COVID-19: Mental Health and Wellbeing - Tips whilst working from home

In these unprecedented times, we are having to alter the way we live, work, and play for the good of our collective health and safety. One of these key changes is the move to working from home. For many of us, this is a new way of working, and adjusting could have an impact on our mental health.

It’s not uncommon to feel additional stress – despite the removal of known stressors, like a commute to work. Also, the isolation of remote working can add its own pressures. Working from home can turn normally optimistic, productive workers into tired, unmotivated, irritable ones. Before hitting rock bottom, learn how to spot the signs of declining mental health so you can address it in a timely way.

What this report covers

We cover what are the Psychological Effects of Working from Home and dive into the details around the following areas:

Loneliness and Isolation

Remote working could mean days without talking to others – either at work or in passing on your commute. Although you bypass distracting co-workers, you do miss the social aspect of chatting and venting about work and life when you’re remote. This colleague interaction does not always translate the same way over digital mediums. This disconnectivity from your co-workers and the rest of the world may make you feel lonely and isolated.

Anxiety, Stress and Pressure

When working from home, anxiety takes on many forms, including: pressure to be busy 24/7. Some may feel the need to find work, squeezing in activity whenever you can. But, without time to disconnect and unplug, you risk burning out. The boundary between work and home life blurs for people who work in the same place they sleep. You may feel pressure to be on when you should be off. You may experience stress. Working from home requires time management, IT troubleshooting, higher levels of organisation in less convenient settings, and much more. Switching between these hats multiple times a day will wear out anyone.

Depression

Depression can happen when you feel stuck and unable to see progress. Without the usual markers of success experiences in the office, such as recognition, instant verbal recognition, and the ability to see how your work fits into a bigger picture, you may not feel as if you’re achieving as much as your peers. The anxiety, stress, and loneliness of working from home can lead to depression or exacerbate a pre-existing condition.

Read more in the full report.