The last year has forced many of us to make some changes in the way we approach life. We have all had to adjust to new ways of living and working and for many of us, the place we called home has now also become our place of work.
While there are many perks to working from home, it's important to remember to have a healthy balance and take care of your mental health in these difficult times.
Some tips:
Do not get too comfortable- set a healthy morning routine
The lines between work and personal time can get blurred. No longer having to be at the office at a certain time or no longer needing to get up earlier in order to travel to work can mean morning routines become inconsistent. This leads us to lose track of time or worse....take time for granted. So even if you have nothing to do, some things you can do is set your alarm to get up and do something productive with the time you would have used in the past to get ready for work or travel to work e.g:
Get up and have a healthy breakfast (or be thoughtful and make someone else in your home some breakfast!)
Try something new with your morning you didn't have time to do before
Practice gratitude for the positive things you are waking up to
Avoid getting into the routine of getting up late into the day and letting the morning day-light hours slip away. Starting your morning right helps with mental well-being.
Find a work space area
Create an area somewhere which is strictly a space for you to work. Working from home needs to be as comfortable as possible yet free from unnecessary distractions. Have a place where your mindset is given the space to concentrate, be productive and get some work done.
Purchase some office furniture to ensure you are working comfortably
Buy some quality office stationary such as desk mats. There are many places you can source desk office supplies to make your work space more comfortable such as AEXSUPPLY which offers a range of quality desk mats and office stationary that can help transform an area in your home into a professional working space that looks good and feels good. Make working at home be comfortable not just tolerable. Involve your employer also should you require assistance....don't take on work related expenses if you don't have to.
Take care of your mental health:
It can become a habit to forget to take care of yourself when you are working in the comfort of your own home. Just as you would be entitled to lunch breaks when at work, ensure you give yourself some time away from the desk while working from home. Ways to ensure you don't burn yourself out while working at home:
Take regular breaks from your computer
Set boundaries- do not take on tasks for others that they are capable of doing themselves. Being flexible is good, but not too flexible!
Say no when you need to- working at home can make us feel like we have to be available all the time. You do not.
Set boundaries with other members of your household. This is key to mental wellbeing while working at home.
Switch off when the work day is over, and enjoy/be present with your loved ones. DO NOT be tempted to go back to that computer! It will still be there tomorrow......
Don't be isolated, stay connected
Working at home can also be isolating for some people in different ways. Stay connected to people who you feel good around- Ways to stay connected can be:
Make time to call a friend or family member instead of texting them
Have quality conversations with people in your life (that you actually like!)
Join virtual groups/discussions/activities online- you can find these on Event Brite or a social App called Meetup which has 100's of online groups that host in-person and virtual events for people with similar interests.
Lastly....Be KIND to yourself
Things are tough for everyone, we all handle challenges differently and not everyday you will feel motivated or positive; So acknowledge what you are feeling, be realistic about what you can achieve given the circumstances.....and don't be so hard on yourself. Tomorrow is another day.
