5 Tips for Reducing Your Stress While Working From Home – Tina B's World
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5 Tips for Reducing Your Stress While Working From Home

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Working from home sounds like a dream come true. right?

  • Sit in your comfy chair all day 
  • Direct access to all the snackies and drinks you have
  • You don’t have to dress up or even take a shower.
  • No exhausting daily commute.

So, what’s the problem? 

woman working on her computer while checking her phone

Simply put: the rise of remote working in the past few years has made us all more aware that there are downsides or working from home. 

Those working from home tend to struggle more with work-life balance and feeling as though they’re always “on call” with the office.

Try these tips to reduce feelings of stress associated with working from home:

Designate Your Workspace

You have probably felt the impact ten-fold if you don’t have a spare room of dedicated home office space and are now working from home, whether by choice or force. 

Having a workspace means you can shut out distractions easier because your brain is wired for work when you’re in that particular spot. 

Staking out your territory for remote work gives you more of a work-life balance, which is a major benefactor in reducing stress.

Ideally, you’ll want a specific room in your house that you can leave and close the door on at the end of your workday, reminding you that even though you’re still home, you’re no longer in work mode. That way, you’re less likely to suffer through burnout. 

In an ideal world, you’ll want a specific room that you can leave and close the door on at the end of each day. This reminds you to separate your professional and personal lives, so you’re less likely to burn out from working too hard. 

equip yourself

When some people switched to remote work during the pandemic, they dealt with limited resources. 

They were just not prepared to be working from home, so they basically had to make do with whatever they had: 

  • old laptop used only once every few weeks
  • slow internet connection (because it’s cheaper)
  • low-quality webcam (because family didn’t need a clear picture)

Today, those excuses just won’t fly. Remote work is going to continue to grow in popularity. If your employer hasn’t made any effort to make being remote easier for you, it might be time to make a request. 

You’ll need:

  • a solid internet connection
  • effective communication tools (headphones, mic) 
  • access to a video camera for video meetings 
  • the ability to leverage the software you used in the office 

create a schedule

So many people assume working from home is fun. 

“You can work whenever you want, take breaks whenever you want. What’s better that that?”

Reality check: we often end up glued to work because our workstation is readily accessible. We forget to take breaks because we don’t have the usual office interruptions that might cause us to lift out heads for a moment. 

For these reasons, creating a schedule is a good idea. 

You get to decide when to:

  • tackle the tough challenges
  • take on the easy work
  • how often you take breaks 

You can also decide how to spend those breaks:

  • grab coffee
  • take a short walk
  • stretch your legs or your entire body

Designing a schedule puts you in control. No matter how hectic your calendar feels, you can always remind yourself to stop and allow time to make a healthier lunch.

Also? It gives you a time to “clock out” so you DON’T overwork yourself into burnout. 

Designing a schedule will also remind you to eat a healthy lunch each day – no matter how hectic your calendar feels. Plus, it gives you a time you can “clock off” each day. 

Stay Connected

One of the biggest sources of stress for those who work from home is that feeling of isolation, like we’re cut off from the world. 

It’s important to keep the lines of communication open, especially if remote work or working from home is brand new to you. It’s quite the adjustment! 

Businesses who employ remote, hybrid or even freelance workers should attempt to set up regular video chats or chat sessions where you can:

  • share thoughts
  • voice concerns

Boss too busy or can’t be bothered?

Take the initiative and do it yourself. Keep in mind people might not be interested, so you might have to branch out on social media. 

TIP: create virtual happy hours with your coworkers or friends by arranging a time to connect via video. 

It just might work wonders for your mental health! 

show yourself some compassion

Stress is a serious challenge in any workplace, and it’s becoming increasingly worrisome lately. 

It’s okay to feel like you need a break from time to time, so take a moment to center yourself.

If you find yourself starting to struggle with the various challenges and tasks set for you in your remote working life, speak to someone about it.

Lots of other people are going through similar experiences to you, which means that they’re there to help/support you if need be. 

Show yourself enough grace that you allow yourself to ask for help. 

As you get more comfortable with working from home, keep these tips in mind to help you reduce work-from-home stress.

You’re going to want to focus on all the benefits of working from home, so enjoy the experience! 

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