College of DuPage psychology professor shares tips on managing stress while working remotely

For many, established daily routines have shifted substantially in the last several weeks due to COVID-19, and by now, the novelty of working remotely may have worn off. In this new normal, overcoming stress can be one of the best ways to work more efficiently from home.

"One of the most helpful things to realize is that although we place our sources of stress into different buckets such as learning to work remotely, isolation, family stress and overwork, our bodies do not really react this way," said College of DuPage Psychology Professor Ken Gray. "All of these individual sources combine into a single mountain of stress. Although this might seem discouraging at first, it isn't, because taking stress away works the same way. For example, we can reduce stress caused by needing to learn new skills to work remotely by exercising, which is a very specific source of stress aided through a very general solution."

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution, Gray said it makes sense to start overcoming stress with evidence-based techniques that have worked for many others. He shares tips for beating stress and making the most of working from home.

• Exercise Regularly

Social distancing does not mean never leaving the couch, the kitchen table or the desk in your home office. If you can adhere to social distancing while still going outside, try to go for regular walks or runs. Existing home exercise equipment will also do the trick as will online exercise videos. Exercise not only helps burn off some of the nervous energy associated with stress, it also protects you from some of the dangerous health outcomes of stress and inactivity.

• Keep Up with Connections

Time and again, researchers have demonstrated the benefits of social support to combat the negative effects of stress. If being cooped up with our families is part of our stress, it can make it difficult to count on them for social support. Unable to simply go out with a friend, be creative when seeking social support and maintaining social connections. Use virtual meeting apps for socializing. For example, many people are using these apps to have happy hours, coffee dates and so on. And don't forget household pets; they also can be a source of companionship.

• Divide and Conquer

In this new normal, many are juggling 10 projects for work and trying to home-school children while keeping a household from falling apart. Divide work into manageable chunks. Even if the chunk is a unit of time, devote your full attention and energy to one thing only.

• Reframe When Possible

Change threats into challenges. When something does not go as well as it could have, focus on the realization that you have some skills to master instead of focusing on the threatening feeling that you made a mistake. What you learn will inevitably enhance your skillset and make you a more proficient worker, even if you don't have to face the same challenge again.

"There are many additional evidence-based techniques such as meditation or journaling," Gray said. "Whatever the choice, it's important to be proactive, engaging in these as a preventive strategy. Or, failing that, at least react sooner, trying some techniques before the feeling becomes overwhelming."

After he earned both his master's and doctorate degrees and worked for a brief time on the marketing faculty at Northwestern University, Gray joined the psychology faculty at COD in 1997. He was named Overall Outstanding Faculty Member for 2012-2013 and has served on more than 30 committees at the College. He has authored a General Psychology textbook and is co-advisor for COD's chapter of Psi Beta, the National Honor Society in Psychology. He is currently working with fellow COD Associate Professors of Psychology Elizabeth Arnott-Hill and Or'Shaundra Benson on revising the general psychology textbook as an open educational resource.