Working from home has historically been a positive step by organizations but it may be stressful for some people. Stress further increases for many when we are compelled by the global coronavirus pandemic to do so. Instead, being forced to work from home might lead to stress and burnout. In fact, a report by the International Labour Organization found that working from home leads to about 64% higher chances of stress compared to working from the office. Read this article to find out how to reduce stress and burnout while working from home during COVID-19.
This article is an extension of the previous one where we have suggested action points. These activities are likely to reduce work from home stress during COVID-19. Working from home during coronavirus pandemic has several pros and cons. You may check out our previous article on work from home during COVID-19 to find out more.
Avoid Overworking:
You have probably read hundreds of articles that advise you to not overwork. However, you still might not be able to manage the time you are working or overworking. This is because you may be constantly juggling between chores: sometimes cooking, sometimes cleaning, sometimes child-rearing and sometimes performing occupation-related work. Multi-tasking has been found to be an antecedent of stress and burnout. Time management is important now more than ever.
A small activity would let you prevent overworking. Every night before going to sleep complete the following 2 sentences:
- I will not switch on my workstation before _______ ‘o clock in the morning.
- I will shut down my workstation by ______’o clock in the evening.
This will make you cautious about your working hours, leading to lesser work from home stress during COVID-19.
Download the FREE activity sheet PDF at the end of this article to help you take on the WFH challenge in the highest spirits!
Focus only on what you can control:
Most employees have ben working from home for a couple of weeks now. You may hence, be aware of most things that irritate you and stress you out. Make a list of the top things that frustrate you throughout the day. Then, classify them into two columns.
| Things I can control | Things beyond my control |
| For example, Time I spend on-screen | For example, The speed of internet |
| Maintaining a healthy lifestyle | Indiscipline of my colleagues |
| —– | ——– |
Making this list will help you get a clear understanding of what you can and cannot control. All of us know that stressing out about something beyond our control is futile and damaging for our health. Hence, channelize your cognitive energy in a fruitful way to get the maximum out of your day.
Child-related issues:
The primary reason why I am including this point here is that over the past few weeks, I have notices significant surge in queries related to child-rearing during lockdown or self-isolation.
It is a good decision to not scold your child during this period of crisis. They do not understand the outside situation. Hence, when their school is closed and they see you home all day, they are likely to think it’s a vacation. This makes it crucial to be polite to them and not punish them too harshly. However, this in no way implies that they can behave in an undisciplined manner.
Make the following list regarding your child’s daily schedule:
- When do they wake up?
- What time do they take their meals?
- When do they nap?
- What time do they watch the television?
- When do they play?
- What is their bedtime?
Please add any other relevant activity that consumes significant duration of your child’s day.
Making this list will give you a much clearer picture of what you already know about your child. Then, make a decision regarding when you cannot work from home because you have to attend to your child. Most of us will not be able to work during their meal times, an hour after they wake up and an hour before they go to bed. Do not commit to your team members that you will work during these times. Also, do not schedule your own work or personal leisure during this time. It will end up making you stressed out unnecessarily.
Now find out the time slots during which you can work. Since most of you wake up hours before your kids, you can probably finish some work in the morning before they are up. You can also work when they are watching the television or taking a nap. You will find that you have sufficient time for all your chores if you organize your day a little. Such an organization is likely to reduce work from home stress during COVID-19.
How will you keep them engaged during their waking hours?
- You have to sit them down and tell them that the lockdown is not a vacation- not for them and definitely not for you.
- There are several online learning platforms for kids. Download them and ask your child to pretend that they are in a real classroom and attend the lesson as if they are in school. This will keep your child busy while you finish your work. If you do not find any suitable online course, you can spend some time creating your own online learning game for your child using Kahoot. It is easy and fast.
- Every child has a hobby. Find out what your child loves to do and nudge him or her to spend at least an hour on it.
- Remember to appreciate your child’s efforts and reward them for good behavior. Thank them when they do not interrupt you during your work.
- Lastly, spend some quality time with them. Children crave for your attention. If you do not give them sufficient attention, they will interrupt you to grasp your attention!
Conclusion
Thank you for reading. You may download an editable PDF of the activities by clicking the button below. Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section and if you liked the article please share it with others. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to be aware of our latest articles.
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