The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown everyone for a loop. This goes for both home and work life. If your office has decided to allow you to work from home, the lines between the two just got blurry. While there are benefits to working from home, it’s also hard for most people to adjust. This is especially true if you are dealing with short notice or remote learning with the kids. If you are searching for ways to manage the stresses that come with remote work during a pandemic, A Fresh Start Therapy can help.
Telework Tips Can Help Make Things Easier
If you’ve been thrust into work-from-home life because of COVID-19, you’re not alone. Finding ways to make it work while teleworking may seem obvious. However, taking advice from those who have been there can bring about telework tips that will help you shine.
Benefits of remote work include increased job satisfaction, stronger commitment, and better performance. It reduces exhaustion and work-related stress due to the reduced commute and flexible hours. People often feel more trusted when allowed to work from home. The upside is already there; now you have to make it work. A mental health and wellness program can help.
But the drawbacks of working from home have always included social and professional isolation, which has never been a bigger problem than during the pandemic. Now, more than ever, people are searching for work from home tips that can make things easier on them, especially since other family members are home and some companies weren’t prepared.
These Are the Work From Home Tips Everyone Needs
To make working from home work for you, there are several steps you can take. Additionally, A Fresh Start therapeutic services can help give you support along the way.
- Create a routine: Take what you can from your routine and add it to your work from home life. Transitions are important to feeling like you’ve started and finished the day, so keep those going. If you listen to music in the car on the way to work, build in a few minutes that you can relax while listening to music before you start your day.
- Set expectations: Be sure to talk to your family about how your day will look and what you’ll need from them. Set expectations on when they can interrupt you and what’s considered an emergency. This will help keep your work time dedicated to working.
- Limit distractions: One of the hardest parts of working from home is all the distractions that surround you. From your TV to the kids to deliveries at the door, it can be hard to focus. Try to limit these distractions as best you can and be aware of how much you allow yourself to be distracted.
- Designate a workspace and hours: Not everyone has a separate home office. That’s ok, as long as you designate a workspace that won’t get cluttered with household stuff. The same goes for your work hours. Be sure to draw a line between work and home and only take calls or do business during your regular business hours to avoid feeling like you’re always working.
- Get dressed: It may be tempting to stay in pajamas all day long, but there’s something about getting up and starting your day like you would if you were going into the office. Shower, get dressed, have that cup of coffee, and then you’ll be more apt to take the day seriously.
- Make communication a priority: When no one is working from the same office, communication can go awry. With things so up in the air, it’s essential to keep the lines of communication open with your coworkers. Weekly meetings, frequent emails, and other forms of communication can go a long way.
- Find ways to connect: Because you won’t be getting out of the house and getting that usual break from home, it’s important to find time to socialize and ways to connect. Whether this is with coworkers on a Zoom call or friends with a virtual happy hour, be sure to build in time for interaction.
- Ask for what you need: Just because your employer sent you home to telework doesn’t mean you’ll have everything you need – or that they’ll know what you need. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need if it will help you get your job done better.
- Practice self-care: One of the most important considerations for dealing with remote work stress is taking care of yourself. Get a massage, talk to a counselor, and be sure to eat healthily and exercise.
A Fresh Start Therapy Can Help You Tackle Remote Work Stress in Washington D.C.
As a progressive behavioral and mental health counseling practice located in Washington, D.C., we believe that an approach featuring wholeness, growth, and productivity can work to your advantage. We use traditional, proven strategies to help you cope. Our life coaching or cognitive-behavioral therapy counseling are just a few of the ways we can help. Reach out to us today at 855.325.3909 or learn more about us online.
