Anxiety and remote working: your mindset can be your closest co-worker
7 minute read
Managing Anxiety while Working Remotely: How Your Mindset Can Be Your Best Ally
Anxiety has become a more commonly discussed issue in recent years, and as a result, we have discovered new strategies for managing it in a healthy way.
If you have experienced worry or apprehension about various events or activities that you find difficult to control, you may be experiencing anxiety, according to the DSM-5. If this resonates with you, please continue reading for helpful tips on how to manage it.
As humans, we often face various challenges that can trigger anxiety. One of these challenges is working remotely, which can be made worse by feelings of anxiety. While the cause of this may vary from person to person, it is often due to a lack of clear boundaries between work and personal time.
Sometimes, work can consume so much of our time that we have little left for family, shopping, reading, and other activities. The solution is to structure your workflow so that you can set aside at least a little time for other things.
Why is this important? Because taking breaks and focusing on other things can help reduce anxiety, and even improve your work performance the following day.
Let's discuss how you can efficiently manage your workflow:
Set priorities
Otherwise, you may get lost and only focus on what's in front of you at the moment, causing your work never to end, no matter how many hours you put in.
When organizing your day, prioritize tasks that must be completed today and can't wait until tomorrow. Start with those, then use the same criteria to consider all remaining tasks, so you create a well-rounded to-do list.
Write them down
We have a lot of things going on in our minds every day, and if we add to them any problems/tasks/conflicts related to work, things can get messy. At the beginning of your day, write down the tasks that must be done. This act of organization will give you some peace. As Kidlin's Law says, “Write your problem, and it will be half-solved.”
Take short breaks when needed
When feeling overwhelmed, take short breaks of 5-15 minutes to clear your mind. It's also important to take meal breaks. Take at least 15 minutes to fully focus on nourishing your body; after all, you need it to survive. Give yourself some time to recharge and take care of yourself.
Set time boundaries
As remote workers, our laptops are always within reach, tempting us to keep working even after our day is done.
It's essential to resist the urge to check emails or complete tasks after hours. If you receive an email after you've completed work, avoid checking it on your laptop. Instead, check it on your phone and only attend to urgent matters. If it's not urgent, address it the next day.
Continually focusing on work can also affect our quality of sleep. When we don't sleep well, it can impact our performance the following day, potentially leading to more anxiety. So it’s important to avoid getting caught in a cycle of never-ending work.
I hope this information can assist you in addressing what you are experiencing. However, if you feel it is insufficient, please seek professional assistance. While anxiety can arise from and be made worse by remote work, it may also have deeper roots.
