Work-from-home setup may lead to higher stress levels, experts say

Despite the comfort of working from home amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this setup may lead to higher stress levels, according to experts.

According to JM Encinas’ report on “Stand for Truth” Tuesday, the United Nations International Labour Organization said that employees’ increased dependence on their work gear such as laptops and mobile phones could be associated with higher stress levels.

This is because employees may create a habit of constantly checking their gadgets.

Another reason for stress at home is because the boundary between work and household becomes blurry, said Department of Labor and Employment’s Employment Cluster Assistant Secretary Nikki Tutay.

“It could be stressful kasi sometimes hindi na natin na-rerealize yung boundaries natin between work and family setup or household setup,” she said.

“So hindi mo alam na napo-prolong mo ’yung time mo for working or dahil nasa bahay ka anytime accessible ka.”

Aside from boundaries, a work from home setup also requires a conducive working environment to avoid distractions.

When boundaries are crossed, stress builds up and may lead to loss of motivation, anxiety, and depression.

Some symptoms of employees who continue to experience stress are tardiness, lack of focus, missed deadlines, and never-ending fatigue.

However, not all of those who work from home experience overstress, said psychiatrist Dr. Randy Dellosa.

According to him, some workers, in fact, experience the opposite, but with the same results.

“Kapag under stress tayo ang ibig sabihin nito ay nasa relaxation o vacation mode tayo at at dahil dito mababawasan o mawawalan tayo ng motivation, drive, interest at will power na gawin ang trabaho,” he explained.

“Kapag overstress naman tayo pump ng pump ang sistema natin, ang adrenaline para maka-cope tayo sa stress and kapag napagod na ’yung karawan natin sa pag-pump ng adrenaline ang kasunod no’n ay made-drain ang energy so yun na rin ang depression,” he added.

Dr. Delossa suggested that those who have work-related anxiety should maintain a system, give themselves time to rest, and have a work-life balance. – RC, GMA News