A few months ago, working from home might have been unthinkable for your job. However, since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, things have changed dramatically. Even though your commute has improved significantly – 20 seconds from the bedroom to your desk –, you can’t help but find that your workday is different from what you might expect. When working from home is stressful you need to find ways to redress the balance. I’ve worked from home coming up fourteen years and even I’m finding it difficult with children at home and not having the option to remote work. There are ways to make things easier though.
When Working From Home Is Stressful: Find a New Office Location
Admittedly, working from your local coffee shop is not an option right now. If you have a garden shed, why not turn the shed into a cosy and simple office? It allows working parents to self-isolate away from the kids when they need to concentrate. Alternatively, more and more sharing workplaces let you rent out a private and safe place. You can benefit from industry-leading IT infrastructure and total peace of mind. If you’re interested in having a private office, you can find out more at BE Offices, for instance. Alternatively, some businesses are preparing to reopen their doors to employees on a voluntary basis. You can get in touch and ask if you can go back to work.
When Working From Home Is Stressful: Share your schedule with your family
Keeping your kids off your Zoom meetings can be tricky. Young children, especially, are not used to having their parents at home all day. As such, they might try to interrupt you when they are bored. This doesn’t have to be irritating. Allowing a little bit of your family life to appear on camera can reduce stress levels. A lot of work-at-home parents are relaxed about managing work meetings and child duties at the same time. Your coworkers are probably in a similar situation, so they are unlikely to mind a young child waving at the camera.
Learn to Disconnect at the End of the Day
It’s hard to leave work on time when you work from home. “I just need to finish this” and “Just a little bit more, and I’ll be done” become frequent mutterings. A lot of people who work from home end up working longer hours without even noticing it. Be strict about your working hours. Ideally, you want to have a strict schedule so you can turn off the laptop at the end of your working day. Don’t be tempted to read emails or check on projects after hours. When the workday is over, it’s time to relax with your family.
When working from home is stressful careful planning can be the solution to most of your problems. If you can’t find a suitable nook to set your home office at home, you will need to think outside the box and relocate your home office to a safe and productive place. Remember that family interruptions during the day or after works are not all bad! It’s good for the soul to spend time with your family. Above all, give yourself a break. If this is completely new to you or you’re having to adapt your previous home working routines remember that it’s all about finding what will work rather than worrying about what won’t.
