with wandering attention spans. Here, tips to regain your WFH focus.

Ever wondered what it takes to create a car like the Maserati? Meet the German designer taking on an Italian icon.