With the advent of the second wave of COVID these last few weeks, we are potentially looking at working more from the comfort of our homes and less from actual physical spaces in the coming days. Now the concept of work from home is not new in any way. Most of us grappled with it during the last year and figured out some amazing benefits but definite pitfalls of it. But even if you are happy or sad about this shift, one thing which is undeniable is that we are at our peak of stress in these times.
As the virus rages on outside and all our activities get shifted indoors, it is indeed a tough life to live. The added pressure of working from home while managing the house at the same time can prove to be an added stressor to the whole situation. While most of these unpredictable factors may not be in our hands, we can try to do our bit to relieve some of the incessant online office stress that can prove to be extremely detrimental to our mental as well as our physical health. Read on to know all about the ways in which you can do that.
- Take Breaks In Between:
While working in a physical office, there are numerous coffee breaks or catching up with your colleagues which happen during the office hours. These function as unofficial breaks in between work which have actually proven to be linked to increased productivity by many recent studies and research. The scope of taking breaks is really limited in the case of working from home, as there are numerous distractions that always fight for your attention throughout the day. All of these factors can kill your productivity. A good way to combat this is to take some pre planned tiny breaks during the work hours in which you do not do anything but sit and relax for a period of five minutes. This may not seem like a lot but can help to rejuvenate you.
- Eat And Snack On Healthy Food:
Snacking is a reflex that occurs especially when you are stressed about work. And if you do not have anything healthy at hand, it is natural that you will turn towards unhealthy junk food to fulfil your cravings. This will only make you feel worse physically. A good idea is to stock up on a lot of fruits which can double up as healthy snacking alternatives. Also make sure that you are getting all the nutrition which is required by your body, if not in the form of food that you eat, then through multivitamins at least. Most of the time good eating habits can kill stress.
- Go For Regular Walks Outdoors:
If your city is not under lockdown or restrictions, make it a point to get some fresh air by going for regular walks outdoors. Fresh air, nature and sunlight can really help to transform your mood. This will also help to release endorphins and you will be much less likely to get stressed or feel blue as a result of it.
- Get A Restful Sleep Every Night:
A vicious cycle that many of us are going through in these times is of not sleeping well, so getting stressed and because of that, not getting a restful sleep again. This cycle keeps going on and on and only helps to stress you out even more. Additionally, if you do not sleep well, you are also bound to get some uncomfortable aches and pains all over your body. A good hot and cool pack can help in relieving those but there is nothing as effective an antidote as a good night’s sleep.
- Set A Daily Goal To Drink Enough Water:
Keeping your body hydrated can actually help to cool you off in these hot summer months and can also help in reducing your stress by a significant amount. There are numerous benefits of drinking water like good skin and improved bowel movements among other things. If you do not drink enough water every single day, it can lead to bad headaches and hence, more stress. A good way to keep track of how much water you have had is to either use a habit tracker in your daily planner or download an app which reminds you to drink water after every few hours on your phone.
- Indulge In Short But Impactful Workouts:
As we have mentioned before as well, moving your body on a daily basis can have a positive impact on your mental health and can help to reduce your stress as well. But this does not mean that you unnecessarily push yourself to do some strenuous workouts. If you are not in the habit of doing hard and long workouts, these can actually add to your stress. So you can stick to doable workouts with moderate to easy repetitions that are available abundantly online so that you get your body moving and reduce your stress levels at the same time.
- Rest Your Eyes Enough:
With most of our personal, work and social lives shifting to numerous digital devices, the one part of our body which bears the maximum brunt of it is our eyes. Constantly being exposed to artificial light can strain your eyes and can also be the cause of migraine in severe cases. So it is necessary that you make it a point to give your eyes enough rest throughout the day, at regular intervals of time. If that is not possible for you to do due to the nature of your work, you can invest in some blue light glasses which can reduce the strain in your eyes. You can also use cool compresses on your eyes periodically in order to relax them.
Now that we have seen the ways in which you can easily relieve all the pent up stress that you carry due to working from home, make it a point to follow through with these and to tell all your near and dear ones about them as well. All of us can use some ways to make our lives much less stressful in these trying times.