Due to the global health crisis, many of today’s workers have transitioned to working from the comfort of their homes. Understandably, this has brought joy to employees everywhere, as this new working arrangement allowed them to spend more time with their family and work flexible hours. However, not everyone expected the many challenges of working from home.
Our own Mohamed Latib points out that to make working from home a fun and gratifying experience, you should be able to deal with the stress it brings. Below, we’ve listed the top tips you can use to manage better the stress of working from home.
Reach Out to Friends and Family
Working from home during these distressing times can be difficult as we also have to adjust how we socialize. Since the current health directives dissuade social gatherings and face-to-face interactions, many of us are stripped of enjoying physical activities with friends and family. Unfortunately, many of us rely on these non-work-related interactions to distress after a long day at work.
Thankfully, we can reach out to our loved ones through the same tools we use to work remotely. For instance, video conference apps like Google Duo and Skype allow us to stay connected with our friends and family. We can hold remote parties, digital game nights, and even virtual happy hours to take the edge off a stressful week of working from home through these video calls.
Try Deep Breathing Exercises
Every worker experiences stress at work — whether it’s because of an overbearing boss or the pressure of finishing your daily tasks. However, sometimes this stress can get unbearable and potentially affect how you perform at work. To deal with work stress better, it’s best to clear your mind through relaxing activities like deep breathing exercises.
Pain-Free Working’s list of breathing exercises for reducing stress includes Lion’s Breath and the 4-7-8 Breathing Technique — both of which can help you instantly relax. To do the lion’s breath, sit up straight, inhale deeply through the nose, and exhale forcefully with your mouth wide open while making the sound “haaaaaaah.” Repeat until you feel sufficiently relaxed. On the other hand, the 4-7-8 breathing technique can be performed by breathing in for four seconds, holding it for seven, and then exhaling slowly for eight. Other than helping you relax, these breathing techniques can also help improve your mood and get rid of a mild headache.
Create a Schedule and Stick to It
The great thing about remote working arrangements is that these often allow for more flexible work hours. This means being able to wake up late during the day and adjust your work hours however you see fit. Having no schedule at all is one of the worst mistakes you can make when working from home. If you find it harder to finish your tasks and create a clear boundary, follow a work schedule that works best for your lifestyle. To help yourself find it easier to stick to your work schedule, try creating a morning ritual that allows you to get ‘ready’ for the day. The Startup also notes that you should schedule breaks and use them to energize and reinvigorate your mind. Doing so allows you to be more productive and keep work stress at bay.
Working from home is not the perfect working arrangement. It has its own unique set of challenges that can stress you out and hamper your work performance. So if you want to manage better the stress of working from home, be sure to heed the tips we’ve listed above.
Written for cxuniversity.com by Amelia Hunt
