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Here are our best tips for combating those WFH blues. Built In is the online community for startups and tech companies. Last but not least, remember to have some self-compassion. We’re living through unprecedented times, and no one expects you to be handling it perfectly.
Read about five affordable therapy options and other ways to access mental healthcare. Meditation may positively influence mood and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Read tips from seven freelancers to manage stress and mental health when working from home. It has unique challenges and benefits under normal circumstances, let alone in times of unique stress such as a pandemic.
Does Working From Home Cause Depression?
If social interaction relieves your anxiety and depression symptoms, remote work may be even more difficult, especially in the wake of the Coronavirus. But now, thanks to pervasive social distancing recommendations from healthcare workers, working remotely, especially in response to COVID-19, breeds even higher levels of isolation. Employees in all lines of work should limit contact with others as much as possible, but being in quarantine may cause your anxiety and depression symptoms to skyrocket. If you’re accustomed to working in an office and are newly transitioning to remote work, the transition itself may increase your anxiety and depression symptoms.
Close family relationships, those who do daily exercise, and those who normally have an optimistic personality tend to be less likely to experience depression symptoms when working from home. You will get to talk to people who relate to you on different levels. Having people to talk to who work from home just like you to speak to is good for your mental health.
Working From Home and Depression: Watch for These Signs of Depression
Those who feel less in control of their career trajectory or, the world in general, tend to have more anxiety. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about it. There are a lot of things that can be done to keep your WFH anxiety in check. We went largely to primary, peer-reviewed literature to figure out what role working from home plays in anxiety and depression. The key takeaway here is that it depends on the person’s existing mental state as well as their particular context.
Make your productivity app home screen on your phone and use some kind of task management software to make sure your digital life is as organized and regimented as possible. And don’t forget the regular old notebook and pencil. Sometimes tactile, old-school tech is the best to stay grounded in times of stress. Anxiety and depression can be caused by similar things when working remotely. Because of this, there are several things you can do to lessen the impact of anxiety and depression symptoms while working from home.
Give Yourself as Mental Breaks as You Need
When overworking yourself, it is easy to feel stressed and overwhelmed. When you become too stressed, you can start feeling depressed. The best way to avoid these problems is to do what you can instead of overdoing it. When you do something you love, or even when you find a new activity you enjoy, you may be able to boost your mental health more by taking time to be thankful for it. You may be used to receiving help from friends, but reaching out and providing help may actually improve your mental health more. Even when you have the feeling that you’re unable to or have very little energy, see if you’d be willing to do the opposite of what your mood is telling you to do, such as curling up in bed.
Then, when the feelings lift, write about that, too. Research has shown that keeping a journal can be a beneficial add-on method for managing mental health conditions. On days when you feel as if you can’t get out of bed, exercise may seem like the last thing you’d want to do. However, exercise and physical activity can help to lower symptoms of depression and boost energy levels. If a person feels sustained, intense, feelings of sadness or loss of interest in activities, they may have clinical depression.
Becoming isolated and lonely (especially when living alone)
Learn the research-backed benefits and how to try it. Depression can be debilitating for those that experience it. But there are many effective treatments available that can help you manage your symptoms.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness in the United States offers free, accurate, and up-to-date information on mental healthcare. Episodes of major depression last at least 2 weeks at a time. Although a sad environmental factor can trigger them, they can also seemingly come out of nowhere. Keeping healthy eating and drinking habits are incredibly important.
Your schedule is flexible, you don’t have to deal with traffic or public transit, and you don’t have to stick to a strict dress code. “You can start practicing this by replacing ‘but’ with ‘and,’” Grilli says. If you find yourself thinking, “I’m upset about getting furloughed from work, but I guess I should be lucky to even have a job,” you’re being unnecessarily hard on yourself. “The second part of the sentence invalidates your own emotion,” says Grilli.
Figure out your distractions and find a way to avoid or get rid of them. For example, if you find yourself texting or staring at TikTok for hours when you want to avoid work, try using Do Not Disturb mode. If you find yourself walking over to that room to use your phone, ask your roommate or family member to keep it from you until you’ve finished what you’re working on. A good desk and chair are important when you work from home. The setup doesn’t have to be fancy, but it should be comfortable enough for you to spend hours in the same place. Keeping your desk clean and having a dedicated work space can help keep you motivated and focused during the workday.
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