Following the lockdown announcement, many make plans of spending more time with families or taking up a new hobby as there will be no commute, no rush, a more flexible schedule.
Called upon industry leaders to continue following work from home as much as possible in these times.
Unless very very important, please do #StayHome.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 23, 2020
But working from home during a pandemic is vastly different than usual; instead, of eight-hour shift a 12-hour or 13-hour shift has become a new normal for many employees in the corporate sector. With uncertainty in the market and so much pressure of losing jobs, people are complaining of being overworked, stressed due to continuous meetings through video conferring and calls.
Restlessness, backaches, tension and anxiety are some of the side effects that people experience as we have entered the new normal, implemented to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus from prolonged work from home.
Spending more hours at work is certainly disrupting the work-life cycle. While on one side you are working alongside with your team members focusing on the tasks while on the other your parents, spouse and children are with this new normal. Two environments coming together that were never meant to overlap this much and unfavourably impact the mental well-being of employees.
In the work from home many individuals forgo breaks, it is important to schedule breaks in your workday. Working without structure can have major implications for both productivity and mental and physical health.
Whether it’s anxiety about the global situation or its sadness brought on by isolation, it’s just as important to look out for your mental wellbeing as it is your physical health. So here are some tips to manage your work from home balance-
- Create a happy space, whether this is looking out a window, or a room with appropriate sunlight, make sure your workspace is quiet so you can focus on the task at hand.
- Create a calm atmosphere. Clean your work area and organize the clutter at least once a day.
- Discuss your work plan in advance with your family members. Make a plan to distribute household chores. Develop a plan and communicate with your family this makes the things a bit smoother.
- Establishing an exercise routine when working from home can be challenging but taking care of your physical and mental well-being is also very important. Building activity into your workday has both health and productivity benefit which set you up for success.
The new set up surely brings new skills and new adaptation techniques. Maintaining a high output requires careful consideration into what matters, how you do it, and how you can make it work within your circumstances. The key is to adapt to the changes and remove all negative emotions of negativity and stress. By reading some books, spending time with family, calling the school or college friends, listening to music, following hobbies and doing basic indoor exercises, can people overcome all the stress and frustration of work and can really help them stay active.
Just as you’d schedule your workday, schedule some time for these activities too. This will help in juggling the sudden intersection of work and home.