Maintaining Mental Health When Working From Home

Maintaining Mental Health When Working From Home

Big changes have happened to the way we work due to the Coronavirus outbreak, this has meant more people are now working from home. This style of working does have its advantages but does come with challenges as well. Not having to commute into work and the money saving that comes with this is probably the biggest advantage of working from home.

Current times are stressful and feeling anxious or uncertain is completely normal. Combining work life with personal life while staying motivated and productive, is the challenge everyone working from home faces.

A Few Statistics

People who have switched from working in a conventional office to working from home have experienced some health impacts. The most common of this is feeling less connected to colleagues, with 67% of people surveyed confirming this feeling. Over 46% of people have taken less exercise as a result of working from home, this is more than likely due to not commuting anymore.

Working from a sofa or bedroom isn’t ideal but over one in four people surveyed have said this is where they work. Nearly half of these people have developed a musculoskeletal problem as a result.

Not all of the statistics are negative though, with 45% of people feeling working from home was better for their health, compared to 29% who thought it was worse for their health.

5 Tips to Help Maintain Your Mental Health Working From Home

Working from home can seem overwhelming at times but there are a few tips and tricks you can implement to make it as enjoyable as possible.

Set a Routine

The first, and possibly most important, is to set a routine and stick to it as best as you can. Even though you’re not commuting anymore you should still get up at a reasonable time and follow a daily routine before work starts. This also applies to the end of your working day. When your shift ends make sure to turn off your computer to avoid the temptation of checking emails.

Take Breaks

Remember to take a break, sitting at a screen all day isn’t healthy for anyone and can have an impact on your wellbeing. Taking regular breaks will help to combat this and reduce fatigue while making you more productive. Getting outside in the fresh air is great for your mental health, so if possible go for a walk or run.

Set Boundaries

If you’re working from home when other members of your household are present, it is important to set boundaries. Having the flexibility of working from home is great but sometimes distractions can happen especially if you share your house with children. Setting boundaries in the first place can prevent these distractions and let your housemates, especially small children, know you’re still working and it isn’t time off.

Create a specific workspace

Create a specific workspace where you can work in peace, preferably at a desk. This not only helps you stay productive but also prevents any repetitive strain injuries from sitting at a sofa. Sitting on the sofa with your laptop might be tempting but this doesn’t do anything for your posture in the long run and can lead to injury.

Stretching and hydration

Keep yourself healthy by stretching and staying hydrated. Standing up to stretch at least every hour will help relieve your muscles from the hunched over sitting position. Sitting at a computer can make you dehydrated, especially if the heating is on in your home. Ensure that you are consuming enough water every day to stay healthy, this is usually around 2 litres for the average person.

Taking these five tips and using them as part of your everyday routine when working from home will help you with any stresses you may have. Looking after your mental health is important especially in these difficult times.

How We Can Help

Joyful Living runs a variety of workshops to help you overcome the challenges of working from home. With little social interaction and a new working schedule, this new way of working can be tough to do on your own.

Our Mental Health When Working From Home Workshop is ideal for anyone looking for a way of structuring their workday and reducing their daily stress levels. If you participate you will have a safe space to talk openly about any challenges you may be facing with working from home.

The workshop presenters are experts and fully qualified within their field, with extensive knowledge of delivering workshops.

If you found this blog post helpful but would still like to find out more then get in touch with our team of experts and we would be happy to help.