Millions of people around the world are working from home due to COVID19, and while work from home gives us flexibility and saves us travelling time, it creates also different challenges that we must face on daily basis, affecting our mental wellbeing and making it difficult to be as productive as we used to be. Below is 7 tips that could help you make the best of working from home and deal better with the mental and emotional challenges it creates.
1- Establish a routine that you can sustain
A sustainable routine and a steady schedule will allow you to set boundaries between work and personal time. Set time to wake up, have breakfast and coffee and change your clothes before you start working. When the working time is over turn off your computer and use the time to do something you like.
2- Create your own workspace
Find a quiet space in your house where you can work without distractions, announce to the people you live with that you will start working and wish not to be interrupted. Your space should include all the things you need to remain focused and productive. Make sure that you maintain good body mechanics and sitting posture while working for a long time.
3- Take a break
Working from home will make you less mobile while spending long hours in front of the computer. Remember to take breaks to help you redirect your focus towards your work and utilize the actual working hours in the best way. In your break, you can listen to music or do stretching exercises to relieve mental and physical stress.
4- Keep in touch with friends and family
Because we are self-isolating, we have less human interaction with our loved ones, friends, family, coworkers and the outside world, and this may affect our mental health and raise a feeling of loneliness and isolation. However, nowadays, technology made it possible for us to stay connected and socialize with the people who matter, which will help us improve our emotional and mental wellbeing as well as theirs. Try to call your colleagues instead of e-mailing them and remember, they are struggling with the same sense of isolation as you do.
5- Set boundaries with members of your household
It’s important to make it clear that you are “working from home” not on a holiday, if you have children they need to understand that you need your own time before you can spend time with them to play or do activities together.
Remind your family and your housemates that helping you be efficient at work will allow you to spend more meaningful time with them. Similar boundaries need to be set for work colleagues as well.
- Accept the situation and think on the long term
It is important to prepare yourself to work from home for a long time, thus having your own space where you feel comfortable is necessary, and having other spaces or activities that helps your mental and psychological well-being is essential.
- Be kind to yourself and reach out
The whole world is living an unusual situation, millions of people around the world feel the same as you do and it’s important to be kind to yourself when you feel frustrated with not being able to be as productive as usual. Acknowledge the challenges you are facing and accept that you might feel frustrated with yourself, lonely and lacking a sense of purpose, but always reach out to professionals or to those you trust and rely upon. Sharing what you feel will help you understand it better, and will give you a fresh look at things and help you overcome these feelings.
