Introduction
With the rise and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, work from home, hustle culture, and mental health issues have become the talk of the town. Work tensions while juggling personal and family life raises stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns, whether working from home or office.
As restrictions gradually fade, people have started returning to offices. It is time to discuss the effects of working from home/office on mental health and how to manage them.
Do the challenges of working from home/office affect your mental health?
Generally, stress and anxiety are common mental health issues associated with work pressure. Whether you work from home or in an office, you have to deal with work pressure. Working from an office, you can easily share your concerns and get a helping hand. But when you work from home, isolation and family responsibilities can worsen stress and anxiety.
While in the beginning, these may seem like minor issues, they grow with time, leading to severe mental health concerns. It is essential to address them early and make simple lifestyle changes to take care of your mental health in the longer run.
Create a work-life balance for the well-being of mental health
An essential step you can take for your mental well-being is creating a work-life balance. When creating a work-life balance, you draw a boundary between your work and personal life. This separation works wonders for your mental health.
Creating a work-life balance:
- Reduce stress.
- Decrease the chances of burnout.
- Boost productivity.
- Improve personal and professional relationships.
- Bring happiness, fulfilment and success.
- Ensure both physical and mental well-being.
Now that we know its wonders let’s assess how to create a work-life balance? The current work from home and hustle culture considers work-life balance a myth, while it isn’t. You can create a healthy work-life balance by following seven simple tips.
Seven tips for healthy mental health while working from home/office
Here are seven simple ways to feel productive, stay motivated, and take care of your mental health while working from home/office.
1. Take breaks
Taking breaks play a pivotal role in avoiding burnout. When you keep working without taking breaks, it hampers work, productivity and mental health. Taking breaks helps detach from work, reinvigorate, and return to work with increased focus.
It may sound counterproductive to slow down and take a break while focused wholly on a task. However, taking a break rewinds and resets the brain, boosting productivity, work performance and mental health.
Avoid sitting in front of the screen or scrolling social media during breaks. Instead, give your eyes a little rest and your body a little movement and see your vacation fuelling you up.
2. Get organised
Your sofa or bed can become your workspace when you work from home. Work files float around your home and seem to forget their place. No boss or colleagues around to pass comments on your workspace, so your workplace can become messy. As a result, you can easily be distracted, inducing the stress of work every waking moment.
An organised workplace improves work productivity and mental health. With your home/office workplace organised, it will be easier to find things, reducing distractions.
It is advisable to have a separate workplace or work desk while working from home. Do not carry your work to bed — the best thing you can do for your mental health.
3. Set and follow a routine
Not having a schedule or routine blurs the line between work and personal life, leading to overwork and stress. Remember school days? There was a timetable for classes and breaks. It is essential to build a similar schedule when working.
Setting and following a routine clearly defines work and leisure times. Your brain knows to expect what when and has few surprises to stress over. It makes you productive, and you can enjoy work and personal life.
4. Exercise and stretch
Exercising improves your physical health and pumps you up with mental energy. It releases hormones that reduce stress and improve mental health. You can incorporate simple workouts, walks, yoga or breathing exercises into your day. Exercising the body helps connect with yourself and also boosts productivity.
5. Stay connected
When you work from an office, you spend time with your colleagues. Working from home reduces in-person interactions, which can lead to isolation. However, today you can attend virtual calls and stay connected. Connecting relationally with colleagues boosts their mental well-being as well as yours.
6. Have a support system
It is essential to have a support system when working from home or office. This support system can be with anyone you enjoy downtime. It might be your friends, colleagues, spouse, parents, or even your therapist. Having a support system helps vent out stress and anxiety. It can make you feel loved, cared and heard.
7. Be kind
Remember, it is okay to feel stressed even after having everything sorted. Unusual situations can take place in life and work. Remain calm. It is essential to acknowledge that life is uncertain, and your productivity may differ on different days. So, put in your best effort and be kind to yourself.
Conclusion
Whether you work from home or the office, you will constantly juggle work and personal life. Stress, anxiety and other mental issues may creep in owing to work and unique life pressures. Understanding these issues and reaching out for help if they affect your work and life is essential. United We Care is one such mental health platform where you can get expert guidance for your mental health issues.
