A major precautionary step involved in the ongoing global pandemic caused by COVID-19, has been
social distancing and complete lockdowns in many countries. Quarantining has become a big social
responsibility for everyone and working from home thus has become mandated for all working
professionals. While working from home has its own perks and is definitely a great way of self-isolation
to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, it also has a darker side as working from home especially
with family around may not be as easy as it sounds.
Common difficulties faced during work from home:
• Loneliness and isolation : The social aspect of a workplace wherein frequent passing by
coworkers and chatting/venting in between is a good buffer for stress and maintaining positive
mood. Working from home doesn’t offer the same camaraderie. This disconnectivity can lead to
feelings of loneliness and isolation and can affect people with anxiety or depression concerns
even more.
• Anxiety and stress related to 24×7 pressure : The nature of working from home is such that you
do have more flexibility but a relative lack of structure in routine, this can be challenging as
multiple skills like time management, high responsiveness, digital understanding, virtual
connectivity etc. have to be efficiently portrayed. Many people can experience more anxiety and
stress because the boundaries between work and home life blur significantly when you are not
at your workplace.
• Depression : The feeling of being tuck in one place without a lot of social contact and working in
a monotonous place can really contribute to significant low mood. Working from home also
causes feelings of depression as you are bereft of relative tangible goals or milestones that you
are able to achieve at the workplace (e.g., templates on your desk, fancy office cabin etc.)
The brighter side of working from home is largely the flexibility and time you save from travelling related
to work. All this saved up time can be cashed up for self-care that is long due in our hectic and fast
paced lives.
Some pros of working from home are listed below:
• Not having to commute for work saves a lot of time of the day and makes levels of daily stress
reduce
• Greater flexibility comes from working from home as you can optimize your day best according
to your productive times, wear what’s comfortable and create a routine that’s relatively relaxed
• Controlling distractions becomes easier as you have more control at home than at the
workplace
• You can design your own workplace at home suited to your liking that can help boost
productivity and motivation
• You can save money that was involved in work related commute
• You are completely independent and that helps rely and build more on self-motivation, selfdiscipline, focus, and concentration.
The transition from a 9-5 daily job routine to maintaining the same motivation and hustle for work
productivity can be a challenging one for many professionals. It is thus important to acknowledge the
impact of this transition that may manifest as confusion or a sense of disorganization. Giving yourself
time to figure out a schedule as you start working from home and keeping lower expectations about
perfection will help ease some stress around the transition.
Tips for a healthy work from home routine:
• Maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle
• Start each day with a gratitude practice, listing a few things for which you are grateful
• Get dressed appropriately ( just like you would for work)
• Create a working space in your home and make sure you spend your working hours there
• Keep your back erect while working during the day
• Get moving to combat ill effects of a sedentary schedule – exercise, dance, yoga pranayams etc.
• Take appropriate breaks to allow some relaxation
• Practice deep breathing exercises throughout your day
• Talk to family members and set expectations about your work from home and your availability
• Ensure break time and after work hours are used for self-care activities or spending quality time
with family
• Take out some time after work to connect virtually with friends/family who live away, catching
up is a good way of feeling close socially and combating feelings of loneliness
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