March 31, 2020
How to stay happy when working from home
Now that many of us need to work from home during the Covid-19 crisis, we need to find ways to reduce stress and maintain our sanity. The following are some things you can do to help keep yourself healthy and sane during these confusing and uncertain times:
Stay hydrated
Hydration is crucial in any situation but is especially important during a time of stress. When you have been thrown into a completely new routine with your job, you will likely experience some stress. Your entire body, including your brain and heart, needs water to function. When you become dehydrated, your body doesn’t operate at full capacity, which puts unnecessary stress on your organs.
Hydration has a significant impact on our level of cortisol. Cortisol is the stress hormone. When your cortisol level increases, which happens when you don’t give your body enough fluid to function properly, you are more stressed and anxious. Your heart rate can increase and your breathing can become heavier. When you are stressed, you can forget to eat or drink anything. Make hydration during this time a priority to keep yourself healthy and your body less stressed. If you have to, add a water break to your daily work-from-home routine.
Maintain a healthy diet
A healthy diet can also help you stay sane when you are dealing with the stress of working from home. When you eat a nutritious diet, you strengthen your immune system and balance out the impact that stress and anxiety have on your body. Our bodies need a variety of nutrients to help keep stress at bay. Vitamin C, for instance, is one of the best nutrients to include in your diet during a time of stress. Vitamin C decreases cortisol levels and helps reduce blood pressure.
You should also include some complex carbohydrates in your diet; this includes vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. They help keep your blood pressure at a healthy level and increase the production of serotonin in the brain.
Foods high in magnesium help reduce fatigue and fight headaches. Magnesium can also help you sleep better. As you plan your menu, try to get some of these nutrients into each meal to help you better cope with your new situation.
Get moving
Working from home likely means a lot of time sitting at a desk. Over time, you can start to become drained and stressed at the thought of working. To help combat any negative feelings, try breaking up your workday by moving your body in some way. If you live in an area that allows you to go outside during this crisis, take a quick walk around the block. If you cannot get out, do a quick indoor workout. Any sort of movement during your workday will help you combat stress, reduce fatigue, and help you stay healthy during this time.
Communicate effectively
Another way to keep yourself sane during a work-from-home situation is to be sure to communicate effectively. You may think communication is difficult when you are working from your home office rather than seeing your colleagues each day. Fortunately, thanks to the technology available, you and your co-workers can quickly and easily communicate in a variety of ways. You can use teleconferencing, Skype sessions, conference calls, emails, and a number of other ways to discuss your work while you are at home.
Communication is crucial during this time, not only for your own professional needs but also to help combat feelings of isolation. For some people, working from home can be almost debilitating, as they need interaction to function effectively. By communicating with your co-workers, you can avoid feeling isolated while you are away from each other.
Do not procrastinate
Procrastination can lead to stress. It is easy to put off tasks you do not enjoy as much when you work from your home. Unfortunately, those tasks and projects will be due at some point. You do not want to have a sudden influx of work to do at the last minute. This not only increases your stress levels but could also cause you to make mistakes with your work.
Stay on top of your daily routine
Creating a solid work routine is critical when you work from home. Before you begin your work-from-home schedule, you need to create a balanced routine that works best for you. To do this, you could look at the amount of work you have each day and block out times for each task. If this does not work for you, come up with a daily routine that best meets your needs. Most importantly, stick to your routine daily. When you know what you have to do each day, you can easily get your work done and avoid stress because you know what to expect.
During this time of crisis, it is more important than ever to maintain good mental health. With these tips, you can help fight stress and anxiety while you work from home.
