Three of the focuses of my blog are Career Discussions, Current Events and Health/Wellness. The Coronavirus/Covid-19 Crisis/Pandemic has caused many workers to work at home which hasn’t been a simple adjustment for everyone. The following contributed post is entitled, 5 Simple Ways to Combat Stress While Working From Home.
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Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
Coronavirus has drastically affected business both large and small around the world. And because of the global pandemic, many have had to work from home instead of the usual office setting that they are used to. This change has affected the ability to work for those not familiar with a remote routine, leading to countless feelings of stress and as though they are on edge.
But to be as successful as possible within your role, it’s important to identify methods that will help to relax you – so that you’re feeling as productive and motivated each day.
Although it’s undeniable that you might not be as engaged as you would in your work setting when you’re among your colleagues, it’s still important to seek techniques that guarantee you get your work completed on time. But if you’re unsure as to where to start, then it might be a bit daunting. To help guide you, here are 5 approaches you could take:
1. Create a Dedicated Workplace
When working from home, it’s important to create a dedicated workplace – and to not sit in your living room on the couch or in another busy environment. By opting to sit and work in a loud part of your home, you’ll only feel stressed and as though you can’t complete tasks to the best of your abilities.
So to prevent this from happening, consider creating a home office that you can comfortably work in. This won’t only help your concentration levels, but will also be more ergonomic – especially if you have an adjustable office chair.
2. Keep in Contact with Colleagues and Loved Ones
During this time, it’s only natural to feel isolated when you’re at home all the time. And even though life is gradually getting back to normal, many people are still working from home either full time or part of the time. If you’re feeling isolated and stressed, then it’s essential that you try and stay in contact both with your colleagues and with loved ones.
Human interaction is vital throughout your working day and it’s something that shouldn’t be ignored. Giving you a little pick me up, these virtual video calls will make all the difference to how you’re feeling.
3. Take Breaks Throughout The Day
Although this might seem like an obvious one, it’s still worth a mention – especially during the coronavirus outbreak when you may feel limited as to what you can do. Taking breaks throughout the day is critical to recharging your brain and giving yourself that much-needed breather.
Without doing this, it’s clear that your mental health will start to suffer. So make sure you take time out away from your screen and manage any feelings of stress. Even just 10 minutes or so away from the desk will help you to refresh.
You could spend these breaks going on a walk nearby, baking something delicious or doing anything activity that doesn’t revolve around a screen. Just make sure that when you’re doing this you’re following the social distancing guidelines!
When work is finished, you can then have a cooling down period in which you unwind. Some people might take this time to understand the importance of grow cabinets if they use cannabis to relax, or another activity they enjoy doing.
4. Establish a Working Routine (And Try to Stick to it)
Without a schedule in place, you might feel as though you’re struggling to find a balance between your work time and your personal time. These blurred lines could start to make you feel stressed and as though you never have time to unwind.
It’s therefore a good idea to create a daily schedule. Within this time, you could list exactly when you’re going to work (which will usually align with your core working hours) and when you will stop work for the day.
Although this is a simple trick, it can prove to be invaluable not only in this time but in the future if you have to work from home again.
5. Switch Off
As part of your downtime, it’s also worth putting your phone and any other technology away at least two hours before you sleep. At the moment, the news and social media are incredibly negative, so instead of focusing on this before you go to bed, consider opting for reading a book or another activity.
When working from home, you want to ensure that your sleeping pattern is as good as possible with no disruptions. This is therefore a beneficial practice to do each night, to allow you to fall asleep more naturally.
Final Thoughts
So, there you go! Those are 5 simple methods that you can use to help you to relax and combat sleep while working from home.
The methods that you use, of course, is up to you. But whatever proactive steps you take towards ensuring that you manage your levels of stress, while remaining engaged the more successful you will be.
