How To Manage Stress While Working From Home

Working from home definitely has its charms. Not having to worry about getting up early or the exhausting commute is such a blessing. However, it also has its challenges like undefined working hours, increased workload, etc. Nevertheless, utilizing a few helpful tips can help you to make the most of working from home without stress.

Work from home problems

Although I LOVE working from home, there are a few setbacks I didn’t expect when I shifted my work life from the office to my home. For example, the work hours often exceed the set hours. Before you know it, you are working after office hours if you are not careful about it.

Also, I found that it was so much easier to get distracted at home, I ended up procrastinating and then stressing over pending work. To help you avoid any work from home health impacts, I will share some helpful and simple tips to overcome any hurdles in creating that perfect work-from-home life.

Defining boundaries and working hours

When your home is your office, the line between working hours and after-office hours quickly becomes blurry. It is important that you try to wrap up work by the time you usually would back in the office. Letting your colleagues know that you will not be available after a said hour is also a polite yet assertive way to separate your work from your personal life.

Most people struggle with having to work after office hours. It may due to procrastination or work pressure, but it ends up causing stress to the person. If you are able to limit your work to certain hours, it will really help you learn how to manage stress while working from home

Designate a work area

This is the first and perhaps one of the most crucial things that will need to do. You don’t really need an office chair or a work from home desk to designate your office area (although it really does help!).

It is essential that you designate an area of the house to just doing office work. That way, when you are in the area, your brain will get accustomed to being in work mode. Also, this helps your brain to turn off and relax when you step away. It is a win-win situation, really!

Stick to a routine

When I talk of following a routine when working from home, I am not really saying that you should be up by 6 am or in bed by 9 pm sharp, LOL. But, having some kind of structure throughout the day really helps!

By having a routine, I suggest that you also set a vague timetable for yourself throughout the day. Simple things like dinner by 9 or laundry on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s can give you the structure you need. Having a structure in your life can help you be productive and help alleviate mental health troubles.

As routine can quickly become monotonous, you can change some of the activities around and give yourself free time to just laze around as well. For example, I love showering before going to bed rather than in the morning. This way, I am still keeping to my personal hygiene routine but I just moved things around according to my liking. A routine is crucial to help you manage stress while working from home

Sleep on time

This is perhaps the most crucial of all the suggestions I have adopted or read about. You need to sleep on time for your mental and physical health. I understand how tempting it is to watch just one more episode of your favorite TV show at night. But, inconsistent sleeping pattern increases the chances of high blood pressure, obesity, and other health conditions.

Give yourself 6-8 hours of sleep consistently and notice how much more productive and happier you are working from home. One piece of advice that worked wonders for me is to never take your laptop/iPad to bed if you watch shows on there. It is so much easier to press ‘Next’ when you are all comfortable and cozy in bed. If you don’t take the laptop/iPad to bed, you will have to get up and go to sleep when the exhaustion hits.

Exercise regularly

Exercise is not only a great way to stay in shape, but it is also proven to be effective against stress. Working out regularly helps to keep your immune system, cardiovascular system, and digestive system strong. It also releases feel-good hormones called endorphins, which can help get rid of that feeling of stress or negativity from your body. Exercise has also proven to reduce symptoms like anxiety and depression and improve your overall mood.

There are a ton of simple workouts you can do at home without equipment. I would suggest starting with a simple 20-minute walk daily. Just be present in the moment and try not to let your mind wander. It is one of the best work from home health tips that anyone can use.  

Talk to someone

I consider myself to be a decent communicator. But when I am upset or something is bothering me, I tend to close up. But, over time I realized that it often did more harm than good.

If you are anything like me, it must be difficult for you to call up someone and talk about your problems. You don’t even have to do that. All you need to do is call up a friend and catch up, maybe even meet them. If the conversation goes there then you could speak about how stressed you are and seek advice. Otherwise, at least you will get a nice time out of it and relax.

Take proper breaks

While working from the office, I used to make sure that I could squeeze in a couple of short breaks between work. But ever since I started working from home, I noticed that I didn’t take breaks like before. Most of the breaks I took from work was to tend to some chore.

Stepping away from your work desk for short while can be very healthy. It can help you be more productive and creative with the task at hand. It also helps reduce stress. Professionals also suggest that you look away from your screen every 20 minutes for 20 seconds.

Avoid distractions

While it is helpful to take short breaks in between, it is also essential that you avoid distractions while you are working. It helps to focus on work and not end up stressing over it. Although the couch seems so tempting, but working from a chair and table is not only good for your posture but also productivity.

I find my phone to be a major distraction. In fact, that is the sole reason why I couldn’t complete this article earlier. So, when I struggle with picking up my phone often, I try to keep it away from me. That way, I would have to get up and fetch it if I needed it. You have to understand the triggers and only then can you find solutions, which in this case is to learn how to manage stress while working from home.

Write down your feelings

This is not a common advice when it comes to dealing with stress, but this is one that works wonders. I randomly started jotting down a few lines about my day. It is a great way to channel all your emotions in a constructive way. It is also an exceptional way to keep a tab on your productivity and overall mental wellbeing.

Stress has become an innate part of our lives. Whether we are home or work, there are always more things that need to get done and require our attention. For the longest time, I tried avoiding stress by not acknowledging it.

Then, I thought it is not natural to be stressed and that I should not be feeling this way. But things really took a turn for the better when I acknowledged that this was an issue and began to manage stress. I really hope the tips I have shared will help learn how to manage stress while working from home.