How to deal with Work from Home Depression?
Working from home used to be a blessing earlier. Look at it now. It feels so much burdened now while staying at home and working. Initially, I was very excited when work from home was declared in the times of Covid but now I am waiting to go back to the office and work like before.
In the initial days I could only see the benefits of work from home:
- Flexible work schedule
- Comfort sitting
- Snacking countless times
- No one standing on the head
- And many more…
There is no doubt that working from home has kept me safe from covid but lately, I felt:
- Frustrated
- Irritated
- Depressed
- Lost count of hours while working on my laptop
- Forgot to eat or sometimes overate
- Snacking or just eating anything to fill my stomach
- Fat because I have gained weight as I sit continuously before eating or after eating food
- Lack of energy due to lack of exercise
- Trouble remembering things and much more
All these signs and symptoms when I tried to analyze, I could fit them into one thing which was the phase of ‘Work from Home Depression’.
It's high time that we get alert and save ourselves from falling into this trap. Initially, we were enjoying work from home because we were in working in our comfort zones and we were able to perform better. Seeing the performance, targets have been doubled and we are again in the vicious cycle of completing our targets.
It is just not affecting our physical health (gaining a lot of weight) but mental health as well. Feeling irritated, pissed, frustrated and whatnot has become normal even with work from home. There is no more fun in working from home now.
The important point: How to deal with work from home depression?
Dealing with work from home depression is not easy because you are already in your comfort zone where earlier you would come to get yourself away from office tensions. Now, your home has become your office. A lot of people have started going to the office but still, there are many who are working from home. For them, here are the tips to save yourself from the mental baggage of working from home:
- Spend some Me-Time
There should be some time which you spend with yourself. There should be absolutely no one else in that. Be it in the morning, afternoon, evening, or night, spend at least 15 to 20 minutes with yourself. This is the time in which your body will heal especially mentally. Talk to yourself. Ask yourself ‘are you going in the right direction? Is this you always wanted?’ Get clarity with what you are doing. You can simply close your eyes or meditate. Give peace to your mind.
2. Include exercise in your routine
Staying at home has made us more lethargic. We are so busy either doing our office work or household chores. It is very important to take out time for exercise for physical fitness. If you are still not going out because of covid, you just don’t need to make an excuse to exercise. Simply go up to your house roof and walk or walk inside your home. Exercise inside your house. Do yoga or anything and keep yourself moving extra apart from moving into the kitchen.
3. Fix your routine
There should be a fixed routine in which you have fixed hours for your job work, for your family, and for yourself. It will help you to keep yourself balanced and you will get better with time management.
4. Fix your workspace
Fixing your workspace will help you avoid distractions. Your body will get adapted to the position or space where you sit every day to work. Also, make sure that your working position is supporting your back especially when working from home, we tend to lie down or bend our body backward not taking care that it can cause body aches.
Next important thing is to take care of ventilation. Often, to avoid background noise some people just close their rooms not letting even air enter inside. This can lead to lack of oxygen and increased chances of headaches.
Make sure there is proper lighting in your room to balance the screen light of the gadgets you are using. The strain on your eyes has increased while working from home as compared to when you were going to the office.
4. Take breaks
Taking breaks in between work is very important. It helps you to avoid saturation levels. It also gives you a break from screens. Take a mini-walk or close your eyes and lie down. Although with demanding job targets, it's becoming difficult to take breaks often but simply closing your eyes will also help your mind and body to relax.
5. Spend time with your loved ones
Earning money is very important but it is also important to spend time with your loved ones for whom you are taking so much pain. Spending time with your loved ones is beneficial for the health of each one of you. Try not to talk about your office work when you are spending quality time with your loved ones.
These are very simple tips which we might know already but at times we forget to apply it in your daily life. I have made a video on this topic in my local language which shows you examples of how one feels when they feel depressed while working from home.
Do let me know your feedback in the comment section :-)
Subscribe to my channel to avoid missing any videos. Till next time don’t forget to love yourself. Stay happy! Stay safe!
