It’s important to be aware of the psychological effects of working from home.
The new norm for so many of us now involves working from home. Since the global outbreak of the Coronavirus, millions of people have been asked to take their work home with them for an extended period of time.
It has been a number of weeks at this stage, and it’s safe to say the novelty of working from home has started to wear off, right? The first while was fun, we didn’t have to commute every morning and evening, we could stay in our comfortable clothes, and it was all new. However, now we’re all a bit sick of it, fed up, and we’re wondering when life will return to normal.
This is to be expected, as there are are actually a number of psychological effects of working from home for an extended period of time.
So, what are they?
The big thing that comes from an extended period of time working from home is isolation, and loneliness. Which, given the current global circumstances, will be even more heightened. This is all new to us, it makes sense that we’d begin to feel a bit disconnected. There could be days where you’re not talking to anyone when you don’t have to go anywhere to work.
You do miss the social aspect of chatting and venting about work and life when you’re at home. If this is the case, try to get in touch with your colleagues through virtual channels, like Slack, Zoom or even an old fashioned phone call.
Along with the feelings of isolation, we’re all probably feeling a bit anxious and stressed at the moment. There’s something about working from home that sparks a certain level of anxiety within a person, especially if they’re not used to it.
You might also experience increased anxiety or stress, since “working remotely creates a unique pressure to appear busy,” said Jane Scudder, a certified personal development and career transition coach.
Working at home blurs the lines between ‘work’ and ‘home’, when all of a sudden you’re sleeping in the same place that you are working 9-5. You may feel pressure to be switched on when you should be off. Set yourself some boundaries, and stick to them.
All of the anxiety and isolation may leave you feeling quite down. Without the usual interaction, and ‘normal’ working day, it can be easy to slip into a bad mental state. However, your mental health doesn’t have to suffer when you work from home.
There are a number of small things you can do each do to help maintain your mental health while working from home, such as maintaining a routine, getting some exercise and sleeping well. Check out some more ways to stay happy and healthy here.
Don’t worry, we will get through this. Mind each other, and mind yourself.
If you are feeling anxious or depressed, and want to speak to someone, contact AWARE on 1800 80 48 48.
