Managing Stress at Home
Most people are excited when their employer facilitates working from home. The possibility to be flexible in situations such as having a boiler service, deliveries and child care enthuses many and even more so in that annual leave does not have to be taken for life tasks. However, once the novelty of working from home wears off and the challenges become more apparent, it is not difficult to see why people may start to become stressed or anxious.
In these unprecedented times employees have had to move to remote working to support the government strategy for social and physical distancing, therefore, many individuals will have found themselves in an unexpected situation of having to blend home and work life. Whilst the stressors may not be the same as previously felt when attending the work place, such as the commute or interactions with colleagues, they still take their toll and should be acknowledged when considering wellbeing when working from home.
Set a schedule
Although you once may have thought the rigid routine dictated by working hours seem stifling, the realisation that this actually was the scaffolding to your structured life may come as a shock. The novelty of creating your own freeing schedule turns into a daunting task and soon you worry about what will work best.
Some key things to keep in mind when determining a schedule best suited to you:
- Work when you work best – feel free to experiment and try a few different working patterns
- Make use of technology – normally considered our enemy, however, there are many apps available that support your ability to focus and work from home, including monitoring social media use and creating work to do lists
- Start with the challenging – it can become all to easy to leave the unpleasant or difficult tasks to the end of the day, building up stress. Clearing these from your plate first can help you feel accomplished and ready to face the rest of the day.
Stay connected
In these times, as well as working from home is the limitation of any physical movement from outside of the house and restrictions on both work and social interactions, therefore feelings of isolation and loneliness can easily increase. It is important that individuals take responsibility for remaining connected and proactively create networks to help reduce those feelings of loneliness:
- Use video during online work meetings – it may seem the easy option to hide however actually seeing each other can boost positivity
- Interact with colleagues socially – we are all guilty of having a quick chat with a colleague in the office that is non-work related, continue this and make time to talk socially with your colleagues
- Ring people – not everyone has access to online facilities, so ensure you still ring those people
- Identify support contacts – in those moments of feeling low or isolated ensure you have identified people who can be a part of your supportive community.
Reward
Stress and anxiety has an intrinsic link to motivation and appreciation. Working in an environment where the casual “thank you” and “well done” no longer occurs can soon demotivate and cause a low mood. Ensure that you continue to make your work experience pleasant, it will help to keep yourself and others feeling appreciated.
- Set task goals – the feeling of completion will help boost your mood
- Send an e-card – through the engagement platform Linc-On, send a card of thanks to a colleague.
Don’t be too hard on yourself
It is quite likely that we will need to accept a certain amount of distress and anxiety in the short and medium term due to the outbreak, therefore it is important to have self-care techniques that work for you.
- Try to keep things in perspective – In the moment the feeling of pressure and stress may be overwhelming, ensure you take yourself away from the situation
- Remember that having a bad day is a universal human experience
- Self-compassion – act as if you were your own best friend: be kind and supportive.
Ask for support
Recognising the need to ask for help and support can be essential in ensuring your mental wellbeing during social distancing. It is all to easy to assume that feelings of isolation and low mood are only temporary, or that they will subside on return to the workplace, however acknowledging them early on can limit the impact and long term effect they may have. 1 in 4 people will suffer from a period of ill mental health, and 3 in 4 experience periods of stress each year, therefore it is imperative that support mechanisms are utilised.
- Employee Assistance Programme – the 24/7 phone number can be accessed by yourself or any member of your household and the fully trained professionals can help advise, support and refer where necessary on a multitude of subjects
- Tell your manager – if you are experiencing feelings of stress and anxiety speak to your line manager who will be able to support you and make any reasonable adjustments to your working life
- Mindfulness – mindfulness meditation helps us relate differently to experiences. It involves paying attention to our thoughts and feelings in a way that increases our ability to manage difficult situations and make decisions.