Coping with Stress at Home

Name: Coping with Stress at Home
Author: Karen Fabian

Learn strategies for a less-stressed balance of household obligations with work requirements.

Preview the first lesson free — get full access to all 5 lessons.

Course: On-Demand

If you used to work at the office or some other job site, there might have been a time where you imagined how easy it would be to work from home. You probably thought about no more commuting, no more spending money on a work wardrobe or lunches out, and no more childcare costs. Then you started working from home and you realized the lines were blurred. What used to be designated work time, because you were away from the house, is now anyone's time but your own. Pets need to be taken care of, someone left a mess in the kitchen, or one of your children needs to go to the doctor. How did what you expected to be so great turn out to be so challenging? This is a scenario that many people experience, and it's in part because we have an unrealistic expectation of how a change, like working from home, will have on our schedule. We also need the cooperation of our children and our partner, spouse, or other family to make it work. Otherwise we're simply at home doing home-related things and trying to squeeze work duties in at the same time. If this is what you've been experiencing, it's also likely to cause stress. Let's go back to some of the body's reactions to stress. Things like increased heart rate, increased body temperature, and other signs such as frustration or anger. If we have these feelings and they're related to our work-from-home situation, now we're setting ourselves up for health problems. We can't leave home, we often can't leave our jobs, and now they're intertwined. It stands to reason that it's a priority to manage the situation better, for not only you but for everyone involved. Their wellness is directly tied to yours, and if you're stressed, chances are they are too. Moving from working away from home to working at home requires an adjustment not only for you but for your family members. A lot depends on how much time you had to prepare for your work-from-home transition. According to the job search site indeed.com, here are some steps you can take to set some home-work boundaries with family. Create a designated workspace such as a home office. It helps if this is a separate room that you can close the door while you are working and effectively leave work when you are done. Set boundaries at home with family members so they understand even though you are home, you still have a job to do. Make rules for work hours. Your family should respect these rules to ensure you are able to be productive. And stop working at a specific time. Research shows that remote workers often blur the line between home and work, and end up working longer, totaling on average 10 minutes more per day, which adds up to 1.4 days per month compared to office workers. If children or other family members are home when you're working, make it clear that your work time isn't to be disrupted. It's okay to take breaks during the day and reconnect with them. Set a check-in time with your family, such as during your lunch hour. Use this time to step away from the phone and computer so you can give them your attention. One important aspect of working from home is defining a time of the day when you're done working and available and present in your role at home. Whether you live alone or with others, having a specific time when you step away from your desk and stop responding to emails or working on projects is key to managing stress. Taking that distinct action of closing your computer is a signal to your body that the workday is done and you're moving into the next phase where time for you or your family is the priority. The key to managing stress when you work from home is to be a master at time management. A huge part of that is being protective of your time as the most valuable resource you have.

Essential Provider : Karen Fabian 5 Lessons · 12m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese

Course Description

Whether you have young children at home, are caring for an ill family member, or have a partner who recently lost a job, all these situations add stress to your life. The only problem is you can’t leave them home to go to work because work is now done from home! Working from home for some people may have seemed like a dream come true, until they realized they still have other household duties to tend to while also trying to earn a paycheck. Now they have to find a way to complete work duties, take care of family members, and manage other household obligations.

In Coping with Stress at Home, you’ll learn some strategies to help you balance your household obligations with your work requirements and also keep them separate, both in physical space at home; and time, such as when it’s time to turn off the computer and give attention to your family and your self care.

What You'll Learn

Manage distractions while working remotely
Create a dedicated workspace at home
Keep work time and family time separate, both in physical space and time
Cope with caring for children while working from home
Care for a sick or aging family member alongside work duties
View a job loss as an opportunity when facing unemployment and financial issues

Key Takeaways

Working from home means balancing household duties, family care, and work obligations at the same time.
Separating work and family is helped by keeping them apart in both physical space at home and in time, such as knowing when to turn off the computer.
Situations like young children at home, caring for an ill family member, or a partner's job loss all add stress while working from home.
The course offers strategies to balance household obligations with work requirements and to make time for family and self care.
A job loss can be viewed as an opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

It is for people working from home who must balance work with household obligations such as having young children at home, caring for an ill or aging family member, or dealing with a partner's recent job loss.

What will I learn in Coping with Stress at Home?

You will learn strategies to balance your household obligations with your work requirements and to keep them separate in both physical space at home and in time, including managing distractions, creating a home workspace, keeping work and family time separate, and viewing a job loss as an opportunity.

What topics do the lessons cover?

The lessons include an Introduction, Coping with Children While Working From Home, Caring for a Sick or Aging Family Member, Unemployment and Other Financial Issues, and a Test Your Knowledge section.

Does the course include a way to check my understanding?

Yes, the course includes a Test Your Knowledge lesson.