The Center for Disease Control Prevention is actively responding to the rapid outbreak of COVID-19 throughout the US and rest of the world. As of March 20, there are 15,219 confirmed cases in the US and 201 deaths recorded. With figures increasing substantially each day, most companies throughout the US have implemented mandatory work-from-home policies. Among the many obstacles and nuances that come with this new reality, employees must ensure that they are taking the necessary steps to preserve their mental health at home. This article will outline common drawbacks of not travelling into a physical office and what these factors could mean for your mental health. It will also discuss methods to manage these new difficulties.
Maintaining a Work-Life Balance
One of the best aspects of traveling into a physical office is the tangible separation granted between home and work environments. Working from home takes away this separation and can result in an unwanted meshing of an employees’ business and personal life. Keeping these two aspects separate is central to cultivating a healthy work-life balance. As an increasing portion of the US workforce will be performing their jobs at home, employees and employers must be mindful of this phenomenon.
Create a Divide
Setting up a designated office work space in your home is an effective way to set boundaries. Although convenient, working from the kitchen table can not only be distracting but it can jumble your job and personal life and make it difficult to ‘switch off’ the respective responsibilities associated with each. Furthermore, just like you would in the office, take breaks. Cultivating a balance within each individual day will not only boost your productivity, but it will also keep you from getting burnt out. When working at home, leaving the house for a walk at lunch is a great way to get some fresh air and reset for the afternoon.
Be Mindful of Your Mental Health
This is a very stressful time for many Americans. The uncertainty and seemingly uncontrollable nature of COVID-19 has spread great fear and panic throughout our nation. Preserving your mental health at a time like this is more important than ever. Here are a few tips that will help you protect and improve your mental health during this chaotic time.
Know Your Sources
Keeping up to date on the news is important. However, there are countless sources that spread distorted or biased information regarding current events. Make sure your sources are credible and trustworthy. Furthermore, do not glue yourself to media. Each day, we are faced with new information concerning COVID-19 and this may be extremely overwhelming to some. It may seem impossible to establish a level ground amidst such a volatile situation. Take breaks from the news and social media to unwind and reflect on something other than the virus. It is very easy to become completely consumed by a phenomenon such as this; however, it can be detrimental to your mental health and well-being.
Stay In Touch
Working from home can also be very isolating, especially if you are used to collaborating and interacting with a team on a regular basis. Most workers thrive in a social setting. It’s good practice to set up meetings each day, for both work-related and work-unrelated topics. Keeping close contact is important. Virtual lunches are a great way to informally touch base mid-day to eat and converse together as you normally do in the lunchroom.
Ask for Feedback
An additional pitfall that comes with working from home are questions of self-worth and guilty feelings of failing to fulfill job duties. Forbes reported that insomnia and sleep disturbance are extremely common side effects that result from loneliness, discontent, and feelings of isolation. Working from home often reduces the opportunity for feedback, reassurance, and sharing of ideas. Thus, employees may find themselves questioning their abilities, which negatively impacts job performance, productivity, and overall satisfaction. To combat this, be adamant about sharing your work and requesting feedback. Use collaborative platforms wherever you can for group brainstorming sessions and team communications. Maintaining a sense of team is essential to minimize feelings of disconnectedness and job dissatisfaction.
Stick to Your Schedule
Structure is important. Human beings naturally like to know what they will be doing and when they will be doing it. Working from home sometimes takes away from the structure that we are used to in our regular workday - therefore it's important to avoid straying from your regular workday schedule. Working odd hours, like early mornings or late nights, can cut into your family and personal time. Making the transition from working in an office to working from home is already large enough – try to keep some consistency in your schedule for your mental health’s sake.
Get Up and Move
Taking time to exercise throughout the day is an effective way to combat some of these unique challenges that come with working from home. Although exercise preferences and practices vary among individuals, research shows that the average adult should exercise about 2.5 hours per week. This breaks down to about 30 mins of moderate exercise per day, which could easily be satisfied with a brisk walk on your lunch break or a morning spin class. In addition to physical benefits, regular exercise provides a multitude of benefits for your mental health. Moving your body gives off a huge sense of well-being and has been proven to alleviate everyday stresses, improve memory function, aid depression and anxiety disorders, improve sleeping patterns, and have a positive effect on an individual’s mood altogether.
Take Care of Yourself!
This is a stressful time for many of us. These best practices will play an important role in protecting and preserving your mental health while working from home.