Working from Home: How to Avoid Depression

In the minds of most people, working from home sounds like a dream come true. You can check your e-mail in your pajamas, conduct conference calls while lounging by the pool and see your family whenever you want. And while all of these things are true, there can be drawbacks to working from home, not the least of which being a tendency toward depression. Rather than going to the office everyday and interacting with colleagues, you'll be working by yourself. Lonliness is a serious consequence of working from home, so here are few ideas about how to avoid depression.

How to Avoid Depression: Get Out of the House
When you are working from home, your tendency might be to sit at your computer from eight o'clock in the morning until seven o'clock at night, which isn't healthy. Not only do you need human interaction, but you also need to look at something other than a computer screen! Monotony is one of the predecessors to depression, so get out of the house at every opportunity. Take a legal pad and a pen and brainstorm in the park or go for a long walk with your kids when they get home from school. Even going to the grocery store at two o'clock in the afternoon - when it's far less busy - will give you the much-needed break you deserve.

How to Avoid Depression: Share the Stress
Another problem with working from home - especially if you're running your own business - is the tendency to avoid sharing the stress of your work. When you are turned down by a large client or when your supplier doesn't get product to you on time, you're bound to get frustrated and angry. Tell someone about it. You might want to designate a time every evening to sit down with your spouse over a glass of wine and talk about your day. Unload some of the pressure you're feeling and allow someone you love to share that stress. He or she won't mind, that's what friends and family are for.