Managing Work-From-Home Stress

I think it’s safe to say that most of us are dealing with much higher levels of stress than usual. Even in a more normal time, it’s important to consider how we manage stress. But especially in the current situation and with so many professionals working from home, the importance takes center stage. Working from home can pose some unique challenges and stressors, and the better prepared professionals are for these, the better they can navigate them. So, what are some things we can do that can help manage stress while working remotely? Let’s take a look at a few strategies:

Utilize Your Breaks

When working at home, it’s easy to allow the line between work and personal to blur. This often means that breaks are not really breaks. We might pause work to clean the kitchen or do the laundry, but we don’t always use the time to recharge. Giving your body and mind a break is a powerful defense against stress, and doing so several times throughout the day can help you stay a bit more even keeled. Whether you have time for a 5-minute meditation or an hour-long walk outside, taking some time throughout the day where you can decompress can help relieve a bit of stress.

Embrace Useful Tools

There are so many tools out there available to us today when it comes to working remotely, and many of these can make our work more efficient and less stressful. From ensuring your coworkers are all connected on the same online platforms to something as simple as utilizing the calendar app on your phone to schedule your work-from-home hours, using tech resources to support your work is smart. Maybe you set a timer to help you focus better on the task at hand, maybe you tune into a podcast about how to better work from home, or maybe you do a guided meditation during your lunch hour. There are countless options out there, so it’s easy to find a few that support your unique needs.

Connect Regularly

One of the major shifts many professionals notice when making the switch to working from home is the change in social interaction. For many of us, our coworkers are a vital part of our community. We see them every day, we’ve gotten to know each other, we share goals, and we often understand each other's work challenges. While you might not need to check in with your coworkers regularly, reaching out is never a bad idea. Be open with your coworkers. Maybe there are a few who would also like to have a weekly check-in on the calendar. And it doesn’t just have to be work connections. Staying connected to friends and family with virtual chats and hangouts is an equally powerful tool to combat stress.

Have you taken any steps to manage stress recently? Has working from home created any unique challenges? Has it offered any unique opportunities to help you navigate stress? Please share your thoughts with us!