Working Through Stress and Uncertainty While Working from Home

Though this was written during the 2020 COVID world pandemic, many people experience stressful and uncertain times and still have to work through them. Are you struggling to focus on work with everything going on in the world right now? Or maybe just life, in general, has you stressed out. If so, you’re certainly not alone.

Working through uncertain and stressful times isn’t easy. In fact, it can feel almost impossible when your mind is so taken up by fear and anxiety.

If you’re struggling right now, there are some tips you can follow which may help. Here, we’ll look at some of the most effective ways to work through stress and uncertainty.

Practice gratitude

Did you know that practicing gratitude can make a big difference to how you feel? Studies have shown that writing a list of the things you are grateful for, can drastically improve your mood.

By focusing on the things you’re grateful for, it trains the brain to think more positively. You’ll switch your focus from the bad things going on right now, to the good. For example, working from home may be challenging, but at least you’re safe and have a home to work from.

Take a minute right now and write down three things you are grateful for at this exact moment.

Try to establish a routine

Now that you’ve found yourself working at home, it can feel really strange. You don’t know how to navigate your working day when you’re not in the office. So, by creating a routine, it’s going to help to ease some of that uncertainty.

I know it’s tempting to sleep in every day. But, have a set time that you wake up and start work. (Even if it’s 10 am) Make sure you schedule in some breaks throughout the day and have a set finish time too. It can be really hard to just stop at the end of your “scheduled” day so be sure to keep an eye on your tasks and schedule appropriately. Just implementing a routine can erase so much of the uncertainty you feel right now. AND, a set routine will help you accomplish more.

Put on Real Clothes

Yes, I said it. You don’t have to don a suit or put on makeup but at least change out of sleep clothes and into something day-appropriate.

Utilize support that’s available

One of the good things about this uncertain time, {Specifically the COVID pandemic} is that it is impacting everyone. This means there is a lot of support available out there.

It could be you need to spend more time connecting with friends and family. Or, you may find it useful to share your concerns with others in online support forums.

You can also find more practical support too. If you’re struggling with your finances or worried about how the current situation will play out, don’t hesitate to seek emotional support from a trained therapist for example.

Focus on self-care

Finally, try and focus on self-care during these uncertain and stressful times. This will really help to reduce the stress you feel.

Exercising regularly is a great way to deal with stress. You should also focus on doing things that relax you each day, such as meditation, reading or listening to music. The more you practice self-care, the less stressed you’ll be throughout this

time.

Overall, it’s hard not to stress and fear what might happen during a pandemic. However, the tips above can really help you to manage those feelings. Remember to be kind to yourself and don’t expect too much from yourself, particularly when you first transition to working from home.