Over the past several months, millions of people are finding themselves working from home instead of the usual work setting. Working from home, especially when unexpected, can present challenges. Many of us are finding this change in environment and working set up, difficult to handle, causing an increase in stress.
Male Standard have put together a list of tips and tricks to help you decrease stress levels when working from home.
Have a Set Schedule
Our first tip is to ensure you have a set schedule for working at home and treat it the same as working from home. There are more distractions working from home so it is important to have the mindset of being ready to work. Be proactive about the distractions and aim to minimize them as much as possible.
Additional stress can be caused when family members assume your schedule is open to change. Be firm in the communication and ensure everyone is aware of your working day. If you don’t set boundaries with your work schedule, your productivity will decrease and potentially cause issues
Decrease Multitasking
It is easy being constantly distracted at home so try to stay focused on your goals. By decreasing the amount of things you want to complete at the same time will help you stay focused.
Keep Personal Tasks Separate
Whilst working from home can bring the flexibility of schedules, you should try to stick to a normal productive work day. Completing personal tasks or errands during the day can result in the loss of valuable time and cause more distractions resulting is further stress. Perform these tasks before or after work and the results will be noticeable.
Take Time for Yourself
It is important to recognize that we all need personal and private time away from everyone. Be sure to take time off, go for a walk, exercise etc to recharge yourself. Take the action of planning this time into your schedule, it will help reduce stress caused by working from home.
Get Telephone counseling
The team at BetterHelp has put together an article with specific advice on accessing telephone counseling wherever you are. If you are feeling extremely stressed and all the tips are not working then be sure to get a counseling and discuss some of the issues you are having.
Make Your Work Environment Inviting
Take the effort to create a dedicated work space that allows you to be productive and focused on your work. Working in areas which are already designated for other functions will likely result in interruptions and potentially a different mindset. For example, working at the kitchen table or the on the sofa will almost certainly be interrupted by family members.
Tip: Claim a quiet corner in a different room, separate to everyone else where you will not be disturbed.
For those working at home for the foreseeable future invest in small items that can make the world of difference such as plants, pictures and cabinets.
Whilst working from home can be stressful, there are many benefits to remote work. Saving time by avoiding a commute, minimizing environmental footprint, and increased productivity are just a few.