Working from home can be challenging, especially if it wasn’t your choice to stop going to the office and work from your kitchen or your living room instead.
You might find it difficult to be productive, away from your work colleagues, and maintain a balance between work and family life. Perhaps you are even struggling to get up in the morning and start your day in a positive mindset. Fortunately, you can employ mental health tips for working from home. These self-care guidelines should help you take good care of yourself while staying satisfied with your job.
Here are nine mental health tips for working from home:
Mental Health Tip #1: Set up a work routine and stick to it
It’s difficult to be productive and stay motivated when we don’t have a routine. Just because you don’t have to go to the office doesn’t mean you can get out of bed whenever you feel like it and spend the entire day in your pyjamas.
Set up a daily routine and keep the same work schedule as when you were working from your office. This will help you keep healthy habits.
Mental Health Tip #2: Stay connected to your coworkers
Even on days when you don’t have any meetings scheduled, you should stay connected to your coworkers to avoid feeling lonely and isolated.
Working on a digital workplace platform can help you interact with your coworkers during the day. You can also call or text a friendly colleague whenever you need someone to talk to or schedule a virtual coffee break each day so you can chat with your peers.
Mental Health Tip #3: Set boundaries to create a healthy balance
Following your work schedule means that if you are supposed to stop working at 5 pm, you must stop working at 5 pm. Don’t work all night long or check your emails in the evening.
Keeping a healthy balance between work and personal life will help you feel better about working from home.
To set clear boundaries, you also need to learn how to say no whenever your manager gives you an additional task that you know you can’t handle at the moment.
Mental Health Tip #4: Add breaks to your work schedule
Just like you take breaks when you work from the office, you should take breaks when you work from home.
Taking 15 minutes to relax or take a short walk after 1 or 2 hours of work will help clear your head and make you happier and more productive in the long run.
Mental Health Tip #5: Get outside and breathe some fresh air
Sitting at your desk all day long can easily make you feel stuck in a rut. Going outside at least once a day to move and breathe fresh air will work wonders for your mental health.
You don’t have to go on a long walk if you don’t feel like it. Just leaving your home for a few minutes, breathing in deeply and looking at the sky should help.
Mental Health Tip #6: Focus on one task at a time
Multitasking can be a good idea once in a while. But if you are always trying to do everything all at once, the quality of your work will eventually decrease, along with your job satisfaction.
Instead of multitasking, try focusing on only one task at a time. Complete it as well as possible, then move on to the next task. You will be a lot more productive this way without ever feeling overwhelmed.
Mental Health Tip #7: Improve your work environment
If you know you will only have to work from home for a month or two, working from your kitchen table might be alright. But if working from home sounds like it’s going to be permanent, you should take a few steps to improve your work environment.
Even if you can’t turn an entire room of your home into your home office, you should at least find a dedicated workspace and equip it with a desk and a comfortable chair.
Tell your family that you are at work whenever you sit at this desk and need peace to focus on your job.
Mental Health Tip #8: Consider a digital detox in the evening
It’s not good for your mental health to stare at a screen all day. When you are done working and responding to personal emails, try a digital detox in the evening.
Stay away from screens, and spend quality time with your family instead.
Mental Health Tip #9: Take good care of yourself
Finally, remember to take good care of yourself. Get enough sleep, and eat balanced meals. Take a shower and get dressed, even if you will not see anyone today. Get some exercise, spend time with your loved ones, and do things you enjoy doing.
Practicing self-care is essential for your mental health as well as your physical health. If you don’t take good care of yourself daily, it will be difficult to be productive and motivated when you work from home.
