How to de-stress and escape from the
demands of working from home.
Companies have shifted to telecommuting since traveling for work isn’t possible at the moment. But with the convenience of doing our work from the safety of our home, comes the sad reality that the work-from-home set up has blurred the lines between our personal and professional lives. Making anxiety, stress, and burnout inevitable.
This change has been particularly stressful especially to those who are in the creative industry. With endless client calls, webinars, and frantic deadlines a part of our daily lives, it’s important to spend some time for yourself and escape from the demands of work. Here’s how we at Grupo Agatep deal with the stress of the new normal:
1. Run!
Doing a quick run does not only make one fit; it also increases the serotonin level which is responsible for boosting your mood and the overall sense of well-being. “I run every day after work. Since quarantine and we can’t go out to run, I made a habit to run in our backyard at least 6km or at least for about an hour. Running for me is also a form of meditation,” said Grace Antonio, media relations supervisor.
2. Learn new things
Despite being stuck at home, we can maximize our time by learning new things. Finance and HR Director Wendy Garvida attends free webinars on digital or online business to cope with the stress of the WFH set up. “Aside from gardening and playing with my dogs once in a while, I also try to learn something new like doing presentations using Keynote instead of PowerPoint or creating short marketing videos,” she said. By learning new skills, you don’t only get to pass the time, you also get to enrich yourself, too!
3. Give your mind a breather
Working from home can be overwhelming as the barrier between your life at home and the office is diminished. But, you can always give yourself a breather. Make time for yourself, physically and mentally, by taking a break in between work hours.
“I watch funny YouTube videos or listen to saxophone music whenever I feel drained with my workload. And to refresh my mind, I do a checklist and timeline to sort out what needs to be prioritized so I won’t multitask which will only prevent me from accomplishing my tasks on time,” shared Warren Nikki Dela Cruz, account manager.
4. Do things that will give you a sense of normalcy
There’s no magic formula to make things feel less uncomfortable especially during a crisis, but giving yourself a little sense of normalcy will surely take away a bit of stress from staying at home. So from doing a quick workout to whipping up something scrumptious in the kitchen, Grupo Agatep’s Account Director Chel Cajucom noted that we can tether ourselves back to reality by sticking to a routine.
5. Just continue what you love doing
Community quarantine might have disrupted the way we live but that doesn’t mean we should forget our hobbies. Immanuel Pastolero, editorial director, rekindled his love for K-pop during the lockdown. He says that, having an outlet makes dealing with the stress a little more tolerable. If you need a listening recommendation, he has quite a few! “WayV’s Turn Back Time, it’s not K-pop in the strictest sense since it’s in Mandarin, but they’re managed by one of the largest agencies in Korea and they are part of the supergroup, NCT. If you want something in Korean, Super Junior K.R.Y. ‘s When We Were Us and SECHSKIES’ All for You are great options,” he said.
Meanwhile, for Erick Tutaan, assistant editor, enjoying the things he loves doing during free time helps in keeping stress and burnout at bay. “For me, I play video games. I just finished part 1 of the remake of a classic fantasy JRPG and have started playing the definitive edition of a sci-fi cult favorite,” he added.
All these tips can be summarized into one great key and that is self-care. Adapting to the new normal and the work from home scheme can be really stressful. But, all it takes is a conscious effort to detach from your work and make more time to enrich your life in meaningful ways.
