Here’s Dr David McIvor’s top tips to manage stress when you are working from home.
What you can do to manage your ‘stress’ levels when you are working from home, particularly when your ‘work’ may be just down the corridor?
Stress occurs when you perceive that demands placed on you — such as work or relationships — exceed your ability to cope. If stress is a sense of having little or no control, take control and learn to say no. Here are 5 useful tips to keep your stress under control.
- Manage your time and deadlines
You can’t do everything at once, so prioritise and diarise your tasks. Time management is a skill and, as with every skill, it takes practice.
- Draw up to-do lists
Prioritise. What are your goals for the short and longer term? There’s a fine line between multitasking and being constantly distracted.
- Watch your diet
To reduce stress, try to eat a healthy, well-balanced, and nutritious diet.
- Meet with colleagues or friends
While working in an office can provide some social interaction, working at home is, by nature, solitary and isolated. Social isolation is a huge risk factor for the onset of major depression. To avoid depression, stay connected with co-workers electronically and make plans to spend time with family and friends at night.
- Take time out
If you hit a mental block, don’t just sit there growing increasingly frustrated. Give yourself a break. Go and do something else or go for a short walk. Your subconscious will work away on your problem and you’ll more than likely experience one of those ‘ah-ha!’ moments.
And find things to laugh about! Humour is great medicine.
Dr David McIvor, who is CEO of WorkSafety, is the author of the “Working From Home Safety Handbook – An employee guide to working safely from home”.
