How To Manage The Pressures of Working From Home

With retrenchments and lay-offs becoming increasingly common, many people look to other alternatives of gaining income from home or becoming their own entrepreneurs on the internet. As such, tens of thousands of people are in their home office feeling frustrated for a single reason: they can’t understand how to get any work done when there are loads of distractions ranging from their television, laundry, and kitchen.

If you resonate with the scenario above, you’re not alone and it’s honestly really difficult to work from home and there’s only so much we can do to make the experience easier. Hopefully, this article can help you alleviate some of your everyday stresses of working from home and aid your transition from working in an office environment to a home office. And for those of you who have unfortunately been laid off at work, don’t fret. There are plenty of work from home opportunities out there.

Change Your Location

Working in a singular cubicle may seem to cause mild claustrophobia, and working in your home office will probably provide a similar experience within your four walls. You can do your mental health a favor by getting out of your house as you don’t have to actually be prisoned in your own home. There are a variety of places today for you to work in such as cafes, fast food joints, or even the library. Find what works best for you taking into consideration the number of distractions that you can handle and whether these public areas allow you to stay for an extended period of time.

Exercising Does Wonders

Next, exercising is really important to propel you further in your work as it clears your head and gets your heart pumping to be energized to start and maintain your work. When you’re at home, the need for exercise becomes even more significant as you no longer commute as much.

Go for a quick run or walk in the morning before your work begins to help start your day. This will also help you shed a few extra calories and keep you healthy. It can be rather difficult to be motivated when you’re always cooped up at home and leading a sedentary lifestyle. If heading out is inconvenient for you, try out some home workouts on YouTube instead to break a sweat.

Plan Your Meals

If you are not planning your own lunch, you may find yourself spending excessive time in the kitchen as an unconscious attempt to skip out on work. Allocate time for your meal preparations and for you to relax during your lunch break but try to avoid spending the whole afternoon cleaning your kitchen, or driving all the way out to eat unhealthy fast food meals.

Low Information Diet

When you are at home, there are no managers out there to keep you in check and ensure that you’re doing your work. Sadly, you have to have the discipline to keep your distractions away. Tim Ferriss recommends his readers to check their emails only twice daily at 12 PM and 4 PM. Avoid using Google Reader and Twitter during working hours unless it’s truly essential for you to do your job. Keep these thoughts out of your head during working hours if you want to be productive.

Think in the Long Term: Comfort Matters

Your workspace matters and it’s tough to work for long hours or even work productively when you’re feeling uncomfortable. Invest in a comfortable chair and a desk at an appropriate height as the discomfort can be another form of distraction for you. Think of whatever that allows you to relax such as a plant or positioning your desk near your window. Your home office should allow you to work to your maximum capacity and allowing yourself to enjoy the spatial design you’ve created will help with that. Don’t constrain yourself to the rules of your previous office design.

Entertainment Helps

Too much time spent on a single thing can drive your stress levels through the roof or possibly cause you to get sick of it. While you may love your work, entertain yourself from time to time. It can be in the form of a good old book or your favorite Netflix show. If you’re in the creative industry, this can help you during your creative blocks or writer’s block. For those that are dealing with numbers during your work, it can help you rest your mind for that short period of time to propel you further and allow you to be more efficient when you actually get to work. This also helps you stay motivated while at home. Nevertheless, the trick is how much entertainment should you engage in? That’s up to you to decide based on your morale levels and career goals.

Work Routine and Deadlines

Working hours doesn’t have to be your standard 9 AM to 5 PM. Unless your job calls for it, you can work at your own timing. However, standardizing your work hours can help you tweak your lifestyle and set your body clock to get you in the mood for work. This also allows you to send signals to your clients and families on when to contact you and when to leave you alone.

Stay Connected

A common issue that people who work from their home face is that they soon become socially distant as they get used to the routine of working in their room all day and all night. Make sure you spend a few hours every day with your family or friends and regularly keep your social life in check. This can also be just a simple video call or having dinner with your family. It should not be your primary motivation but it can be something you look forward to once you finish your day’s commitment.

The idea of easing the pressures of working from home is to take care of yourself. This means having a consistent process of maintaining all parts of your life to better propel you in your work. Once you’ve met your needs, it gets a lot easier to handle the needs of others through your work. Stay productive and you will be able to be optimistic about your work environment in time to come.

Samantha

Samantha hails from Virginia and is a proud wife to a retired Deputy Sheriff and mother to two amazing little boys named Jack & William. A veteran product reviewer; Samantha has been reviewing products for 8 years and offers high quality product reviews with original photography.