Stress and the Personality Types Who Work at Home

“You are not working from home. You are at your home during a crisis, trying to work.”
Anonymous

Trends and Consequences

The world is still struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, which means that many people are still working from home. Some predict that this stay-at-home trend will continue and even grow beyond the virus’s rampage. Others aren’t so sure. Not all employers love the idea. That said, the current shift is large enough to make work-life balance while working at home a topic worth exploring.

Having a job out of the home, separated by a commute both ways, can help create something of a psychic wall between work and the rest of life. When a jobholder goes somewhere else to work, there’s the advantage of leaving it all behind when the workday is over. Geographical distance makes turning off the job at the end of the day more possible. (Although it is also true that technology that connects people to their jobs is invading the home, which makes even geographical separation from work less meaningful.)

But what happens when your trip to your workplace is from the bedroom to the dining room table?

Working remotely provides both challenges and advantages for work-life balance. Some studies suggest that mental health and productivity improve when people work at home. If there are children involved, child-rearing becomes more hands-on.

While work can disrupt a family, a family can just as easily disrupt work. If a child needs to go to a socially distanced soccer practice, the parent working at home may feel free – or obligated – to drop work and crank up the family van. Instead of the employee role, they take on the roles of parent, chauffeur, and cheerleader. Work could potentially suffer from this mixed focus.

A Three-Way Collision Between Work, Life, and Personality

Do different personality types face different work-life challenges when working at home? We speculate that they do.

Some of the typical work-life balance problems are probably shared, to some degree, by all personality types. For example, while working at home, the concept of clocking out at a particular time can become fuzzy. By not setting a firm time to quit, you may potentially cheat yourself out of valuable relaxation time and time with the essential people in your life. Doing the job at home allows some work-related stress to creep into the rest of our lives, robbing us of time away from the job.

The central enemy to balancing life and work is stress. Stress is the opposite of relaxation, and once work stress invades your personal space, your personal space is no longer a refuge for restoring and recharging yourself. If uncontrolled, stress can damage an individual’s sense of well-being, and that damage can easily seep into their relationships.

Here are some things that each personality type might consider when dealing with stress and balancing work and life while working remotely.

Analyst Personality Types

“When he worked, he really worked…but when he played, he really PLAYED!”
DR. SEUSS

Architect (INTJ)

Architects are known for maintaining rigorous standards as part of their work ethic. When working at home, their exacting criteria may creep into other parts of the house, where they may not be as appreciated by families and roommates. Rather than being a relaxing home, a household can quickly become tense if an Architect can’t leave their fastidious qualities at their workspace.

Tip: Create a 20-minute transition ritual that sets your time working at home apart from time that is dedicated to your personal life. Listen to music, drink a beer, walk the dog, take a long shower, and so on. Make it the same thing every day to signal to every part of you that the workday is over.

Logician (INTP)

Logicians may find that they are like Architects, but what they carry from their workspace into the house is different. If their work strikes them as compelling, these personalities might find it hard to stop working on something that has caught their interest. If they can’t let some aspect of their job go, their housemates may not want to hear about it. If those housemates happen to be family, those family members might need fuller attention paid to them.

From another angle, Logicians who don’t find what they do for a living very interesting may discover that their home offers various distractions that are far more powerful draws, magnetically attracting them. Such misdirected focus can send work goals way off course.

Tip: You, too, might separate yourself from work with a transition ritual (see “Architect” above). Rituals are simply habits, and our research shows that Logicians appreciate the power and nature of habits. Maybe it’s worth a try. Also, do something physical soon after work, like cleaning the house or running around the block a few times. A little bodily exertion can help you get out of your head just a bit and promote a sense that another part of the day has started. Oh, and after you’ve logged off of the company site for the day, maybe turn off some of the electronics that keep you tethered to the job.

Commander (ENTJ)

Commander, driven are thy ways. Bathing in the afterglow of an intense day working in the house, Commander personalities may have difficulty downshifting to a mellower frame of mind. When living on one’s own, the inability to calm the impulse to push relentlessly can be stressful if not tempered with definite periods of rest and pleasure. If you live with others, remember that not everyone in your life will welcome intense levels of passion, and its presence may agitate other household members.

Tip: You may benefit from trying meditation. These techniques help you slow down the noise in your head. You’ll never achieve perfect tranquility as a meditator. Nobody does. But you may find that it enables you to pry yourself away from a work mindset and allow more room for a more relaxed and enjoyable outlook.

Debater (ENTP)

Debaters are highly social and often popular, but they can also be insensitive and contentious at times. These personalities enjoy defeating people in an argument. Debaters are always looking for new challenges. Now, consider what this means without an outlet like work to satisfy their drive to compete. More sensitive housemates may find Debaters who always challenge their thoughts and comments tiresome. Continuous challenges, even when mild, can quickly create tension, a close cousin to stress.

Tip: Develop expertise around active listening. You’re probably already a great listener, but you likely focus on facts rather than feelings. Active listening is usually focused on both facts and people, and it can lead to more empathy. When the impulse to pursue a friendly argument arises, you may find it easier to step back if you better understand how the other person might receive it.

Diplomat Personality Types

“In most cases being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way.”
TINA FEY

Advocate (INFJ)

Advocates often put the needs of others before their own. That can mean dropping everything to help a partner or child, which can hinder their work results when they’re employed remotely. Also, their idealism abounds, even in an otherwise imperfect world. While being away from people may help Advocate personality types focus on other matters, they may vaguely sense that something is missing from their lives. In time, this can cause them to experience stress. They need a sense of purpose and can experience aimlessness without a decisive direction.

Tip: Start by adopting the affirmation, “I’m no good to anyone if I don’t take care of myself first.” Then, schedule islands of relaxation (a.k.a. breaks) throughout the day. Do whatever you like to do during these times. The only requirement is that it be self-indulgent.

Mediator (INFP)

Mediators are dreamy personalities and may find themselves having a little trouble staying on task independently. And if they find that they’ve wandered too far off track, they may go beyond normal guilt and experience excessive guilt. They won’t be so concerned about being judged by others, even their bosses, but their sensitivity may lead them to feel that they have let someone down. This tug-of-war between sensitivity and dreaminess at home can be quite stressful.

Tip: Enlist an accountability buddy. It doesn’t have to be someone you work with – it might actually be better if they aren’t connected to you through work. But it should be someone who might laugh with you when things go a little off course. You want this to be real, not severe. Commit to speaking to each other once a day to go over what the day has been like. You could make it a two-way sharing event. Make sure that staying on task is a consistent topic if that’s a problem. And if this stops being fun or rewarding, find a more relaxed accountability buddy.

Protagonist (ENFJ)

Protagonists are in a somewhat similar situation as Advocates, only perhaps to a greater extent due to their more gregarious natures. Their social spirits attract a larger number of people with needs that Protagonists can put before their own. Their Extraversion influences them to go all in on the job, creating the possibility that the magnitude of work itself is a stress creator. Protagonists’ enthusiasm and kindness can also motivate others to take advantage of them – yet another stressor. That’s a lot of stress to take home. But if the job site is home, those stressors may linger well into their personal time.

Tip: Ask yourself where things are “too much” with work. Make a two-column list that is rigorously honest about the intensity of your work in one column and the amount of energy and resources that you have to offer to it in the other. Choose anything on that list that is optional. Decide whether you want to keep volunteering for this activity or not. Will it lighten your load at all? If you find it useful to dispense with an optional task, set that boundary and politely step away from the undertaking.

Campaigner (ENFP)

If work were a party, Campaigners would be the life of it. And they would still manage to meet their job responsibilities. But at home, instead of colleagues sharing exciting conversations, they have kids seeking help with their perplexing schoolwork. The stressor of endless domestic distractions without enough satisfying interactions with coworkers can quickly become trying.

If Campaigners live alone, the problem is the opposite – having nobody at all to interact with. Loneliness and low energy can affect their work and their happiness negatively. These personalities are people people.

Tip: Create zones in your house that divide your workspace from everything-else space. Make it a game that teaches children (or partners) that respectful protocols come into play when crossing a specific physical boundary. (This may not work if you are the only caregiver and are wearing two hats throughout the day.) If you miss your friends at work and conversations are not possible during work hours, see if they are okay with you calling them after work to catch up. It doesn’t have to be about business.

Sentinel Personality Types

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”
PHIL JACKSON

Logistician (ISTJ)

Logisticians will complete anything that they start, and they’ll end the task meticulously. They work hard, are dutiful, and play by the rules. Possessing these positive attributes, however, does not mean that these personalities can’t become overwhelmed when given too much work. This sense of overwhelm is more likely if they feel that their work goes unnoticed. And working remotely, their efforts might go a little more unnoticed than usual.

Too much work with too little positive feedback might have them feeling some vague stress that they can’t put their finger on. Through Logisticians’ eyes, why should they be stressed? They might even feel guilty for having any complicated feelings around the work that they do.

Tip: Even at home, you need some days off. Mark those clearly on your calendar and stick to them. Then, go out of your way to do things that you enjoy. Consider it a mini-vacation every week.

Defender (ISFJ)

Defenders tend to be dedicated to whatever job they take on, and they want to give a remarkable amount of themselves to their jobs. At home, they may feel that every duty is solidly placed on their shoulders, since they may not be able to see what the rest of a team is doing. Yet, in their sensitivity, they might also avoid asking for help or support from their coworkers or managers, for fear of conflict or appearing disloyal and ungrateful.

On top of that, the change from working someplace other than home to working remotely may feel challenging for a personality type that likes predictability. They may need time away to drop their burden for a few minutes, or better, a few hours each day, to restore their energy and sense of self.

Tip: Take some “me time” regularly. Start or maintain a regular exercise program. If you enjoy reading, carve some time out of your day to open a book. Take some online courses that are not job-related. You give so much when you work. You deserve to be a little selfish when you aren’t working.

Executive (ESTJ)

Executives don’t necessarily fear change – it’s more that they simply like things to remain the way they’re accustomed to. A pandemic hits suddenly, and Executives find themselves not in their usual workplace but at home. Did we mention that they also tend to be a bit inflexible? Adapting is not likely one of their strong suits. Working in their pajamas is probably not an option for this personality type. At first, they may find the experience jolting, and then, with persistence, it takes on the dull pain of negative stress, which can easily flow into the other parts of their lives.

Tip: So, where is your work out of your hands? Where do you have a sense of things being out of control? Now, balance that by listing five areas of your life where you still have full control of things, remembering that nobody is ever entirely out of control. You can choose to wear pajamas (on a day with no video calls) or a suit to work at home. The choice is yours.

Consul (ESFJ)

Consuls are likely to miss the camaraderie that they enjoy at work and to resent having to trade it in for the independence that working at home requires. Those living alone may feel their stress levels going through the roof as they try to adapt to the loneliness of the new normal. Living with others, Consul personalities may decide that the people in their house are perfect for relieving their loneliness and frustration. This social need could cause them to neglect work by playing with their kids, or on the flip side, they could drive their kids (or spouse) crazy with their ever-present need for company.

Tip: If possible, arrange to meet with “work buddies” by video one or two times each week to openly talk about anything. Find out if your company allows this as a team-strengthening exercise. If not, see if your buddies are willing to meet during off-hours. You can’t be the only one who misses shop talk and gossip.

Explorer Personality Types

“You should not confuse your career with your life.”
DAVE BARRY

Virtuoso (ISTP)

Many Virtuosos have likely found lockdown to be exactly what they always dreamed of: a lot of alone time! They probably don’t mind being separated from those they work with. What will likely cause them stress is the pushback they get from work when deciding to do things in their unique way.

Virtuosos also don’t settle quickly into consistency, so while they might enjoy their time alone, their solitude might be negatively counterbalanced with seeing the same four walls day in and day out. These personality types may find work that they have to do at home without supervision or adequate feedback to be difficult, and some of it may be neglected if the assignments are not exciting or novel.

Tip: If you find your work unchallenging or otherwise unstimulating, do it for two minutes. If you still think it’s boring, do it for four minutes. And if you still think it’s boring, do it for eight minutes. Make it a game to see how many times you can double the amount before calling it quits. (Meanwhile, look around and enjoy your unique spin on your home work environment. And if your surroundings aren’t that interesting, fix them. You’re in total control of that.)

Adventurer (ISFP)

Adventurers are likely to relish working alone at home. They are in no danger of having to deal with awkward office politics and other distractions at work that invade their home (unless these somehow follow them through various technologies – perhaps an office chatroom). Just because they appreciate solitude, however, doesn’t mean that these Feeling personality types can do without people.

A lot depends on their job and their relationships outside of work, but some Adventurers may find that they are more connected with a few of their coworkers than with anyone else in their lives. Friendships may have developed. Even if they have strong relationships outside of work, these warm and sensitive individuals may still greatly miss some of the people they work with.

Tip: Focus on strengthening your friendships. Spend some time with friends you haven’t talked to in a while. Connect with people using video chat. You may not need many people in your life, but quality time with friends is essential for you and may provide some needed support.

Entrepreneur (ESTP)

Entrepreneurs tend to be ambitious and hardworking people. They are also resourceful. But despite their inventive natures, they may find that working at home limits the resources they need to be as expansive as they tend to be. Some of those resources are people. Entrepreneurs are likely to miss networking and finding people to connect with. Risk and excitement are nearly required for these personalities. They may feel bottled up (stressed) if some of this social energy isn’t released.

Tip: Work the phones. This suggestion might sound too obvious, but old-fashioned networking using the telephone is a great way to stay connected and feel like part of something vital. Entrepreneurs like a little risk and excitement. Try getting in contact with someone you admire but aren’t likely to know personally. Maybe there is some local celebrity that you admire and would like to get to know better. You might even find that such a contact is linked to an opportunity. Be creative.

(If you don’t work for yourself, you probably don’t want to do this during work hours, unless part of your job is to network. Doing this can be a counterbalance to social claustrophobia and unchallenging tasks while stuck at home. Personal activities are why lunch hours, breaks, and time off exist.)

Entertainer (ESFP)

Much of Extraverts’ energy comes from encountering and interacting with people, and Entertainers are quintessential Extraverts. They often find that much of their identity revolves around relating to other people. While Zoom has bridged the gaps between people that have been caused by forced isolation, it may not be enough for someone as social as an Entertainer personality. Even if their job remains at home after the pandemic, they may feel that they need to take frequent field trips back to their physical workplace (if one exists) to schmooze. Entertainers may feel down and uninspired being home alone, leading to stress and perhaps feelings of low-level depression.

Tip: Arrange a weekly Zoom cocktail or dinner party. Find a movie-sharing app and watch a film together. Get as many people as you can to come. Play games in the breakout rooms. Have fun.

Being Both Homebound and Happy

There are many ways to handle stress and balance one’s work-life experiences while working at home. The internet is stuffed with techniques. But reading about them does no good. It takes embracing the suggestions and making them part of your life to make a difference.

If you’re interested in this article, you likely work hard, and you deserve some time to recoup and restore your energy. Treat yourself to some comfy stress management today. Be kind to yourself and others.