Work-From-Home Stress: 5 Shocking Stress Traps You Never Knew Existed At Home

Introduction

 Over the past decade, advancements in digital communication have increased internet connectivity.  This has brought people sitting at opposite corners of the globe to collaborate and work remotely. It has provided an option of work-from-home that minimised the need for people to travel to workspaces. It saved time and money for many and also allowed them to get their work roles executed from their homes. This culture was further accelerated after the severe hit of the global COVID-19 Pandemic. Change is inevitable, but all changes come with pros and cons, and so does the work-from-home culture, which brings along its traps/ stressors. 

Work-From-Home Stress

In the fast-paced world, the traditional workplace environment has drastically shifted to the work-from-home culture. It can simply be understood as a phenomenon where an individual can fulfill almost all their work roles digitally at their residence or any remote location, other than their workplace.

         It has numerous advantages including saving travel time, allowing customized work schedules and personal workspaces, collaborating with people across the globe, and having dear ones around for longer periods during the day. Alongside these benefits, certain roadblocks and stressors do come along. 

         Work-from-home stress can be explained by the tension and pressure experienced by the employees concerning their overall work performance and productivity while executing their work duties outside their workplaces remotely. It is a persistent state of stress that not only impacts their overall performance but also affects their physical and psychological well-being. Prolonged periods of working from home can have a wide range of sources of stress. This can ultimately have an overall and long-lasting impact on the quality of work as well as the quality of living.

Does Working From Home Reduce Stress?

Working from home does offer a unique set of advantages provided one makes the best out of staying away from the workplace.

1. Time saver: Working from home saves loads of time by not letting the long hours of the running clock go away in traveling. Employees can comfortably reside away from their workplaces and yet connect and perform work roles with other colleagues residing in different locations across the world. It provides the opportunity to become a part of a large cultural diversity just with the difference of a digital click. 
2. Personal workspace: Work-from-home culture helps create a personal workspace with the desired environment. The comfort area of the home which can be arranged with appropriate light and sitting arrangement can indeed help in better performance for many.
3. Flexible timings: Since a lot of time is saved while not travelling daily, Flexible and individual schedules according to one’s deadline can be helpful. 
4. More time with family: Working from home provides employees more time to be around their family members and spare time for their recreational activities, which indeed reduces the stress of an individual. 

Working from home comes with disadvantages as well.

1. Increased screen time: Apart from the work tasks that need to be completed on one’s devices, employees spend extended periods on the screen to connect with their colleagues. Over some time, the majority of the time is spent on screen which increases one’s physical strain. It in turn increases stress.
2. Time management concerns: Despite organising a separate workspace at home, working at home for prolonged periods can often blur boundaries. One indulged in workplace tasks, and home ask together. It often increases stress, results in time management concerns, and reduces overall productivity. 

Hence, similar to the two sides of a coin, the elements that come along with the concept of working from home can act both as an advantage or disadvantage. The difference is defined by one’s perception, behaviour, and management.

Symptoms Of Work From Home Stress

It is important to realise that prolonged periods of working from home can result in high levels of stress. Here are 5 listed stress traps that can impact the overall functioning of an employee. 

1. Quality of Productivity: Working from home can increase time management concerns. The environment and presence of family members can often be distracting. This can result in a lack of concentration, reducing proper scheduling of work, and affecting performance and productivity. 
2. Physical well-being: While being in the same physical environment for work and rest, one may end up using electronic devices for prolonged periods. This can result in eye strain as well as posture-related pain. One may also experience lethargy, a significant change in appetite and sleep patterns.
3. Psychological Well-being: Extended periods of working from home can affect employees’  overall mental health. Studies have reported that symptoms of anxiety and depression are often experienced (Fan et al., 2015). Being unable to cope well with stressors can make employees feel overwhelmed and irritable. This can further decline their overall psychological well-being.
4. Social Isolation: Not visiting one’s workplace frequently for weeks or months can result in one feeling socially isolated. Sitting for long hours in front of devices and not being able to interact with peers and colleagues can also make one feel that they lack support. Many times, this can lead to communication gaps and a sense of disengagement from social networks. 
5. Blurring Boundaries: In addition to the above-mentioned traps, blurring of boundaries is another adversely affecting trap that can impact the overall well-being of the employees. One may prolong their working hours while being at home which can reduce the quality of time to spend with family members. Not being able to create clear boundaries between work and home space can significantly impact the quality of interpersonal relationships within work, family, and friends respectively. (Wiradendi Wolor et al., 2021)

Work Stress Affecting Home Life

         Amongst the challenges faced while working from home for an extended period, certain dynamics of home life are significantly impacted due to the experienced work stress.

1. Self: The most affected aspect of home life is the self. Due to continuous focus on either work or family being around, one can focus on self the least. Not being able to spare time for one’s hobbies and not spending time to reflect on one’s thoughts and emotions can indeed increase the negative impact of work stress.
2. Interpersonal relationships: One’s relationships with the family, including parent-child, siblings, or marital relationships, can experience a major impact. Work demands, when not managed well, can take away most of one’s time and energy. This can lead to reduced quality time spent with family members. People are physically around but mentally away. Reduced engagement with family members can often increase conflicts and emotional concerns.
3. Blurring of boundaries: Working from home can blur boundaries between ‘workspace’ and ‘family space’ making it difficult for one to ‘zone in’ and zone out’ out of one domain to the other, making it difficult for one to relax and recharge. This, in turn, increases work stress and impacts the healthy dynamics of home life.

How To Handle Work-From-Home Stress

         One can gradually learn ways to handle work-from-home stress and enhance well-being. Here are five ways to handle work-from-home stress.

1. Building a routine: Getting up at the same time each morning, building morning and evening rituals, and defining work and home tasks and timings, especially with a to-do list, can be an effective way to manage stress. 
2. Structuring workplace: Deciding upon a dedicated and fixed place for working hours can bring structure and a sense of professionalism. One can get all the things related to work in one place, including electronic devices to be used, work-related documents, etc. Alongside setting up a space, and dressing up in professional attire even while working at home.
3. Practising self-care: It is essential to prioritise oneself equally to the workload and time spent with family. Taking out time for one’s hobby activities, taking regular breaks between work hours to refresh and recharge, and going for a quick walk can help deal with stress better.
4. Continuing networking: Despite being at home, one should continue to maintain a connection with their colleagues. It helps one find growth opportunities and prevents one from feeling socially isolated.
5. Defining boundaries and communicating: Segregating work and personal space is the need of the hour. Knowing one’s limits, building assertive and transparent communication about availability, and sharing progress and work priorities can help one handle work stress better. It also provides the chance to have a mindful presence for work, family, and self, respectively. 

Family, friends, work, and career are all important, but making one’s well-being a priority is also essential. Managing all of these within a limited time can create a lot of stress. This stress is mostly ignored and can lead to health issues. Seeking support and reaching out for professional support can help deal with work stress better and enhance one’s performance and productivity. (Elizabeth Scott, 2023)

Conclusion

The transforming wave of work culture in the present times is more inclined to the work-from-home concept. This wave has come with its own set of opportunities and barriers. With changing times, whether organisations continue to encourage work from home or invite employees to work at organisational premises, it is important to identify the stressors and challenges. Adapting to healthy strategies can help sustain better productivity and the overall well-being of the workforce.

References

Elizabeth Scott, P. (2023, December 21). How to handle the stress of working from home. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/the-stress-of-working-from-home-4141174

Fan, L.-B., Blumenthal, J. A., Watkins, L. L., & Sherwood, A. (2015). Work and home stress: Associations with anxiety and depression symptoms. Occupational Medicine, 65(2), 110–116. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqu181

Wiradendi Wolor, C., Nurkhin, A., & Citriadin, Y. (2021c). Is working from home good for work-life balance, stress, and productivity, or does it cause problems? Humanities and Social Sciences Letters, 9(3), 237–249. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.73.2021.93.237.249