Over the past year, the number of workers who have started to work from home skyrocketed. While this is not an entirely new concept, the COVID-19 pandemic, which gained heavy traction in early 2020, has largely contributed to this rise. In an attempt to curb the spread of the virus, governments worldwide enacted policies that required people to stay at home as much as possible.
The initial novelty of working from home does make it sound incredibly appealing. People no longer have to wake up earlier to prepare for their day. Also, people save money, time, and energy when they don’t have to go to the office anymore. It does indeed appear to be a desirable arrangement for many workers.
The Stressful Situation of Working from Home
People who worked from home quickly found out that this arrangement was not as great as it initially sounded. Indeed, the convenience of this setup is unmatched. But amid this convenience, workers reported feeling intense burnout from their jobs.
It can also be hard to focus on work because there are no boundaries between work life and home life. People now have to deal with the responsibilities at home while trying to achieve their work tasks. This is all too much for the average worker to handle.
Easing the Tension of Working from Home
Indeed, working from home offers its own set of problems. But much like any other problem, these work-from-home woes have solutions. With that, how can people ease the tension of working from home?
Get Comfortable
People need to try their best to create a comfortable workspace that works for them. Doing this may sound obvious, but many homes are not primed or prepared for office work. So workers who were faced with the abrupt challenge of coming up with a home office had to make do with what they had. And surely, the result was not a comfortable home office.
With that people should try their best to be comfortable as they work. Ergonomics is highly related to this goal. People who choose to work from home can get ergonomic chairs and equipment to lessen the risk of injury and discomfort while working.
Workers who want to take their comfort to the next level can even bring out portable handheld body massagers as they work. These devices can help them relieve tensions in certain parts of the body. They can use them while they work or during their breaks.
Taking Adequate Breaks
Of course, much like any other job, people who work from home should learn how to take breaks. Breaks are incredibly helpful in relieving stress during work. Furthermore, taking proper breaks assists with productivity.
People who choose to work from home tend to take fewer breaks. This may be associated with the absence of a healthy work routine. They may work more because they essentially have more free time.
With that, workers should develop the habit of taking healthy breaks. Refusing to take proper breaks may be tied to poor scheduling. Again, people overestimate their availability for work because they have more time to spend now.
This is why creating a comprehensive work schedule should be done for every person working from home. They can plot the best time to take breaks in these schedules. Strictly adhering to these schedules may help them get their much-needed breaks.
Establishing Boundaries
Tension from working from home does not necessarily all come from the job itself. Home factors can also contribute to people’s stress while working from home. Again, there are virtually no boundaries between work life and home life.
The absence of proper boundaries between these two can be stressful. People need to understand that they cannot give their attention to both things at one time. And multitasking can be counterproductive to their work life.
With that, establishing boundaries is a must when working from home. This means attending to one aspect of their life at one time. If it is time to work, they should only focus on their work tasks. This can help them streamline their tasks better.
If they live with other people, such as roommates or family members, they should create a policy to never disturb them while working. This policy should only be broken during emergencies. Policies like these can help them separate home tasks from work tasks.
Working from home is highly beneficial for many people. It has given them more opportunities to have valuable moments with their families. But this arrangement does have its unique brand of stress. With that, people should try their best to maximize this work method.
