Easy Tips To Manage Stress And Anxiety While Working From Home
The pandemic has been an equalizer in many ways. No matter one’s social status, financial means, gender, or age – the virus struck where it willed. In fact, quite apart from the health aspect, it also equally affected people from all walks of life, in other ways. Productivity in professional and personal tasks has gone for a complete toss, and stress and anxiety levels have gone through the roof. For those lucky enough to have retained their jobs, the amount of work expected in the same or lower scale of pay has increased monumentally, completely skewing work-life balance in the process.
According to Sidhharrth S Kumaar, Numerologist, Motivational Speaker and Founder of NumroVani, “The biggest cause of stress is the ‘sudden breakdown of normal life patterns’ with which people are failing to cope. It was too sudden a change inflicted on people without any warning.”
Having advised and counselled numerous people during the difficult period of the past year and a half, Kumaar refers to working from home as a double-edged sword. There are undoubtedly some advantages to being in one’s comfort zone even during working hours, however there are a number of disadvantages as well.
In the physical office space, people have the option of socializing with their office friends over leisurely breaks. This becomes a much-needed breather from the pressure and stress of deadlines and projects. Open lines of non-formal communication help in easing out feelings of stress. With the abrupt switch to working from home, this communication channel was suddenly disrupted. People were forced to share space with their family members, or worse, live and work completely alone.
Though the situation may seem bleak, with the correct guidance and the adoption of simple measures and strategies, it is indeed possible to enhance productivity and reduce the stress and anxiety of working from home. Kumaar offers these easy tips he has used for counselling his clients:
· The most important thing is to positively affirm to yourself, the belief that there is no stress, and anything and everything can be managed. This mental thought process helps in winning over negative thoughts that pull you down.
· You can make simple lifestyle changes that are remarkably therapeutic. This includes sitting cross-legged in the yogic posture called Sukhasana for a short period of time every day. Or, if you are willing to be more experimental, you can attempt Sound Therapy by listening to some soothing beats at exactly 528 Hz. Chakra Healing Meditation, aimed specifically at balancing the seven chakras, can also be incorporated into your daily life.
· The practice of yoga on a daily basis, specifically concentrating on certain asanas, is known to show beneficial results.
· You can change things around the house to aid in the reduction of stress as well. This includes maintaining proper cleanliness at home. Rock salt can be sprinkled around the home for its benefits once a week. Alternatively, you can install a rock salt lamp at home as an effective remedy.
· Ensuring that your home and desk are clutter free and properly organized also reduces stress.
· You can utilize the healing energies of crystals such as Amethyst and Turquoise by placing them strategically in different parts of the home. Similarly, water and table salt in a disposable cup, placed in the bathroom and changed every week offer healing energies too.
· It is essential to take proper breaks after every couple of working hours to rest your eyes and reduce the strain on them.
· You should draw up a plan of your working day as you would when going to office and stick to the plan, so you do not end up overworking or going off-track.
· You should maintain proper communication with your team members so that you stay productive and efficient.
Kumaar signs off with this sage advice, “Always remember one thing, life is yours and you have a responsibility to live it well. Hence, you must take care of your health. Never should you ignore any health concerns – physical or mental, for any reason, since this may cause irreversible scars later in life, if not dealt with correctly and in a timely manner.”
Apart from the individual’s role in ensuring a stress-free work from home environment, companies should also proactively look at means of enhancing the holistic wellness of their employees. After all, healthy employees add value to organizations, enhancing productivity and growth for the company.
