Stressful work-from-home dilemmas and how to address them

One of the biggest realizations that many people have had during the quarantine period is that a work-from-home set up can be equally stressful -if not more stressful--as working in the office.

Are you more stressed out now that you're working from home? / Source: Pexels

A pre-pandemic study conducted by the United Nations back in 2017 has revealed that those working from home actually have higher stress levels than those working in an office setting.

Just imagine how many Filipino professionals have discovered firsthand just how stressful a work-from-home set up can be during the lockdown. Definitely a lot!

So, to help out work-from-home individuals, Mars Pa More hosts Iya and Camille asked for advice from psychologist Dr. Randy Dellosa on how to manage stressful situations when working from home.

So, if you're one of those who are going nuts over balancing work and home life during your work-from-home set up during quarantine, read on to find out what you can best cope with it.

Psychiatrist Dr. Randy Dellosa imparts tips on how to deal with work-from-home stress

Extended work hours

According to Dr. Dellosa, many have found themselves working for extended hours during the lockdown. Some have trouble separating hours dedicated for work and family since the two can often overlap when you're working from home.

While for some, their bosses or clients have this assumption that they can readily accommodate requests even outside of work hours, since they have everything that they need at home to do the work. Thus, they unwillingly render extended work hours.

Dr. Dellosa advised that it's best to discuss the problem with your bosses or the HR department.

“Talk to the boss or talk to the HR or immediate supervisor. Kasi sabi nga natin we're in the same pandemic; not the same boat. So, that means that they kind of experience rin a little bit of what we're going through.

“Alam naman nila eh, na tayo ang asset nila. Meaning, if we break down, the company is also going to break down.

“So, it's good that we have a heart-to-heart talk with our immediate supervisor or bosses, so that they understand din what we're going through.”

Working parents

Another common cause of stress in a work-from-home setting is the challenge of balancing work and household or parenting duties.

Dr. Dellosa suggested that working parents need to get help, so they can perform better at work.

“They have to look for relatives or loved ones or hire a nanny to take care of their children, because they can't take care of their work if others don't want to take care of their children.

“Kasi this (pandemic) is going to be long-term. Even if the mother can take care of the kid for a few days or a few weeks, magbe-breakdown pa rin yung mother 'pag walang support system yung mother.

And as an added precaution for hiring a nanny during the pandemic, he also advised that parents should first make sure that the nanny -or anyone who enters the house--is COVID-free.

“Dapat magpa-COVID testing. Dapat mag-quarantine muna nang ilang araw or linggo”

Extra tips

Aside from offering solutions to the work-from-home mentioned earlier, Dr. Dellosa also gave three extra tips on how to best deal with work-from-home stress.

1. Accept that this is going to last for a long time.

Since no one knows exactly when the pandemic will end, it's best to adapt this mindset and be proactive. Think of ways on how to make this new set up work for you.

2. Get the help of family members.

According to Dr. Dellosa, your family might not be aware that working from home can be difficult, as most people think that the new set up is convenient since you don't have to travel for work. Make them understand that you are also adjusting to this 'new normal' and you need their help.

3. Have a designated work area at home.

You should find a quiet room or corner in your home where there will be less noise and less people walking or passing by. This way, you can avoid distractions and have more focus when working.

You can watch the full discussion of Dr. Dellosa, Camille, and Iya in the Mars Pa More video above.

For more tips and advice on how to navigate the new normal, tune in to Mars Pa More from Monday to Friday, at 8:45 a.m. on GMA-7.

For more lifestyle content, head out to GMA's Lifestyle page.

Or, you might also want to check out DIY projects for your home office and stretches to improve your posture when working from home.