Working From Home and Mental Health
As we enter now our eighth week in lockdown, we thought now would be a good time to write a blog post on Working from Home during this global pandemic. We understand that morale and mental wellbeing may be stretched thin whilst confined to the same four walls everyday but there are a few things we can do at home to keep us inspired and motivated.
The beginning of this week also marked the start of Mental Health Awareness week. Working from home can place a strain on your mental health so here are some tips to ensure your mental wellbeing is kept up to a good standard.
Your Workstation – Let’s face it… it may not be the desk you are familiar with inside your office but what’s to say that this cannot be a great alternative?!
We believe that trying to mimic your traditional workplace environment is a great way to keep yourself motivated throughout the day. We understand that not all aspects of your working environment can be duplicated, for example you may not have somebody offer to do a tea run every 15 minutes! But, there are many alternatives you can implement keeping you on the right track and focused.
Desks – Whether you work from a desktop or a laptop, working from a desk is essential to ensure that not only you mimic the office environment but it also helps the mind automatically organise your day to day agenda. At a desk you can keep all of the equipment necessary to complete your role i.e. pens, notebook and a water bottle within reaching distance just like you would when working in the office. Don’t have a desk? No desk no problem! Tables are a great alternative if you don’t have a traditional work desk. Our colleagues Luke & Chloe are working from their kitchen table!
Lighting – Feeling tired throughout the day? Studies show that a lack of natural lighting can make the human brain react the same way as if it were about to sleep. A great recommendation when working from home is to work next to a window or any natural source of daylight. This is a wonderful way to keep yourself motivated throughout the day. But what if you can’t work next to a window? We understand that everyone has a different home set up, so why not take 5-10 minutes away from your desk every hour to go outside.
Lunch Breaks – Are you still taking your allocated lunch break? If you’re not, then you should! Not for legal reasons but for your own well-being! Taking a lunch break and psychically removing yourself from your workstation allows you to rest and takes the strain off of your brain and eyes. Our advice is to match this up with your daily exercise routines or walks. Now that the Government is allowing members of the public to exit their house more than once a day, we recommend taking full advantage of this. Go out for a walk, run or bike ride (whilst following social distancing rules) all within your lunch break. Great for the body, better for the mind!
Keeping in touch! – Keeping in touch with your colleagues and recreating the workplace environment in this manner is a fantastic idea and highly recommended. Whether that be regular catch up calls every few hours or general water cooler talk via a WhatsApp message. Keeping in touch with your colleagues is essential but not just to complete your work, but for yourself. Studies show that you are 56% more efficient when having regular social interactions. Do you and your team have a WhatsApp group? A great tip – text every morning when you sign on and say hello! Ask them how they slept? What they had got up to the night before! Recreate a traditional morning!
We hope that these tips have been useful in helping you feel motivated whilst working at home during this difficult time.
Luke Boatman
Account Manager
Specialisms: Social & Healthcare Qualified Social & Healthcare Non Qualified
luke.boatman@connect2kent.co.uk
Tel: 01622 236677