I chose to work at home.
It was a deliberate decision I made through a process over time. You may not have had this choice. Perhaps you are one of the millions of people having had the choice to work from home made for you.
Perhaps the first week or two felt nice, sort of like a mini-vacation?
I mean, who doesn’t love staying in pajama pants all day with your hair in a messy bun, right? However, now that this has become your new normal, things are getting real. The newness is wearing off and trying to settle into a routine longer than two weeks may have you beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed.
Take a deep breath.
You can do this.
For the next few weeks I am going to guide you through this process and help you learn how working from home can serve you and become an amazing and wonderful experience.
We are going to begin this series by acknowledging the feelings of overwhelm, stress and anxiety that are captivating many of our hearts and minds.
In order to move through these feelings, it is important to give yourself space to accept what you are feeling right now.
Working Through Stress and Uncertainty
Are you struggling to focus on work with everything going on in the world right now?
If so, you’re certainly not alone.
Working through uncertain and stressful times isn’t easy. In fact, it can feel almost impossible when your mind is so taken up by fear and anxiety.
If you’re struggling right now, there are some tips you can follow which may help.
Here, we’ll look at some of the most effective ways to work through stress and uncertainty.
Practice gratitude
Did you know that practicing gratitude can make a big difference to how you feel? Studies have shown that writing a list of the things you are grateful for, can drastically improve your mood.
By focusing on the things you’re grateful for, it trains the brain to think more positively. You’ll switch your focus from the bad things going on right now, to the good. For example, working from home may be challenging, but at least you’re safe and have a home to work from.
Try to establish a routine
Now that you’ve found yourself working at home, it can feel really strange. You don’t know how to navigate your working day when you’re not in the office. So, by creating a routine, it’s going to help to ease some of that uncertainty.
Have a set time that you wake up and start work. Make sure you schedule breaks throughout the day and have a set finish time too. Just implementing a routine can erase so much of the uncertainty you feel right now.
Utilize support that’s available
One of the good things about this uncertain time, is that it is impacting everyone. This means there is a lot of support available out there.
It could be you need to spend more time connecting with friends and family. Or, you may find it useful to share your concerns with others in online support forums.
You can also find more practical support too. If you’re struggling with your finances, or worried about how the current situation will play out, don’t hesitate to seek emotional support from a trained therapist for example. One great online resource is Better Help. This site walks you through some questions and helps you get connected with an online therapist to match your needs and your budget.
Focus on self-care
Finally, try and focus on self-care during these uncertain and stressful times. This will really help to reduce the stress you feel.
Exercising regularly is a great way to deal with stress. You should also focus on doing things that relax you each day, such as meditation, reading or listening to music. The more you practice self-care, the less stressed you’ll be throughout this time.
Overall, it’s hard not to stress and fear what might happen during a pandemic. However, the tips above can really help you to manage those feelings. Remember to be kind to yourself and don’t expect too much from yourself, particularly when you first transition to working from home.
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