The pandemic that has caused the decimation of the world has also questioned the mental health of the people as there is a sudden pause over daily schedules of the people. The isolation imposed by quarantine has made people feel that they have no control over the situation and people are facing difficulties performing their daily activities. This sudden pause over all the areas of life has created a hollow space inside humans and they feel nothing but exhausted from their own thoughts. When the minds are consumed with so many different thoughts related to work, family, relationships, how do we maintain our own mental health? Anxiety is the most common mental health illness that is experienced by youths and adults.Anxiety caused by the pressure of work from home should not be neglected and so it is important to keep mental health in check especially during these times. Here are the 6 ways that can help you to keep your mental health in check while you work from home.
- Manage your expectations.
With this sudden transition and being locked up in the house for months now, we should keep our expectations a little less than what we are capable of. The cognitive and emotional pressure should not be underestimated as it plays a very important role in our routine and our productivity. We should allow ourselves to adapt to the ongoing situation slowly and steadily without overthinking about different things (sometimes not overthinking is not possible but it sounds helpful and there is no harm in trying). We should keep our goals in minds but sometimes our brain demands a break as well. It is important that we give a break (a day off, doing something apart from work) to our brain so that it can function smoothly. We are all capable of reaching our goals ,but without motivation ability doesn’t matter. Expect a little less from yourself and be happy when you achieve more than what you had expected.
- Stay connected.
While we work from home, we forget the most important thing which is to stay connected with the close ones. As the work environment doesn’t include a lot of people when we work from home, social bonding has decreased and we feel exhausted after a point. Just catching up with a close friend via calls and texts can make you feel better too. Talking about your day and normal routine to someone can boost your day. Staying connected to others gives us a gist about how our friends and family spend their day . We can take some ideas and incorporate some of the activities that interest us.
- Pay attention to your physical activity.
We spend hours sitting in the same position in front of the computer and don’t even realize that our physical activity is nearly zero. As the connection of our physical activity is directly to our brain, it is really important to either exercise, do yoga or atleast go for a small walk. It rejuvenates our mind and we feel fresh. Exercise benefits us by boosting our immunity and maintaining a healthy routine. Alongside, it also makes us feel happy and energetic which are important while we bear the load of work from home. Everyone should at least dedicate one hour of their day to their body and health to break the link of lethargic days.
- Switch your negative thoughts to positive thoughts.
The secret to a good and healthy physical and mental health is to change negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Our brain never sleeps and so we are presented with different thoughts and ideas everyday (those thoughts may just be the result of our overthinking or really genuine thoughts) . It is not necessary that the thoughts that we get are always positive. Some thoughts can be on the negative tangent and can also frighten us sometimes. This leads to anxiety and stress and can affect the work and our ability to do daily chores. The key to avoid this is to switch those thoughts that trouble you to the thoughts that make you feel safe and happy. It can be regarding a person, an object or any incident or any future expectation. We need to make sure that we maintain a positive outlook throughout and do not let the disturbing thoughts take over.
“ You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step”- MARTIN LUTHER
- Maintain a healthy sleep cycle.
Many studies have proven that lack of sleep can lead to depression in youths as well as adults. It is really important for everyone to at least complete eight hours of sleep for the brain to rest. Low concentration levels, inability to focus, restlessness, emotional exhaustion, low mood have been prominent among people most importantly during this time. In order to deal with all these problems, it is important that we rest well and let our thoughts sink in for a while.
- Find some activity that makes you happy.
To not get exhausted and all worked up while working, it is essential to find some other activity which makes you happy. It can be anything like painting, cooking, talking to your parents, watching a movie, reading, talking to a friend etc. Time won’t find us, it has to be us who has to find time for ourselves and for the things we love. Finding some activity that makes you feel relaxed and forget about the time is really necessary and each one of us should practice this and make it a habit so that our brain doesn’t feel weary and drained.
Work is important but so is the mental health. Do not forget to keep that in check with the help of the above mentioned ways.
No need to feel exhausted while you work from home. 