Work From Home and Stress: How to Combat It

There were times when people wished they could just work from home, now that they have it, they are not glad about it. Why is that? Working from home was supposed to make things easier for everyone, but it has turned out to be stressful. Studies have shown that long-term stress can increase the risk of getting heart diseases. The common responses to stress are aches & pains, decreased energy & sleep, anxiety, anger, depression, impatient, and forgetfulness. Nobody knows when this situation is going to change for good, so it’s time everyone made positive changes in their lives. Here are a few things you can do to make work from home pleasant and less stressful.

Have a Designated Space for Work: Most people have an image of how working from home would be like. In pyjamas, having a cup of coffee or tea and working from the bed or sofa. Those of you who are doing this, bad news, it’s not the right thing to do. Instead, everyone should have a dedicated space for everything they do such as having meals, watching movies, reading and working. This is mainly because doing a particular activity repeatedly every day in the same place creates particular energy that makes you more focused, productive and you feel less stressed.

Set a Schedule and Stick to It: Juggling a zillion tasks can slow you down, make you less productive and stress you out. Having a plan in place will help get things done one by one. See what chores you can finish before logging in to work and what you can keep for later, once you log out. If you have children, ensure they are sorted to attend their online classes. You can check on them, once in a while though. Don’t fill your to-do list for the day, keep certain things for the weekend. Things that don’t need your immediate attention.

Frequent Breaks: Step away from what is causing you stress, whether it is a weekly report that just seems right, a blog that isn’t coming together or you had a long stressful call with a client. Take a break when you feel that a particular task is overwhelming. Apart from that, taking frequent breaks will help focus better. Don’t be guilty of taking breaks while working from home, you do take breaks when your office. Don’t you? It’s the same. Your break doesn’t have to be long. It can be as short as 5 minutes. Do some stretching exercises, read a page of your book, watch a funny video (or any video), play with your pet or check on your kids.

Connect With Your Loved Ones: Everyone is working from home and probably overwhelmed by the pandemic as well, so check on them whenever you can. On days when you are feeling stressed and low, talk to your close ones. Surrounding yourself with loved ones has proved to boost one’s mood instantly, bringing down your stress levels. 

Rest Well: There’s nothing that a good night’s sleep can’t fix. Before you get into bed ensure you leave your phone on your desk/shelf. Taking your phone into bed will push you to look into it, check your social media handles or news or something else for that matter, which will keep you awake longer and affect the quality of sleep. You will wake up the next day tired and it will affect your productivity, which will increase your stress levels. To avoid all these problems, get a proper 7-9 hours of sleep.

Now that you know how you can make work from home a pleasant experience and combat stress, ensure you follow these tips. By keeping a check on your stress levels you are taking care of your heart as well. A healthy mind is key for a healthy heart! However, if you are experiencing any symptoms such as chest pain, chest discomfort, weakness or pain in the throat, or back immediately consult a cardiologist at The Heart Hospital. The centre has a renowned team of cardiologist and cardiac surgeons that will help you get through any heart issues.