COVID has drastically changed the dynamics of work and studies. From working 9 AM to 5 PM in an office, with an organized environment to working in the comfort of home with no restrictions of attire or taking breaks. People experienced major changes in their daily lives.
After asking my friends and family what they would choose if they are given a choice between working from the office or working from home, I received mixed opinions.
While some of them considered it their “dream life” to stay and work from home while having the freedom of taking naps at their desired time, working in their pajamas, or going out whenever they wanted, some family members’ opinion was quite the opposite.
Particularly, one of them said “At first, I enjoyed the freedom and comfort but as the routine went on, I found it hard to concentrate on my work. I was often distracted by my family or some other house chores. Sometimes, my toddler wouldn’t let me work as he needed my attention. I would say that my productivity decreased as compared to when I was in the office”.
He wasn’t wrong at all. I am experiencing it myself and finding it quite hard to stay focused and determined to finish my tasks on time. Let’s see in a bit more detail how it can tax our mental well-being and pave way for stress and anxiety.
How work from home affects our mental health?
Working from home might look like a comfortable life with the freedom to do anything at any time, but it can also be quite challenging. A survey was held by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) to find out the impacts of working from home on a person’s mental health.
The survey revealed 67% of people felt less connected to their office colleagues while 56% found it harder to detach themselves from work due to which they experienced exhaustion and frustration.
Furthermore, people were having trouble with their sleep as well as some physical health issues like musculoskeletal problems. Their tendency towards daily exercise decreased as well.
One of the elements that played a major role in affecting mental well-being was the absence of “psychological detachment”. It means that when you are off from work, your mind should also be off from even thinking about work-related activities.
When you have your workstation set up at your home and it’s in your sight 24 hours a day, it is harder for you to control your urge to work more. Getting out of the office after work can give you that sense of detachment that is nearly impossible at home without having a strong sense of self-control.
People who can mentally detach themselves from their work in their free time tend to be more satisfied with their lives and encounter fewer mental health issues as well.
In addition, while working from home, you might feel less motivated and focused on the work, frustrated because of the slow work progress, find it difficult to divide the workload, socially distant from friends and colleagues, and even have trouble sleeping.
Here are some tips to help you tackle these problems and make working from home more productive and comfortable without having mental health issues.
1. Set clear boundaries for ‘work’ and ‘home’
Make sure to set a routine for your workday where breaks for rest, food, and exercise are also included. This will help you in setting necessary boundaries where you will be able to mentally detach yourself from work during your off time.
While working, minimize your distractions as much as possible but as soon as your schedule says that it’s’ time to leave work, do that at once and try to indulge yourself in the next activity on the routine.
2. Take necessary breaks for coffee or exercise
This is a continuation of the first point. Working for too many hours to complete the task without taking any breaks will not help in the long run. You might be able to finish the task at hand way before the deadline but while doing so, your mental well-being is affected and you feel more exhausted than accomplished.
Taking small breaks of 5-10 minutes for a walk while having coffee or tea or doing some much-needed exercise can help change that feeling. You will feel much more refreshed and satisfied with your progress and motivated for the next big project!
3. Arrange a specific work area or corner
For obvious reasons, people find it more relaxing to work from the comfort of their beds but it has certain consequences. The biggest one is the feeling of alertness and difficulty switching off from work in your free time. Even if you are in bed with the intention of sleeping, you would find it difficult to concentrate on that.
Setting up a dedicated workspace will help you in being more focused and make it easy for you to leave work and spend quality time with your family.
4. Engage yourself in healthy activities
Try to make time for healthy activities like meditation, exercise, any specific sport you enjoy playing, or reading books you like. These activities will help you in focusing on something other than work and boost your productivity by refreshing your mind.
5. Increase your social interactions
Being cooped up at home and not having actual conversations with your friends and colleagues can make you feel lonely and detached from the people around you. Research shows that people who regularly interact with others are found to be less stressed. Having someone to talk to and share your problems with, makes you feel supported and satisfied.
Final Thoughts
Giving too much of your time to work to the point of extreme burnout, excessive stress, and not spending enough quality time with your family are the major negative outcomes of working from home. Despite having freedom in some aspects, we are sometimes unable to control these aftermaths. Luckily, there is still hope in small steps and tips we can follow in life.
I hope these simple tips can help you in any way they can and give you the strength to keep going and achieve bigger things in life!