According to Kellie Wong from Business 2 Community in her article, 25 Key Remote Work Statistics for 2020, "Approximately 7 million people were already working from home" before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Since COVID-19, many companies have had to deploy employees to start working from home.

Maybe you've found yourself in such a situation where you now have to work from home. It can be stressful; especially with the additional stress of trying to manage life through this pandemic. Consider the following ways that you can destress while working from home.

Dedicated Workspace

This sounds like such a basic concept, but this is the most important part of destressing while working from home. You need an office that is solely for work and separate from your home life activities. Of course, you may not have a separate room that you can dedicate solely as an office. However, you can take steps to make the workspace separate.

•Room Dividers - Use a portable wall to divide your office space from whatever room you placed your desk in like your bedroom or family room. This can ensure that you have separation between work hours and home life.

•Desktop vs Laptop - Invest in a desktop computer instead of a laptop. Sure, you can have a laptop for personal use. However, if you truly want to create a stress-free work life balance, it's best to have a desk with a desktop computer and monitor so once you step away from the area, you're done with work.

•Work Schedule - Working from home can become complicated, since you may have trouble finding a balance with home life and when you need to work. Decrease your stress levels by making sure you create a clear work schedule and don't deviate from it.  

Comfortable Workspace

Working in a comfortable work area can make your productivity level increase and stress levels decrease. Of course, you don't want to be so comfortable that you zone out and fall asleep. However, you want to be comfortable enough to make it through a long 8-10 hour work day. Take the following steps to make your workspace more comfortable.

•Natural Lighting - If possible, create a workstation that has access to natural light through windows. If that is not an option, use the appropriate task lighting, like a desk lamp to ensure you can work comfortably while writing, reading, or typing.

•Effective Storage - A messy office space decreases productivity. Find the right storage solutions that streamline all the necessary components to help you easily find what you need and work productively.

•Ideal Temperature - Keep the workspace temperature at the optimal degrees to help you feel comfortable throughout the day. If necessary, use a space heater in the winter months or a fan or portable air conditioner in the warmer weather.

•Ergonomic Features - The right desk and chair are so important to improve your comfort level. Some popular ergonomic chair brands are the X-Chair, Steelcase Gesture Chair, Herman Miller Classic Aeron Task Chair, and the Office Factor Executive Ergonomic Office Chair. Ergonomic desks like the ApexDesk Elite Series, Vivo Workstation, or Uplift V2 Adjustable can add to your comfort level by enabling you to have a sitting and standing workstation.

Communication Rules

Make a strict rule for yourself--because this can be easily broken--to keep work communication to set work hours. When you work a regular job outside the home, there are generally clear boundary lines between working time and home time. However, when your office is in your home, the boundary lines can quickly become undefined. This can easily increase your stress levels.

Whether you are a team leader or team member, be vocal whenever you feel that a coworker is crossing those boundary lines and impeding on your home life. You need to keep all work communication on company emails and the company phone line and keep your personal accounts a no work communication zone.

These communication rules apply to your circle of family and friends too. It's important that they know when you'll be working and cannot be disturbed. You won't be productive if people are constantly calling, emailing, and texting you, or knocking on your door. Just because you work from home doesn't mean you can stop what you're doing to go to lunch or take several breaks each day. Setting specific boundaries will definitely help to decrease your stress levels while working from home.

Take Care of Yourself

Since you're working at home, you have easier access to healthy snacks than if you were working in an office. Sure, you could bring healthy snacks to work with you, but working at home makes it easier to walk to the kitchen and make a healthy snack during your afternoon break time. Consider the following healthy snacks as suggested by Healthline.com to power your afternoon:

•Guacamole and Bell Peppers - Avocados are high in monosaturated fats that are effective in maintaining healthy blood cholesterol levels and a healthy heart.

•Roasted Chickpeas - This is a delicious snack that is high in fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals.

•Apples and Peanut Butter - Apples are a great source of fiber. Peanut butter is a healthy fat and protein that can be a filling snack to help you get through your afternoon.  

Start Destressing Today

Improve the way you balance working from home by following these basic steps to make the daily process less stressful. You can easily make these changes to help you work from home more peacefully and start destressing today.