How To Support Your Mental Health When Working From Home

Written By James Ritter / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Adapting to this new way of working has presented countless challenges for professionals around the world. Not only have we all tussled with new technologies, but we’ve also had to contend with how remote working can affect our mental health.

There are so many different issues that can arise from home working, from stress, to loneliness, to potential burnout. But there are also lots of ways we can help to prevent these potential problems from affecting our everyday lives. Here are three ways to keep on top of your mental wellbeing at home.

Set boundaries

Setting boundaries is one of the most important aspects of protecting your mental health when working from home. When we were all using more traditional ways of working – i.e., going into the office – boundaries were automatically scheduled into our daily routines via a commute.

But when working from home, the distinction between work and leisure time can be more diluted, and it can become more difficult to find a healthy work-life balance. It’s important to set boundaries with your colleagues, so they know when you are available, and when not to reach out.

This can be done by highlighting your working hours on a digital calendar, which can be accessed by the rest of the team, or just with effective communication to make colleagues aware when you don’t want to be contacted. Express feelings of burnout to your employer in order to help make a plan and improve your work environment.

This can also help to set boundaries with yourself. When your laptop is at home, or you have access to work emails on your phone, it can be easy to log a few more hours in the time when you should be switched off from work. Setting your hours and sticking to them will help you to unwind after work and help to prevent burnout from setting in.

Give yourself a break

Taking breaks throughout the day is a great way to look after both your mental and physical wellbeing. It gives you the opportunity to refresh so you can remain fully focused on the task at hand when you return.

When on a break, it can be helpful to get up and go for a stretch or a walk. Not only will this help prevent any aches and pains from sitting down for too long, but being outdoors has proven to have lots of positive effects on our mental wellbeing.

It’s also important to remember to still take holiday days whilst working from home. When all we have to do to start work is go from one room to another, it’s more difficult to know when you’re due a break, and you might convince yourself you’re okay to carry on as normal.

Even if you don’t have any specific plans for your day off, taking a break every now and then will be invaluable to mental health, giving you the chance to recharge your batteries.

Stay connected

Loneliness is an issue that’s affecting more and more people across the world, with remote working removing spontaneous social opportunities in the workplace. Whether it’s a lunchtime catch-up or a post-work kick about, lots of the ways in which we usually socialize aren’t as readily available when most of the team is working away from the office.

It’s important not to just let go of these things without replacing them with new ways of staying connected.

If you’re unable to leave the home, try and set up regular social video calls with friends or work colleagues. Or, convince the wider team to partake in social activities, where the virus allows, to help keep everybody connected.

Not only will this help to stave off feelings of loneliness, but it can also help with general team morale, which can ultimately give a boost to productivity as well as our mental health.

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Written By:
James Ritter is a digital consultant with a particular interest in employee welfare and has advocated for content about the wellbeing of employees. He majored in creative writing in university and is always eager to expand his knowledge around different subjects.

Reviewed By:    

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

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