[Image Description: A woman sitting at her kitchen table looking stressed, surrounded by dirty dishes, boxes, and papers.] 

Pictured: Likely a familiar scene at this point

COVID-19 has had many effects on our lives and work. To prevent the spread of the virus, we must wear masks, maintain social distancing, not dine in restaurants, and stay at home as much as possible. These restrictions make people feel very uncomfortable and unable to move freely. But we should cooperate with these regulations, which are responsible regulations to follow for both our own health and for society. At the same time, most jobs have also been transformed into remote work-from-home. The unexpected shift to working from home during COVID-19 is making a dramatic impact on workers’ personal lives and work patterns. When working remotely, the line between personal life and work becomes blurred, and people finding it more and more difficult to focus on their work. Also, people feel stressed because they are unable to find a comfortable space in their own homes.

 

[Imade Description: More than one in three adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder during the pandemic and the percentage keeps increasing from January to July.] 

Pictured: Know that you are not the only one finding this moment difficult 

The Kaiser Family Foundation also reports that people should pay attention to their mental health in addition to being cautious about COVID-19 becasue the number of people reporting a decline in thier mentel health has drastically increased during this pandemic. The coronavirus has significantly altered the way we live our lives and this changing still ongoing. At this point, you should looks to find new ways to make yourself happier and adjust to this environment.

Weekdays:

On weekdays, you do not need to go out in a hurry, you do not need to be afraid of traffic jams, and you do not need to worry about finding a parking space. You have extra time to enjoy your morning. Because of these advantages, you may not find it easy to get up and leave your bed during remote working!

[Image Description: A man with a laptop sits at his kitchen island, talking on the phone while he looks at a paper.] 

Pictured: Trafic from my bedroom to the kitchen was a breeze!

The most straightforward way for me to overcome this is when I get up, I directly leave my bed and go to the kitchen, start my morning with a bunch of snacks or coffee. After I enjoyed my breakfast, then I can make myself up and greet my coworkers.

Second, there is another big problem with remote work, that is, work efficiency will drop. It is difficult for people to quickly transform from the rhythm of life to the rhythm of work. Working at home lacks a working environment and working atmosphere that can be found in school or a company setting. For example, you are not the only one in your home. When you are working, your roommates or family members may be relaxing and watching TV. There may also be children with varying behavior and emotions with are difficult to control.

Having a plan is the most direct way to deal with these challanges. Everyone has only 24 hours in a day. There's is no way to obtain more hours in a day, so we have to learn to allocate time scientifically.

•          Write a plan one day in advance;

•          Distinguish the priority of work tasks;

•          Estimate the time of each task. Give yourself more time-space, in case a task is not completed in time you had alloted and this affects the following tasks;

•          Follow your plan as much as you can, then you should keep substantial progress.

The blurred lines between work and life may make you more stressed, whether that stress is physical or psychological, because you can carry over your negative work emotions into family life. For example, if you fail to complete a work task in time, or you are criticized by your boss, it may affect your mood. While you are at home, it is difficult to adjust your emotions immediately. It may lead you to blaming your roommate and family for your bad mood. Long-term work pressure will bring you some psychological pressure and make you mentally unhealthy.

In this situation, you can try to treat your work in a positive way to have a positive work attitude. Working is to get a better life. Work can not only increase income but also increase self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment.  As we know, when you have a good mood to do something, your work efficiency will be very high, and time will pass quickly. Sometimes work tasks are a bit challenging, but when you complete, that sense of accomplishment will make you happy all day. Changing the perspective of your work can contribute to decreasing your pressure work.

Weekends/After working hours:

Fridays and 5 pm is a watershed day and time; it tells workers that it’s time to go off the clock. So how can you distract yourself from work when you actually work at home? The easiest way is to turn off all the notifications from your work and leave the email box unchecked. Spending time with family without checking your phone once a minute can help you talk with each other, stay centered, and listen with interest to stories and feelings you share.

[Image Description: A woman walking her dog on a bright sunny day along a grassy path.]

Pictured: Or it can be a daily walking with your family in natural harmony with distractions.