stress management

February 15, 2021

How to Cope When Working from Home Makes You Miserable

You did it! After months (possibly years) of dreaming and planning, you finally made the leap and are now working at home–congratulations! You’re living the dream of a five-second commute, more time with your kids, and working in pajamas when the mood strikes. There’s just one problem: you are miserable.

Don’t despair. Any significant change can lead to a feeling of unease and even regret. But, take heart, with years of experience working from home and after talking to many others in your shoes, here’s my best advice for combatting your woes and emerging strong and confident in your decision to work-from-home.

Discover the True Issue

First, try to determine what’s wrong exactly. Change is tricky–even good change. And the adjustment period can feel like an eternity. Before you abandon your plan to work from home, take some time to assess what’s really bothering you. In my experience, it’s usually one (or a combination) of four things–growing pains, environmental issues, ambiguity about the decision, or unrealized expectations.

Growing Pains are Real

Starting a new job or making a radical change to your working conditions is bound to lead to growing pains. While uncomfortable, these pains are a normal part of the process. Even new projects that are outside your traditional wheelhouse can make you question your skills and choices.

When this happens, take a breath and reflect on the times you’ve felt this way in the past. New jobs and new skills take a while to develop. The discomfort is part of the growth process. You’re meeting new people, learning new ways of connecting, new systems, new skills, and new processes. It’s a lot to take in. Give yourself grace for slip-ups that might happen along the way.

If there’s one particular aspect of a new job that’s troubling you, consider ways to address it. For example, if learning a new technology is stressing you out, seek other ways to conquer it. Look for YouTube videos or webinars to help. Or, try setting small goals to make progress on specific elements of the transition.

When it comes to growing pains, they can be uncomfortable and can last a while–even up to a year for new jobs. But, just as surely as they are part of the process, they will surely fade. One day you’ll be doing the task that once caused you angst, and you’ll realize that you’ve grown into the role and feel confident in it. Look forward to that day and the renewed sense of wellbeing that comes with it. Until then, hang in there.

Spruce Up Your Home Office

Don’t underestimate how improving your physical workspace may enhance your experience and outlook. Transitioning to working-from-home often involves trial and error when it comes to your actual work setup. If you’re hunched over an ironing board trying to work in the dark closest, you are likely to be miserable.

Look around your house and consider if you might be able to set up a work location in a place that’s easier to work productively. Ideally, you can find a site that includes:

Natural light or a place for suitable lamps.
A roomy desk or table.
A comfortable chair.
A door that can be closed.

Once you have your spot, personalize it with plants, pictures, or artwork that you really like. Consider banning toys or kid homework from the space. All of these things can help make working from home more comfortable.

Banish Ambiguity

It’s natural to have second thoughts about any significant decision. But, nothing will sink your confidence faster than an endless round of asking yourself what if.

All the reasons you identified for wanting to transition to home-based work are still valid. And, in all likelihood, you’d be second-guessing your decision to work in the office, too. When you sense ambiguity rearing up, vanquish it by grounding yourself in all the reasons that led to your choice.

Check Your Expectations

When you consider any new adventure, you envision it unfolding in a certain way. Working from home is no exception. When considering the possibility, you probably saw yourself training for a marathon while living in a spotless house, with perfect children and a steadily growing career. In reality, you may be up before dawn, still wearing yesterday’s clothes, and finishing up a project while you dream about taking a shower. Both ways work, and the reality is that both scenarios may happen for you at any given time. Like life, working from home has ups and downs, and it tends to ebb and flow accordingly.

Embracing the real lived experience is the key to success here. Holding your day-to-day up to an idealized vision is a recipe for disappointment. Change your expectations to have a better experience.

Share Your Experiences

How have you battled the work-from-home blues? Drop a line and share your tips.

Written by Jessica Nicklos

December 23, 2016 0 Comments

4 Tips for Holiday Break Productivity

Today begins holiday break for a lot of families, and it’s important to take the time to refresh and rejuvenate before the start of the new year.

Although most of your household will likely be home from school and work, a home based worker is never truly “away” from work. It’s very important to take time for yourself this time of year while still completing your work. Read along for some best practices in keeping up with productivity while enjoying the season.

Create schedules and lists

At this time of year, many of us are juggling numerous events and schedules! It can help to create short lists and schedules for work, Christmas, New Year’s, and anything else that’s taking place during this busy holiday season.

Before you go on break, take a few minutes to figure out what needs to be done and when. There’s still time to lay everything out and prioritize based on available days.

Use spare time

When there are activities taking place that don’t involve the whole family, take this time to stay back. Of course you don’t want to miss anything truly special or important, but simple errands can be skipped if there’s another family member who can handle them.

You can also utilize early bedtimes and nap time to get ahead with work. Although everyone is typically home for the holidays, there can still be time when your kids are with friends or spending time with other family members.

Work ahead

As with all productivity tips, working ahead is a great way to stay on top of things. Most of us will still have to put in some working hours over the next couple weeks, but if you work from home, you can likely work when you have the time.

Even though home based work never really goes away, we have the benefit of being able to work at any time. Utilize this to your advantage! Spend a few nights or early mornings before holidays working ahead a bit. This not only ensures that you’re completing the work that needs done – it allows you to come into the new year without a mad rush of work.

Enjoy the season

Work will still be there after holiday break! We all have work, family, and home obligations, but this is truly the time of year to enjoy your family. Yes, work is still important and must be completed, but find a way to work it into your holiday schedule without missing those truly magical moments with your friends and family.

Take this time to relax, refresh, work as needed, and come into the new year with a clear head and sense of calm.

Written by Jessica Nicklos

April 11, 2016 0 Comments

5 Tips to Manage Stress

Stress is one of those things that has become a fact of life, but how you manage it can make all the difference in your health. Although you might not have the stress of a commute or office environment, you likely deal with more distractions and the temptation to work around the clock.

While stress is basically inevitable in our fast paced world, there are certain things you can do to reduce and manage it. Read along for some of our best tips to manage the stressors in your life.

Identify them

If you feel like a constant ball of stress, it’s important to take a minute to identify what’s causing the stress. Maybe you assume that it’s your carpool duties, but it’s really a work project that you put off until you have to leave for the car line. Shifting your schedule a bit and knowing where your stress takes place is the first step in making changes.

Meditate

Meditation is all the rage right now – and for good reason. It helps to quiet the mind, and there are numerous ways in which you can meditate. Whether you sit quietly listening to music and observe your thoughts, sit by the ocean, or choose something more formal, looking into meditation is a key step.

Try the Headspace app for something quick and simple. Headspace is a free app that provides some “extra calm and clarity” in 10-minute sessions. This is a great way to get started with meditation and to fit it into your already busy life.

Exercise

Exercise isn’t only healthy for your body, it’s healthy for your mind. Exercise can help to release stress in the body, as well as release endorphins for a natural boost of happiness and calm. You don’t need to do this for hours each day, but start with a good variety: a mix of cardio for endorphins, yoga for a calm mind, and light weights for a strength boost.

Get outside

Nature is calming and grounding, so take a few minutes each day to walk around outside, feel the breeze on your face, and simply take in some fresh air. This is a simple task, but once that can relax your system and help you to see the beauty around you. Take a few slow, deep breaths and spend a few minutes connecting to nature.

Schedule fun

When you’re stressed, most things can seem less than fun, and it can seem like you’re stuck in a cycle of a lot of work and obligations. It’s okay to say “no” to unnecessary things, as well as incredibly important to schedule some fun into your days and weeks. Think of something fun that you could do each day – can you meet a friend for coffee? Have a weekly lunch date with a local co-worker. Plan a fun playdate over your lunch hour. Do something that will get you out of your routine and out of the stressed out mode that you find yourself in.

Stress is part of our lives, but it can be controlled and managed with a little effort. Take a few minutes to quiet your mind, incorporate exercise, get in touch with nature, and schedule some fun to manage stress in a healthy, productive way!

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