Time to Read
6 minutes
"If this is to be your new normal or even just a temporary situation, your mental health is of the utmost importance when working from home."
Working from home or cutting down on your working hours can be a difficult transition for any person in their career and it can occur for a variety of reasons ranging from pregnancy or infirmity, to even starting your own business or freelancing.
For those living with long-term health issues or reduced mobility, the realities of working from home are all too familiar and rarely result from an individual being given the choice or the flexibility to do so of their own volition. As of 03/01/2020, the UK Government reported that 19% of the working-age population reported that they have a disability, and of this group just 53.2% are currently in employment. Having the flexibility to work from home is a sought-after job perk for many, but for those with little to no options it can feel daunting on top of any other emotional turmoil faced daily.
Working from home is an exercise in mental strength and motivation at the best of times, but no matter the situation it can easily feel isolating - even more so if you also live alone or spend large portions of your day without face-to-face human interaction. It's a huge adjustment if you have always been particularly sociable or have been used to the social atmosphere of going through education and/or working jobs in a team environment.
With that said, here are KYMIRA's tips for working from home while preserving your physical health, your productivity levels, and your sanity...
(1) Take special care to remain active and combat the negative effects of being sedentary. The NHS recommends that adults (including disabled adults) should aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity a week. Taking short walks is one of the easiest way to do this, but you could also take phone calls and meetings standing up and walking around the room, or perhaps get in some light stretching while your tea is brewing. It's important to keep blood flowing to your muscles by breaking up long periods of inactivity, especially in the legs.
(2) Leave the house as often as possible. This isn't always ideal, but where possible (ie. when there isn't a global pandemic) you should try to run errands in person that you might have otherwise completed online, or work from your local coffee shop or library for a few hours. It's easy to lose track of the days if you don't leave the house often enough, and changing out of your lounge clothing to go out is a great way to be in ‘work mode' or even just ‘day mode' if you don't happen to have work that day.
(3) Keep your space tidy: less visual distraction can help make your mind feel clearer and less distraction will help you to focus and increase productivity levels. It must be said though, that you should aim to do any chores/upkeep outside of working hours to avoid using them as a form of procrastination.
(4) If you can, set up a home office. While it's tempting to work from the couch, this is setting yourself up for failure. If you've got the space, keep your work space to a designated area of the home but at a minimum you should work and sleep in separate rooms or areas to avoid disruption to your sleeping schedule. If you begin to associate your bedroom with work you'll be up all night thinking about work or worse, actually working.
(5) Be kind to yourself. It's natural to feel like you're just not as productive from home, but guilt is the enemy of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Take regular breaks, schedule video meetings to talk through ideas and break the day up to maintain your productivity – staring at your screen for hours has never worked for anyone. If this is to be your new normal, or even just a temporary situation your mental health is of the utmost importance when working from home.
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