BEATING THE STRESS OF WORKING FROM HOME

We’ve known for years that most people don’t like working from home (WFH) for more than one or two days a week, but the pandemic has meant millions of people have been forced to WFH for extended periods. So what does the research evidence tell us the stresses of WFH and how to tackle them ?

- PROF HEW GILL

Perhaps the biggest cause of WFH stress is that many people focus on being at home, rather than behaving as though they are at actually at work. This leads to obvious mismatches between expectations and reality which in turn lead to personal stress and work family conflict. Gradually people begin to get up later than usual, starting and finishing times become fuzzy, so it’s difficult to set clear boundaries between work and personal time.

It’s hard to concentrate when the kids are “attending” lessons six feet away, and the technostress of using new equipment and software is much greater when the computer mouse won’t move on a sticky kitchen table. Some people begin to get resentful for being expected to work at home, can feel defensive about opening their private spaces to colleagues or customers, and often become tired and demotivated because every day is the same.

Then to cap it all, MCOs prove old adage that “Hell is other people,” as the pressures of being with the nearest and dearest every day leads to increased family friction and even open arguments. Taken together, these factors make WFH a perfect recipe for frustration, anger, stress, and even depression.