Managing stress whilst remote working
The move from office to home working was rapid and came with little time to plan and adapt. You may now be working from the home office, spare room or kitchen table as well as doubling up as a teacher.
Remote working during normal times can provide greater flexibility and a healthy work life balance with reduced commuting and the ability to go for a run or to the gym at lunchtime. It can also lead to feelings of isolation, loneliness and exclusion. With some of the usual copying strategies for remote working unavailable at the moment some tips to help manage stress in the current climate to help reduce anxiety.
It’s important to set a work routine and have clear boundaries between work and home life/ family time. Plan a morning routine which is similar to the one you would normally have, get up, dressed and showered, stick to your normal working hours for you. Try to have a separate office space and don’t be tempted to take your laptop into the home space when you have finished for the evening. This will help with the temptation to send and receive emails during the evening which should be reserved for family or relaxation.
Plan with your family when your work-time is and the times when you cannot be disturbed. You may be working in the space where the printer is and unless you have told your family when you cannot be disturbed, they won’t know. The family may have priorities too, work together to communicate these, that way there is less opportunity for stress and tension. Your family have their own stresses and priorities.
Exercise is a valuable stress reliever, as this is limited at the moment, you may not be able to use it solely to clear your head as it may be reserved for family time. Try to switch off during this time and park your work. Pilates and Yoga are really valuable for body strengthening and stress relief, there are classes being streamed via Zoom etc. it may just allow you some me-time.
Acknowledge that this is a very difficult time and feelings of stress are normal, be aware of your stress triggers and your reactions to those triggers, that way you can take action more quickly to alleviate the feelings of stress.
Build-in regular breaks to your routine have a coffee in the garden, on the balcony or open window. Use instant messenger to keep in touch with work colleagues with whom you would normally have a chat during the day in the office. These exchanges are a normal part of the working day and are valuable for information gathering and general social interaction so maintaining them where possible is important. In the office we rarely sit at our desk and work constantly without interacting with others, so don’t do it a home.
Eat and drink as healthily and normally as possible, it can be very tempting to reach for sugary treats when working at home, we rarely reach for a bowl of salad when we are stressed. A few treats are fine but try to keep a balance.
Limit your exposure to the news during the day. Watch a short comedy, laughter is so beneficial and in short supply at the moment. Reduce exposure to social media, again the constant news can increase stress.
Use your downtime to learn a new and fun skill, baking, painting, and singing with a virtual choir, find that musical instrument you hated when you were 11, that language you left at school. If you are able, take it turns to cook a nice meal and dress up. Have early evening virtual drinks with friends, daytime virtual coffee with a friend or colleague. Zoom quiz nights with friends. Improve work skill set with online learning. Have ago at meditation. Teach your children poker, trust me this is a life skill! Or allow yourself to do nothing.
Appetite, sleep and mood may all be affected, recognise that this is normal during times of change and uncertainty. When the time comes to move back to our offices, changes may have been made which allow more agile working and this becomes more generally part of routine.