Working from home may once have been idealized as the preferred comfortable and relaxing alternative to the traditional “going to work” office setting. Surrounded by the comforts of home with the daily commute no longer robbing us of precious morning and evening time, working from home is now something so many of us were thrown into unexpectedly this year, for better or for worse. And for many, that ideal home-office bubble quickly burst from the reality of the stressors that build up working in a home that also includes the stressors of not only work, but family responsibilities as well.

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Many people today are finding themselves juggling the demands of a full time job, child care, home schooling, and the perpetual presence of their partners. Working from home in fact, can be riddled with underlying unexpected stressors, and some may find themselves feeling overwhelmed at how to manage the stress of working from home. Here are a few tips to help with managing stress when working from home:

Simple Ways to Manage Stress at Home

• Set and communicate clear boundaries to those around you. Do you need something that you’re not asking for, but expecting others to accommodate? Take note of something that may be stressing you that you could help yourself to solve by asking for what you need from those around you, or setting clear boundaries of your own needs or space.

• Take a short break every hour to move your body. Walking, doing a gentle yoga flow, or a few squats every hour stimulates the circulation and supports blood flow to your brain and extremities. When we are stagnant, we can more easily feel tired, and when we are tired we are more quick to anger or be short with those around us. Set a timer to spend 5 minutes each hour moving your body to invigorate your senses. You can even use a yoga ball as a chair to help you keep more mobile and agile during the working hours.

• Maintain a solid evening routine to support optimal sleep. Set a time each and every day to “leave the office”. Although we’re working from home, we need a clear ending to our work day that does not follow us into our sleeping space. Try to go to bed around the same time each night, reading something non-stressful or doing an evening meditation before bed. Devote at least 8 hours to sleep whenever possible. Stay away from screens by 1-2 hours prior to bedtime.

• Incorporate small mindful practices when you notice stress arise. Stress creeps up on us and takes us entirely by surprise sometimes. We can often find ourselves completely overwhelmed with stress before we even know where it came from. Notice those first signs of stress creeping in – a rapid heartbeat, an agitated state of mind, a sense of fear, snapping at those around you, a familiar feeling of frustration at literally everything. Stop immediately when you notice these feelings, then ascertain why these feelings are happening. What is the cause of stress here, and is it something you can control? What simple, clear steps can you take to reduce the stress you feel in your body?

Using Mindfulness to Reduce Stress

Taking Inventory of the Stressors In Your Daily Life

If you’re feeling overwhelmed each day with stress that you cannot control, it’s important to pause and allow yourself time to really feel where that stress emotion is coming from. It can be helpful to actually make a list of stressful things that you feel. Nothing is too big or too small. Once you see all of your daily stressors listed out, sort these into things you can control, and things you cannot control. Choose one stressor from your control list, and mindfully work on responding to that stressor differently – more mindfully – that week. Then focus on one stressor from the uncontrollable list and work on finding a comfortable middle ground with this.

For example, a stressor we can all control is how we respond to our children who interrupt us when we’re working. A stressor we may feel is out of our control is a global pandemic.

We cannot respond perfectly to every situation every day, but we can bring mindfulness to our responses and our own behaviors to function as best as we can given our collective situation. Spend time in nature. Move your body daily. Commit to good quality sleep. Take time for joyful things. Fill yourself with good things emotionally and spiritually. And of course feed yourself well. These are all ways we can nourish our bodies and our minds in our own homes.

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Do you need support managing stress while working from home? Consider making an appointment with one of the naturopathic doctors at Richmond Natural Medicine for personalized recommendations to meet your needs.