Self Care Mental Health Tips – 3 Ways To Look After Your Mental Health When Working From Home
Want to know the best self care mental health tips to embrace while working from home? Embrace these for good mental health!
FYI: Your mental health is important so treasure it!
Let’s chat about self care mental health tips.
After working from home for a few years, I have realized the importance of taking care of my mental health. The truth is your mental health may wane if you’re stuck working from home and fail to make time for self care.
This is something we want to avoid. We want to protect your mental health from suffering if possible.
Remember when you work in an outside of the home job, you get to:
1 – See your work colleagues every day (fun, if you like them!)
2 – Have a commute during which your mind can wander (fresh air is good for your soul) and
3 – You are forced to get up early and dressed to start the day off on a good foot EVERY DAY (PJs may seem like a better alternative but trust me, getting dressed makes you feel more productive in the end).
As much as I love working from home, there are things you need to be mindful of in order to protect your mental health. Because it can be fragile when you are home all the time.
Thankfully there are numerous ways you can do to take care of yourself without leaving your home.
SELF CARE MENTAL HEALTH
TIP 1. Try to Get into a Routine
It can be a challenge and isolating to work from home, even for the most productive people (like me, I’m productive, have a big family and circle of friends and yet I sometimes still find working from home isolating!).
You may always find your attention wandering way too often (towards the kitchen, or to the things you wish you could do outside your home).
This is where having a routine and solid plan can help you focus more intentionally on your tasks.
Consider some of the following strategies:
- Have a space specifically set up for work that is free of any distractions.
- Make a plan to get up and started at a particular time. Make sure to also take regular breaks including lunch (like you would at an outside job), and finish your work at a reasonable time.
- Avoid working in your pajamas. I know it is tempting to do so but it just makes you feel like a bum in the long run (I speak from experience. I have had many days where I stayed in my PJs all day and eventually the thrill of it wore thin).
- Set clear tasks for the day and prioritize them. Think about the following question: What do you want to achieve today? Make sure to also do the most important tasks first.
- When you finally finish your work, make sure to clean up your workspace as you would in an office. Remember tidy space = tidy mind.
- If you’re homeschooling your children, it may be a good idea to let your superiors know if you are working remotely. That way you can set up a routine of when you can work and when you can give your children the attention they need too.
SELF CARE MENTAL HEALTH
TIP 2. Keep In Touch With Colleagues
To avoid feeling isolated while working from home, do your best to keep in touch with colleagues.
This is also important for business owners who are technically the boss of their own time.
I personally have quite a few close blogging friends from all around the world who understand the lifestyle of a blogger (we tend to work alone from home, spend a lot of time writing and brainstorming ideas) and I couldn’t do it without their virtual support.
Try out these other techniques:
- Use video calling software for discussions with your peers and colleagues if you can’t see them in person.
- You can also use messenger services if it is more appropriate. Even just a quick chat via messages is enough to make you feel like you aren’t alone.
- I belong to a co-working space that I like to work from once a week so I can be in the company of like-minded individuals. See if you have any co-working spaces available in your area.
SELF CARE MENTAL HEALTH
TIP 3. Use Any Support Available
Working from home can be challenging, so if there is support available, make the most of it:
- Many employers have support available for its employees, with dedicated apps like Slack and websites offering support. If that’s the case, make sure to take advantage of any help you can get.
- If you are currently struggling with a physical or mental health condition, be willing to share this information. Your employer may be able to make reasonable adjustments to your work schedule or offer you additional support from other colleagues. Find out if this is an option for you. You won’t know unless you ask!
- Look at the self-care techniques you’ve used in the past that have worked for you. For example, if you would usually go to the gym to relieve your issues, you could try working out from home using an online class.
- It might be time to embrace these self-care techniques again now. Know what your options are and be prepared to be flexible especially if you are stuck at home.
Even though most people think they would LOVE to work from home, the truth is it is not for everyone.
Some people thrive in that environment (like me!) while others (like my husband) struggle if they are cooped up at home all the time.
Either way do the best you can with the resources you have at your disposal.
Remember your mental health is important!
Even if you don’t think it’s that much of a priority doesn’t mean it isn’t so.
So keep these tips in mind, especially if you’re struggling while working from home.
It’s okay to make mistakes.
It’s okay to have a bad day.
It’s okay to do what is best for you.
It’s okay to take care of yourself.
Even though you can’t calm the storm – you can CALM YOURSELF while waiting for the storm to pass.
Your mental health is important and you need to protect it.
These tips will potentially help you remain calm and mentally strong even while you’re stuck working from home.
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Before You Go…
– See my EVERYTHING PAGE and grab a free gift > HERE
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– Listen to my INSPIRING LIFE PODCAST on Spotify or via Apple Podcasts.
– Or for biz owners, listen to LIFE COACH FOR BIZ MOMS Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
I’m Frances Vidakovic – a mindset & action coach for quietly ambitious women who want to stop overthinking and finally take aligned action. I help women achieve their goals and follow through on what matters, without sacrificing their sanity or soul.