Stress Free Home Working

Help your Employees Create a Stress-free Home Working Environment with these Tips

For many of people, working from home is becoming a more usual way of working. Whether enforced or optional, swapping a commute for a leisurely stroll to your laptop, home working gives us a new level of flexibility and freedom. But though it might seem relaxing, home working comes with its own unique challenges, especially for those that are new to it.

From the social isolation and reliance on technology, to the lack of structure and pressure of staying focused, working from home can be lonely, demanding and overwhelming. As a result, home workers often report feeling high levels of stress, despite having more personal freedom than their colleagues who work on-site.

With home working now a new reality for many people, here are some simple tips you can give colleagues to help navigate this new way of working and minimise any added stress.

1. Set up a workspace

By dedicating one specific area of your house or flat to work, you’ll not only reduce your chances of getting distracted by other things or people, you’ll also be able to physically disconnect from work at the end of the day, which is crucial for maintaining a good work/life balance.

You don’t have to have a home office to do this either, you could set up a workspace in a spare bedroom or on your dining table, any area where you can work from comfortably and productively every day. If you have that physical distinction between work and home life, you’ll find it easier to unwind and be less likely to feel stressed as a result.

2. Stick to a routine

A great benefit of working from home is the freedom to set your own schedule. Whilst this flexibility is beneficial, it is important you maintain a routine to keep on top of your workload and ensure you don’t over work.

You might decide to stick to the same routine that you had when working on-site, or you might want to change it up a bit to suit you. Either way, a routine will help you focus, feel on track and prevent work from cutting into your all-important chill time.

3. Take regular breaks

Without the company of colleagues to go on lunch with or the change of scenery provided by physical meetings, it’s easy to spend your whole working day sat in one spot staring at a screen. So, regular breaks are essential.

Whether you choose a coffee in your kitchen at 11am, lunch on the sofa at 1pm or five minutes away from your workspace every few hours, regular breaks split your day into smaller, more manageable chunks. Breaks give you time to clear your head and refocus and stop you getting bogged down or stressed out by particular tasks.

4. Speak to colleagues

Talking is a great stress-reliever and key to your social wellbeing. Working from home can be lonely, especially for those that are new to it, making a conscious effort to communicate with your colleagues as regularly will help.

Online tools like Microsoft Teams, Skype and Zoom, make instant messages, group conversations or video chats with easy - so use them! It won’t feel the same as being in the office, but you have a network of supportive colleagues at your fingertips to help you feel at ease.

Employee wellbeing is just one part of a great employee benefits platform.

Visit www.myworkperks.co.uk to see how we benefit your staff and your business.

Sign up to Newsletter