Getting Back 2 Work After Quarantine
After being home for three plus months, it was hard enough getting into a routine at home. But what happens when it is time to start transitioning back to work during Covid-19?
With numbers at 27 percent of the population struggling to fall asleep in 30 minutes or less proves a lot of anxiety is on the minds of Americans when laying their head down on the pillow. Add in a pandemic creating a new routine and more anxiety is added to the struggle.
Identifying ways to alleviate the sleep loss when first lying down may eliminate the restlessness and morning snooze.
Women require 20 more minutes of sleep than men because of their expansive mental energy depletion. Women tend to multitask more frequently, using more of their brain during the day. Sleeping helps the brain regenerate; therefore, multi-taskers need more focused REM (rapid eye movement). So you need those extra five minutes of awake time to accomplish your large to-do list.
Some tips to think about as you re-enter life during Covid-19:
Dealing with Work Anxiety
There can be many signs to anxiety on the job like lacking concentration, arriving late, acting out, being apathetic, and making simple mistakes.
To sleep through the night and get the proper z’s to prepare for a new day at work, there are a number of things to think about if you suspect your job is the problem.
Work anxiety affects people of all ages so it is not just reserved for single parents, stockbrokers, police officers, or anyone holding down multiple jobs. The important thing is to get help early and often to avoid long-term side effects for your health and well-being.
Leave Work Behind at Home
By approaching each career fork in the road with a breath, a number of ideas to leave work at work can improve the quality of your home life and your sleeping habits.
- Getting organized. Make checklists or set reminders on your work calendar to keep up with work tasks. Prioritize each item so you can complete tasks on time to not worry about completing them at home.
- Relaxing music. Set the mood in your office. Purchase a small diffuser to bring some ambiance from home. Instead of listening to upbeat music try a tranquil list. Pandora and Spotify are just two options where you can find playlists to unwind while on the job.
- Taking your lunch. Yes, sometimes it takes more than the 40-hour work week to complete all the work. But without a break, the stress mounts. Take a walk outside, read a book, write in your journal, or meet a friend for lunch. All will offer a break for the mind.
- Keeping email off your phone. We are connected 24-hours-a-day for better or worse. It is the state of our society. But there is no requirement to keep your work email on your phone. Keeping it for the office will help the temptation to check email at home.
- Meeting coworkers. Your partner, best friend, or spouse will not understand your work issues. Find a coworker that you can befriend to become a confidant. When stressed, you will have a trusted person steps away so you do not bottle up your emotions.
- Finding a new job. Sometimes you can try all the best practices to keep work out of the home but if the job is not going to change or your boss is not going to stop calling after hours, HR software worker advises finding a new job to maintain health.
But none of the work strategies will improve your quality of sleep without some work at home.
Seeking Help
If you are in a pattern of sleepless nights that are negatively affecting your health, your family, or your career, connect with the Alaska Sleep Clinic for a free consultation Our sleep medicine specialists offer the help needed to get back on track with a quality, healthy night’s sleep.
