A great many of us are having to adjust to working from home for the foreseeable future. But how do we stop ourselves going completely doo-lally over the next month or three?
During these uncertain and testing times, it is essential for individuals who find themselves working within somewhat isolating and unfamiliar environments, to remember the importance of their mental health.
Here at Spreckley, the team has shared our following five top tips to help maintain mental wellness whilst working from home.
1. Maintain a regular routine – It is easy to think that working from home is a free pass for staying in bed a little longer or wearing pyjamas all day. In the long run, if a regular routine is not maintained, then you are more likely to slack off and lose focus. Therefore, it is vital to get up at the same time, get dressed, shave and ensure you have a dedicated workplace where you are able to focus (not sat in front of the television). By maintaining a professional routine, you are more likely to be productive and feel positive towards work. Here at Spreckley, we have our daily catch-up at the end of each day – allowing us to communicate and interact with one another at the end of each day, in order to maintain some normality.
2. Eat well – Working from home is a good opportunity to take advantage of your very own kitchen. Don’t just rely on ordering food from your regular weekend takeaway restaurant. The importance of eating well is obvious, even more so during these restricting times. Meals become bigger part of our days, the more balanced and disciplined the meals are – the better we will feel about ourselves and our daily routine.
3. Fresh air/exercise – As the length of time spent working from home continues, I am realising that I miss the walking part of my daily commute (I don’t miss the delayed trains). Whether It is at lunch or after work, it is vital that we get out for some fresh air. Staying indoors all day for weeks on end is not going to help our physical or mental wellness. It is so important to make the most of the brighter spring days and dedicate time each day to venturing outside.
4. Better yourself – Take this time to do something productive, something which you previously told yourself that you didn’t have the time to achieve. Whether it is taking up knitting or learning to play that guitar which has been sat in the attic for years, make the most of your time indoors to keep yourself busy and productive. It can be easy to resign yourself to the sofa and watch endless hours of television, but how will that make you feel in the long run?
5. Take each day as they come – Nobody is certain just how long our ordinary lives will be put on hold for. Therefore, it can be quite daunting if we think about the prospect of being indoors for months on end. By taking each day one-by-one, you are less likely to overwhelm yourself with what lies ahead. Write out a day plan for work and approach the days like you normally would in the office. You will find that the days and weeks will pass quicker, if you don’t.
#Staysafe out there, folks. We are all in this together, remember!