Those of us who work from home full-time do it because it’s living the dream we had when we were stuck in office cubicles, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come with its own downsides. You may not have to deal with difficult co-workers but loneliness can be a factor and it is harder to ignore negative feelings without the distractions of the workplace.
When they aren’t dealt with, these negative emotions and feelings lead to stress, which has been estimated to cause 60%-80% of workplace accidents and to cost the American economy up to $500 billion annually. You can’t afford to be off work ill because of stress, so what can you do to battle these negative feelings?
One way is to try and develop emotional agility, which has been identified by Harvard Medical School as a way to deal with life’s ups and down with self-acceptance, clear-sightedness and an open mind. Here are some techniques you can use to improve your emotional agility:
Flag negative thoughts as unhelpful
The first step towards challenging negative feelings and emotions is identify them and determine that whether or not they are helpful.
Get motivated
Instead of focusing on the frustrations and stress, try to see them as hurdles that you can overcome to reach better things. Turn the negativity into positive motivation for change.
Shift your focus
A good way to get rid of the negative thoughts is to take a walk around the block or your back yard to get some fresh air, which focuses your energy on your body and away from the stress in your mind.
These tips will get you started on improving your emotional agility to combat negative thoughts while you’re working from home. You can find more techniques in this infographic from Quid Corner along with lots more information about positive and negative thinking and the impact they have on us when we’re working.
