Work From Home

25 Effective Ways to Deal With Work From Home Blues

October 6, 2022

Yes, you can definitely deal with work from home blues by reading this article.

It contains very helpful ways and tips anyone can implement to deal with work from home blues.

Why Work from Home Blues?

As a kid, if you grew up in a part of the country where there would be days of rain you would fully understand the feeling and boredom experienced when you can’t do anything but stay inside.

You might have pulled out a few toys and played with them till that got boring, then you would move on to playing a game until that got old and then you move on to something else to relieve your boredom.

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Additionally, not only were you affected but so were your parents as probably secretly they wished it would stop raining so that you could get on outside.

A new take on being confined to the household was due to the recent Covid-19 pandemic.

There were limitations on what we could do and couldn’t do as it related to going out and enjoying the activities that we once took great pleasure from.

The restrictions set in, and we were confined to our home.

Many entertaining YouTube videos were produced that would use a familiar tune and put words about being confined due to Covid-19 to music.

Personal Story

One of my duty assignments while in the military was to be stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Initially, it was pretty exciting because it was glamorous, romantic, a new adventure, etc.

Eventually, the newness and excitement wore off and because of being n an island, unless you were significantly involved in swimming, surfing, snorkeling, etc, there were limited things to do for those of us in the military.

Jokingly, many of us in the Navy referred to this condition as island fever because we were on the island and surrounded by water with not much to do.

The one cure was to get off the island and go back to the mainland for a couple of weeks of leave.

25 Effective Tips to Help With Work From Home Blues

1. Know the Signs of Work From Home Blues

If some of the words that come to mind in describing how you are feeling by working from home include:

Bored
Monotony
A feeling of being stuck
Depressed
Lackluster
No energy
Anxiety
Stress

You just may be experiencing the work-from-home blues.

2. Know the Causes

The cause can vary and include being isolated, having no social or professional work interaction with other co-workers, the routine of remote working, etc.

Additionally, some remote workers indicated their struggle with the real challenge of working and living in the same place.

There are no boundaries between one’s private and professional life.

Another potential cause of the work-from-home blues is the dynamic of work hours. Sometimes people enjoy structure and this is removed from working remotely.

3. Recognize

When you start to experience any of these feelings or symptoms of what is occurring in your life, it is important to recognize them and take action.

If you do not take any practical action, it is possible that the feelings of the blues will worsen and may eventually catch up with you and create more stress and possibly lead to depression.

Once recognized, it is important to take action that includes activities, interaction with others, and other steps to create diversions from what you are experiencing.

4. Don’t Feel Guilty

If experiencing these feelings you mustn’t feel guilty about feeling the way that you do.

This will only exacerbate the situation and create additional difficulties.

It is your reality.

What is important is that you recognize and name what you are feeling and then take healthy steps to address those feelings by utilizing a plan of action.

It is also important not to rule out professional help.

5. Play Music

When you feel the blues start to creep in over your mind and your heart a good thing to do is to redirect your thoughts.

Music is a great way of redirecting thoughts and lifting those thoughts to different times and places in your life which can be experienced through music.

A great way to do that is by going to your playlist and playing some of your energizing or motivational music or even going to YouTube and searching for one of your favorite old recordings to relive a few memories and be energized in that way.

6. Take a Break

When you feel fatigue setting in or your mind begins to wander or the feelings of potential anxiety start to well up inside of you, it is important to take a break.

Taking a break can consist of just walking away from the computer monitor, walking around the work area, getting a glass of water, etc.

Don’t feel guilty but realize that it is part of the re-energizing process and utilize this to refocus and re-engage.

7. Yoga

Yoga is an exercise program that utilizes the discipline of the mind over the body.

If you know how to do a few yoga positions do so and allow your mind to empower you, redirect your body, and your energies back to the task at hand.

If you don’t know how to do yoga then simply get up from your workstation sit in a semi-easy chair or roll out an exercise mat on the floor and just meditate for a little bit by concentrating on your breathing.

8. Different Technology

Another way that you can overcome the possible blues from clouding your work and depleting your energy is to use different technology.

If you are working on a laptop, perhaps you could move to your workstation or if you are using your workstation perhaps do a little bit of work on your smartphone.

This slight diversion may be just what it takes to get you back on track and refocus on you and your amazingness.

9. Different Setting

As part of dispelling the blues in your life, perhaps a different location to work from is in order.

If you are working at a desk, then perhaps take your technology and go to a different part of your home.

Also, it wouldn’t hurt to go from where you work to work from an easy chair or even the couch just for a short period.

10. Take a Nap

There is nothing like a power nap to regain your energy and get back to the task at hand.

Taking a nap will allow you to re-energize your “batteries” and go back to what you were doing with renewed energy and perspective.

11. Take a Walk

Another great way to dispel the blues from overtaking you is to step outdoors and get some fresh air.

You could take a little walk around the area, breathe in some fresh air, concentrate on the beauty of this world, etc.

All of this will help to dispel some of the negativity that you may be experiencing and give you a fresh perspective on life and getting back to work.

12. Meals

Often, we get wrapped up in the task at hand and neglect ourselves as it relates to energizing and refreshing ourselves.

Make sure that you eat but that your meals are not too heavy which would cause you to become drowsy because of the blood concentrating on your stomach to digest the food that you ate.

Perhaps an energizing smoothie or nutritious drink of some sort will be just the food that you need to reinvigorate your activities and snap you out of feelings of drudgery.

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13. Energy Breaks

Along the same line, it is important to take energy breaks.

There are certain periods of the day in which our energy levels are depleted.

It is important to re-energize yourself and take an energy break.

Taking an energy break can consist of eating an energy bar, having a pick me up as it relates to having a nutritious snack such as an apple, orange, etc.

14. Drink Water

It is also important to stay hydrated and therefore the suggested tip would be to drink water.

This should be done throughout the day.

In addition, the importance to drink water regularly keeps your body at the proper temperature, protect your tissues, joints, and spinal cord, and help in the waste elimination processes of the body.

Water will optimize your activities through the course of the day and therefore help to keep you from being overly stressed out, depressed, and worried.

15. Video Calls

Another great diversion would be to go on a video call.

The video call could be personal or could be a business video call.

The point of the tip is that it would be a diversion, but also would provide personal interaction with someone else and help to dispel the blues that you may be feeling by interconnecting with someone else.

16. Play a Game

Getting rid of your feelings of being blue or downcast is to refocus on something else.

One of those great ways to “lighten up” and have fun in the process is to play a game.

Getting the job done will not be an issue by spending a little time playing a game.

This diversion will help to relax you, de-stress you, and for you to get back to what needs to be done.

17. Hobby

If you have a hobby that you enjoy, this also would be a great diversion and allow you to push yourself away from your work and indulge in your hobby.

18. Catch Up On E-mails

Another diversion that would help to provide an option to focus on something else and get your mind off of your situation is to check your emails.

The emails can be both on the personal and work-related level and in either case, will provide that different or refocus that you need as part of the diversion.

19. Clean Closet

By working at home, you have the freedom to do other things within the confines of your house.

One of the tasks that you can take up as a significant diversion from your employment is to go to your wardrobe closet and straighten it out a little bit.

This has been something that you’ve been meaning to do and working from home gives you the freedom to do that in a combination of earning your living by working remotely.

The dual advantage of cleaning your closet for a little bit of time is that it provides a different focus from the job at hand as well as taking pride in doing something constructive in your personal life.

20. Stay Away From the Refrigerator

One important thing not to do is to keep opening the refrigerator door.

Sometimes when the blues hit us or we are bored, it affects our attitude toward eating to where we are constantly opening the refrigerator door to see what might be available.

This would be counterproductive in that not only would it drain you of energy through overeating but also the possibility of gaining weight may occur which may add to your further feelings of being depressed or experiencing the blues,

21. Routine

Routine has its place in the working from home environment.

The routine speaks to having to do certain things at certain times of the day and on certain days.

A way to break up the monotony and recolor blue lues from working at home are to stay away from routine or take a break from routine.

It may be what is needed to provide the freedom that will help you to dispel or remove any depression you might be experiencing.

Also See: Legit Money Making Side Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms.

22. To-Do List

Workers and managers have a “to-do list” that they abide by.

You could visit your to-do list and see how you are faring as far as the priority of the items that needed to be done on any particular day or during the week.

Also, you can develop different ways of managing your time and therefore this would be a diversion in creating something innovative and new as it relates to getting your work done.

23. Read

Another distraction that can be utilized and help to get your mind off of yourself and things that are going on in your life as a result of working from home is to carve out a portion of your day and read a novel.

Reading a novel, will transport you to another environment and be engaged and involved in the characters and the plot that is developed in the novel.

24. Favorite Videos

Laughter has medicinal qualities to it and there’s nothing like a good laugh to chase away the blues.

You can accomplish this by watching a few funny videos either on YouTube or are other social media platforms.

25. Help Someone Else

One of the best ways to get your mind off of yourself is by getting your mind on someone else.

While working at home, whether on your own or as part of a staff, you could reach out to another individual to see if there is anything that individual needs or requires as it relates to the workplace.

It will change your focus on giving rather than concentrating on yourself.

Working from Home Blues FAQs

Has There Been Any Significant Negative Uptick in the Mental Health of Employees?

According to a Forbes Magazine article a majority of employees indicated that they experience negative mental health issues when they worked at home.

Some of those issues included loneliness, isolation, leaving work, and stepping into home life at the end of the day.

Has It Been Shown or Proven That Employees Working From Home Are More Productive?

According to Apollo Technical it has been demonstrated that employees working from home were more productive.

You Can Do It

The possibility of working from home always seemed appealing.

You could work from the comfort of your own home, set your schedule and still get the job done in a timely, productive, and effective manner.

However, the element of seclusion and lack of professional interpersonal interactions is now looming large.

That and other reasons sometimes create the feeling of being depressed and of being blue while working at home.

Working from home is still a viable option and just requires a few adjustments and interruptions so that you can return to the task at hand, re-energized, and invigorated.

Conclusion

Working from home has become a reality for several American workers.

It is a great work experiment that is still being conducted and there are still many pros and cons as it relates to whether it will continue or be a combination of both working from home and in the office.

Sometimes working from home seems like it is always raining and you can’t get outside.

In these instances, it is important to take steps to be active and engaged inside until the rain stops.

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