Your home should be your sanctuary, your place of rest and relaxation. But ever since millions of people began working from home during the onset of the coronavirus, the home has been transformed into a place of work, deadlines and pressure. Ultimately, this has led to increased levels of work-related stress and anxiety.
Here are some of the stress factors employees face while working from home:
NO SET ROUTINE
A major drawback of working from home life is the lack of structure, which ends up causing delays in work as nobody is there asking for things to be finished at a specific time.
HARD TO SET BOUNDARIES
Remote work is about flexibility and that comes with the benefits of working from anywhere. For many, this means the opportunity to have a better work-life balance and the ability to spend more time with partners, roommates or children. But without the firm end of leaving your desk and going home, working from home can mean ambiguity, and you often find yourself answering emails and responding to work requests at 10pm.
SOCIAL ISOLATION
It is easier to focus on your job when you’re in your own home with no co-workers stopping by your desk to ask a quick question or to chat about a project. But some workers feel left out of their workplace due to communication, information sharing, and decision-making. This often leads to a feeling of social isolation.
TIPS To Reduce Stress Working From Home
1.Prioritize and organize
Flexibility is one of the obvious benefits of working remotely. Having a distinct schedule for when to work and when to pause is something that allows remote workers to maintain a perfect work-life balance. Whether due to the coronavirus or because you’ve managed to find a remote-based job, be prepared to change some of your habits to make working from home a success.
Clarify your goals, make a to-do list and try to stick to it as often as possible. Do not procrastinate! Maintain regular hours and prioritize working on your most important tasks and projects for earlier in the day.
2.Keep your social life
It is common for communication between team members to suffer when transitioning to remote working conditions. That’s why you should not hesitate to reach out to your manager and teammates from your ‘home office’ anytime you have a question or suggestion.
Conduct video chat meetings at regular intervals. A video conference is the best way to make sure everyone is on the same page about projects you’re currently working on. Make sure the video chat platform includes features such as file sharing, screen share and multiple users in one chat.
3.Treat it like a real job
Just because you can walk around in your pajamas doesn’t mean you actually should. Similarly, not having a well-equipped home office space doesn’t mean you should stay in bed with your laptop. A properly organized workspace where you can concentrate is a must for unlocking the benefits of remote work. Imagine that you’re still going to the office for work and then coming home to rest.
4.Enhance Your Ergonomics
Back pain, neck pain, headaches. According to the American Chiropractic Association, these are just a few of the health problems associated with poor ergonomics in the workplace. And let’s face it, most offices are not set up with employee well-being in mind. Collapsing into an uncomfortable chair for eight hours a day is hardly conducive to a healthy lifestyle. But you can choose buychairs to sets you up for health.
5.Exercise
The pace of life can come at us way too fast at times. Clear your head and take a few minutes to breathe. Inhale for 5 seconds, hold and exhale after 5 more. Doing so will help you stay calm and focus, like a 90-minute yoga class but in three minutes or less. Remember that 30 minutes of walking per day can help boost your mood and reduce stress levels.
6.Eat right and sleep well
Eating poorly will stress your body out while eating right will restore balance and reduce pressure. A good night’s sleep rejuvenates the body so you can tackle the day ahead and can help lower the effects of stress during your out-of-office workday.
Regardless of your situation, you are still in charge and need to work on becoming a more effective remote worker. If you approach this sudden work-from-home situation with the right mindset, you'll do well and enjoy the benefits that come with it.