Together with Stress during Work From Home Period

Together with Stress during Work from Home Peiod

It’s just the fifth month of 2020 yet probably Indonesian citizens have been mentally exhausted; or should be said, probably almost all citizens of the world. Two months have passed since the first announcement of COVID-19 infection detected in Indonesia, followed by the government established a new set of regulation called as Large-Scale Social Restrictions (LSSR). This step was taken to reduce the transmission of coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2, the cause of global pandemic COVID-19. LSSR was registered in Minister of Health Regulation Number 5 Year 2020. It is called as large-scale because it sets a very large-scale limit for citizens in doing communal activities such as going to school, working in the office, and also going out for entertainment purposes. To be exact, it prohibits activities that involves large crowd of people, but there are certain essential activities regarding to food groceries and medical being allowed. The government publicize a term “Stay at Home” (“Di Rumah Aja”) derived from global term used online: “Work from Home” in hope that the citizens would obey and respect this new regulation. Although it sounds very promising and relaxing, apparently, after many days passed, WFH does not necessarily always ensure that it will always be relaxing as imagined before.

Since its transmission and infection were massive and rapid throughout many countries in the world, World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as pandemic. Roughly said, this movement “Work from Home” forces us to be trapped at home in order to be safe. Trapped at home during pandemic? That sounds so much like a title of a very depressive book.

Each person faces different challenges during this WFH and pandemic, some of many related factors are age and profession. Several articles in online newspapers and related journals have discussed the impact of WFH for couples with children, person who lives together with their parents in the same building, as well as for graduate, postgraduate, or PhD students who live alone in their apartment. Of course there are lots of type of profession, but there is one similarity that could be found for general public during WFH period: the stress rate is very high. At this point people began to realize that mental health truly is important.

But, hold on, why stress? Why could people be stress whereas they are given convenience of staying and working from home, does not need to go out and spend money on transportation or gas, could attend a meeting while laying lazily on the bed while munching their favorite snacks? It is very easy to forget that being isolated in the house for days, accompanied only by work, alone or even with some family members, would cause pressure and stress. Imagine for some people who doesn’t have proper internet connection or any resources to buy that, it is even more difficult. It is hard to study, it is not easy to find entertainment aside of television programs, could not participate in any webinar classes for self-improvement, let alone working. There are changes in work ethics abruptly. Exchanging communication with co-workers by using only social media texts are prone to miscommunication. It is not rare to misinterpret the sentences written by your interlocutor due to the absence of certain punctuation mark or any sentences that considered ambiguous. The uncertainty of when the pandemic would be over, tendency to stockpile and hoarding, fear of financial crisis and laid-off from your job, all those thoughts are very hard to bear and trigger stress. Even by reading news in the internet could be very stressful.

WHO provides some tips that can be tried related to stress management during COVID-19 pandemic for the general public:

1.      Stay connected and up-to-date

It is truly important for knowing the news. Make sure to follow and read news from trusted sources and undoubted, for example from the government, organizations who work directly in the medical/ health field, doctors, and scientist.

2.      Have a routine

Do some sports, practice your hobbies, take some rests, eat and sleep regularly. Try make it as your routine so that your body does not forget.

3.      Minimize newsfeed

Try to lessen your media exposure, especially from untrusted sources as they could lead to hoaxes and trigger stress.

4.      Keep your social contact

Even though physically you cannot meet your friends, you can keep connected to them by text messages or virtual call.

5.      Screen time

Don’t forget to rest your eyes from seeing your phone or laptop screen. Do take pauses and rest.

6.      Video games

It is a good way to relax and stay connected to your virtual friends.

7.      Social media

Use it to send and promote supportive messages for each other

8.      Be a help and be a support

To provide help and support for the medics and paramedics during this dire time is very useful. We should reflect to ourselves more, understand and try to be emphatic to others and not easily judge someone else’s life circumstances.

Sources:

American Psychological Association. 2020. Coping With COVID-19-Related Stress As A Student. April 2020. 28 Juni 2020. https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/student-stress.pdf

Goldstone, Ross. 2020. PhD Students Need Better Protection From Covid-19. 2 Mei 2020. 28 Juni 2020. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/phd-students-need-better-protection-covid-19

Nursastri, Sri A. 2020. Kerja Dari Rumah Bisa Sebabkan Stres, Ini Penjelasan Psikolog.18 Maret 2020. 28 Juni 2020. https://www.kompas.com/sains/read/2020/03/18/183000323/kerja-dari-rumah-bisa-sebabkan-stres-ini-penjelasan-psikolog?page=all

Putsanra, Dipna V. 2020. Arti PSBB Yang Dibuat Untuk Cegah Penyebaran Corona Di Indonesia. 13 April 2020. 28 Juni 2020. https://tirto.id/arti-psbb-yang-dibuat-untuk-cegah-penyebaran-corona-di-indonesia-eMXT

Rajkumar, Ravi Philip. 2020. COVID-19 And Mental Health: A Review Of The Existing Literature. Asian Journal of Psychiatry Volume 52 August 2020. 10 April 2020. 28 Juni 2020.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876201820301775

World Health Organization. 2020. Looking After Our Mental Health. 28 Juni 2020. https://www.who.int/campaigns/connecting-the-world-to-combat-coronavirus/healthyathome/healthyathome---mental-health?gclid=CjwKCAjw_-D3BRBIEiwAjVMy7LmsIyiyAHxC8c7yjtzjFgE923uM4FLuzZDMjthV8MZ4679NXOO_MRoCmO0QAvD_BwE

Zandifar, A., R. Badrfam. 2020. Iranian Mental Health During The COVID-19 Pandemic. Asian Journal of Psychiatry Volume 51 2020. Maret 2020. 28 Juni 2020. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876201820300988