Stay positive
No one is under any illusions about this not being a frightening time for the people across the world. The rising number of affected people and deaths, and worrying about your loved ones is not exactly conducive with a normal and productive working day, but more likely, especially when isolated, to lead to serious psychological issues.
“Overall, a short-run period of say two to four weeks full-time working from home I think would be economically and personally painful, but bearable,” Bloom says. “A longer period of, say, two or three months full-time working from home could lead to serious economic and health costs.”
For those who live alone, it is especially important to maintain regular face to face contact with your employer and other employees alike. If you’re a manager, it’s on you to provide clear communication and it’s also crucial to keep up morale.
“It’s easy to be stressed out or depressed these days,” Larson says. If you’re a manager, “acknowledge there’s stress and difficulty. Your job is to be a cheerleader for the team.” That’s particularly key if people end up working from home for more than a few weeks, which is a distinct possibility. “Set up a norm of some kind,” Larson says. “Keep people’s spirits up.”
