Is working from home becoming nightmarish for you? These tips will help you stay sane

If that work from home sitch is becoming unbearable for you, here are some tips from psychologist Dr Bhavna Barmi to help you cope.
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Don’t let those work from home with extroverted partner take a toll on your mental health. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Nikita Bhardwaj Updated: 10 May 2021, 08:54 pm IST
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Have you ever wondered how great it would be if you could stay at home forever and still get a salary? Well, as covid-19 has all of us locked in our homes, making going to work a distant possibility, it would seem this solemn wish that most us have made has come true-but in a twisted way. 

For some working from home is becoming all the more hectic as now they have to be available round the clock at the beck and call of their managers. At the same time there are also people who suffering at the hands of being idle.  

In both situations, however, there is a common string: your mental health, which is facing the brunt of this lockdown. No more stepping out, no dates, and no face to face interactions. This situation is even worse for the people who have been self-quarantined completely. 

And when we all were expecting that this lockdown to be done and dusted with  by the 31st of March, the Prime Minister issued an advisory for a country-wide lockdown for 21 days–14th April 2020. Sigh…

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So yes, we are not getting over this lockdown any time soon. But the important thing is that you need to take care of your mental well-being. And for that, we got in touch with Dr Bhavna Barmi, a renowned clinical physiologist, who will help you tackle this work from home scenario without losing your mind: 

But, first, Dr Barmi says we need to act responsibly so that this situation can get over soon      
We can’t agree more with Dr Barmi on this. She says that, “A major precautionary step involved in the ongoing global pandemic caused by covid-19, has been social distancing and complete lockdowns in many countries. Quarantining has become a big social responsibility for everyone and working from home thus has become mandated for all working professionals.”

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She added:

While working from home has its own perks and is definitely a great way of self-isolation to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, it also has a darker side as working from home especially with family around may not be as easy as it sounds.

Definitely staying at home isn’t easy. These are some common difficulties that according to Dr Barmi we all face during our work from home sessions:

1. Loneliness and isolation
The social aspect of a workplace where we get to chat with our coworkers is a good buffer for stress and maintaining a positive mood.

Dr Barmi says that, “Working from home doesn’t offer the same camaraderie. This disconnectivity can lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation and can affect people with anxiety or depression concerns even more.”

2. Anxiety and stress hovers 24 x 7 due to more pressure
The nature of working from home is such that while you do have more flexibility, there is also a relative lack of structure in routine. This can be challenging as multiple skills like time management, high responsiveness, digital understanding, virtual connectivity etc. have to be efficiently portrayed.

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According to Dr Barmi, many people can experience more anxiety and stress because the boundaries between work and home life blur significantly when you are not at your workplace.

3. Depression
The feeling of being stuck in one place without a lot of social contacts and working in a monotonous place can really contribute to a significant low mood.

She says that, “working from home also causes feelings of depression as you are bereft of relative tangible goals or milestones that you are able to achieve at the workplace (e.g., templates on your desk, fancy office cabin, etc.)”

Although, Dr Barmi says that the brighter side of working from home is largely the flexibility and time you save from travel related to work. All this saved up time can be cashed in for self-care which is long due in our hectic and fast-paced lives.

In fact, here are a few positives of working from home according to Dr Barmi:

  • Not having to commute for work saves a lot of time and reduces stress levels.
  • Greater flexibility comes from working from home as you can optimize your day best according to your productive times, wear what’s comfortable and create a routine that’s relatively relaxed.
  • Controlling distractions becomes easier as you have more control at home than in the workplace.
  • You can design your own workplace at home suited to your liking that can help boost productivity and motivation
  • You can save money that was involved in work-related commute
  • You are completely independent and that helps rely and build more on self-motivation, self-discipline, focus, and concentration.

Embrace this transition, says Dr Barmi
The transition from a 9 – 5 daily job routine to maintaining the same motivation and hustle for work productivity can be a challenging one for many professionals. It is thus important to acknowledge the impact of this transition that may manifest as confusion or a sense of disorganization. 

She says that, “Giving yourself time to figure out a schedule as you start working from home and keeping lower expectations about perfection will help ease some stress around the transition.”

Also, listen:

So, peeps here you go! Now that you know what to do, use these simple but effective tips by Dr Barmi and make this lockdown a nurturing experience rather than a nightmare.

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About the Author

Six-pack abs are all that Nikita needs, along with her daily dose of green tea. At Health Shots, she produces videos, podcasts, stories, and other kick-ass content. ...Read More

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