Exhausted by Working from Home? Anxious about Going Back?
Skip to content
Careers Jun 8, 2020

Exhausted by Working from Home? Anxious about Going Back?

Tips from a clinical health psychologist on managing the work-related stressors that may be affecting your mental health.

A man is anxious to walk into work.

Michael Meier

Based on insights from

Stephanie Ross

Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles based on Kellogg Executive Education webinars focused on COVID-19.


It likely won’t surprise you that therapists like Stephanie Ross have seen a huge increase in demand for counseling services this spring. She calls it the “most tremendous uptick” she’s seen in her career.

Each Thursday, Kellogg faculty are offering free webinars on how COVID-19 is impacting businesses, markets, and careers. You can sign up for upcoming sessions, hosted by Kellogg Executive Education, here.

Much of this demand is due to increased anxiety and depression, with people reporting trouble sleeping, an inability to concentrate, or an increased craving for alcohol and drugs.

And while many anxieties center on people’s health and safety, there is also a lot of worry about work, explains Ross, Ph.D., founder of Illness Navigation Resources and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern Medicine.

Essential workers and those who have lost jobs likely have very acute concerns right now. And those who are still working and doing so remotely have their own worries that can be driving anxiety, from the logistics of balancing work and homeschooling to worries about having to go back into the office.

Ross offered advice for this second group on managing many of these stressors during a recent webinar from Kellogg Executive Education.

For starters, Ross advises, make sure you are taking breaks. Many of the clients she sees in her practice are working much, much longer hours than they used to.

Some have “gone 12 hours without leaving their home office, or the closet in their home that they consider an office,” she says. Or, because of insomnia, “they’re awake anyway at 5 in the morning, so why not go back to work?”

In order to create clear work boundaries in the absence of a regular commute, she suggests turning the ringer and news alerts off on your phone during certain times of day; reinstating the lunch break you used to take; and even taking a vacation. Many people canceled vacations this spring and into the summer because they couldn’t go to their intended destination, says Ross. But working for months on end without a break is rarely sustainable. So consider taking time off, even if you have nowhere to go.

“It’s really important to have some separation from work and from thinking about work,” she says.

And people should carve out space, not just time, for themselves. With families on top of each other all day, every day, this can be hard. This may mean, she says, “being strict about locking a door when you may not have been a family that ever locked doors.”

Another common fear, particularly for those who have been working remotely for the past few months, is the anxiety around simply returning to the workplace. Are your coworkers practicing safe social distancing? What if your job means walking into other people’s homes or businesses? What if your job necessitates regular airplane travel?

She recommends that people start by assessing what their main concerns are. “Then cross-reference those with what are the places and what are the job requirements you have that may put you in a compromised position,” she says.

After you have a sense of that, it’s time to talk to your manager.

“It’s always better to bring your concerns to your manager up front,” she says. And then continue the conversation, because there are likely challenges that you haven’t thought of until you are in a particular situation.

“There are a lot of potential landmines that can happen that we just don’t know yet,” she says.

Another concern is what to do if you are worried about a colleague’s mental health, or even a supervisor’s?

“It’s always tricky to have a conversation with people about sensitive issues,” Ross says. “On many levels, it’s discouraged at workplaces.”

Ross says one way to start a dialogue is to take advantage of the question that kicks off most meetings these days: “How are you?” You don’t need to answer with your deepest, darkest secret, she says. Even just a nod to your state of mind can help. She recently answered such a question by saying she was “okay-ish,” which made the other person more at ease to discuss their worries. “It’s a way of forming a connection.”

On the organizational level, she encourages employers to regularly send out a list of employee-assistance resources, perhaps as often as once a week. This helps to normalize the idea of reaching out for help.

Overall, it’s important to remember that while the impact of COVID-19 has not been uniform, “we are all suffering in some way.” But, instead of focusing on what you have lost, try to think about what you are still able to do. Maybe that’s volunteering, or exercising, or starting a meditation practice.

“Prioritize activities that give you peace,” she says. “I really challenge people to ask, ‘what can you still do?’”

You can watch the full webinar here and can download Ross’ slides as well, which contain many resources for those experiencing anxiety or depression, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI or text “NAMI” to 741741.

You can see previous articles from this series here.

About the Writer
Emily Stone is the senior editor at Kellogg Insight.
Most Popular This Week
  1. Sitting Near a High-Performer Can Make You Better at Your Job
    “Spillover” from certain coworkers can boost our productivity—or jeopardize our employment.
    The spillover effect in offices impacts workers in close physical proximity.
  2. 5 Tips for Growing as a Leader without Burning Yourself Out
    A leadership coach and former CEO on how to take a holistic approach to your career.
    father picking up kids from school
  3. How Are Black–White Biracial People Perceived in Terms of Race?
    Understanding the answer—and why black and white Americans may percieve biracial people differently—is increasingly important in a multiracial society.
    How are biracial people perceived in terms of race
  4. 2 Factors Will Determine How Much AI Transforms Our Economy
    They’ll also dictate how workers stand to fare.
    robot waiter serves couple in restaurant
  5. Podcast: How to Discuss Poor Performance with Your Employee
    Giving negative feedback is not easy, but such critiques can be meaningful for both parties if you use the right roadmap. Get advice on this episode of The Insightful Leader.
  6. What Should Leaders Make of the Latest AI?
    As ChatGPT flaunts its creative capabilities, two experts discuss the promise and pitfalls of our coexistence with machines.
    person working on computer next to computer working at a computer
  7. Today’s Gig Workers Are Subject to Endless Experimentation
    “It raises the question, do we want to be a society where experimentation is just the norm?”
    gig worker at computer with three scientists studying them through a window
  8. Will AI Eventually Replace Doctors?
    Maybe not entirely. But the doctor–patient relationship is likely to change dramatically.
    doctors offices in small nodules
  9. How to Make Inclusivity More Than Just an Office Buzzword
    Tips for turning good intentions into actions.
    A group of coworkers sit in various chairs.
  10. China’s Youth Unemployment Problem
    If the record-breaking joblessness persists, as seems likely, China will have an even harder time supporting its rapidly aging population.
    college graduate standing before Chinese flag
  11. Will AI Kill Human Creativity?
    What Fake Drake tells us about what’s ahead.
    Rockstars await a job interview.
  12. Why Are We So Quick to Borrow When the Value of Our Home Rises?
    The reason isn’t as simple as just feeling wealthier.
    A homeowner uses the value of their home to buy things.
  13. Take 5: Research-Backed Tips for Scheduling Your Day
    Kellogg faculty offer ideas for working smarter and not harder.
    A to-do list with easy and hard tasks
  14. Why Do Some People Succeed after Failing, While Others Continue to Flounder?
    A new study dispels some of the mystery behind success after failure.
    Scientists build a staircase from paper
  15. How to Manage a Disengaged Employee—and Get Them Excited about Work Again
    Don’t give up on checked-out team members. Try these strategies instead.
    CEO cheering on team with pom-poms
  16. Which Form of Government Is Best?
    Democracies may not outlast dictatorships, but they adapt better.
    Is democracy the best form of government?
  17. The Second-Mover Advantage
    A primer on how late-entering companies can compete with pioneers.
  18. What Happens to Worker Productivity after a Minimum Wage Increase?
    A pay raise boosts productivity for some—but the impact on the bottom line is more complicated.
    employees unload pallets from a truck using hand carts
Add Insight to your inbox.
More in Careers