Maintaining our over-all well-being in the times of COVID-19
If there's one thing the whole world would agree upon it is that the year 2020 has been a very difficult year with several problems around the world. The biggest of them all has been the pandemic, COVID-19. The world has its guards up and since the most important precaution one needs to take is self-distance or self-isolate; people have been restricted to their homes.
Almost all the employees around the country have been asked to work from home (WFH), schools have been shut down, public transport has been limited, shops are open for limited period of time, so on and so forth. In such a time, one's movement also becomes restricted. Self-quarantining, self-isolation and even self-distancing for that matter can have a very negative impact on our physical, mental, psychological, and spiritual well-being. On a regular day, one would cherish a WFH but being asked to do that for a fortnight can get stressful, hamper one's productivity, and negatively affect the quality of the work.
To keep all of these side effects in check, there are few steps one can take-
Physically:
1. Decide your working hours and stick to them. 2. When you wake up in the morning, make it a point to follow your morning routine. Freshen up, get dressed for work, have a healthy breakfast. This ensures a mind-set shift, you feel professional and committed to your work. 3. Always work at a work desk which in a quiet and well-lit place. If you don't have a working space at home, create a make-shift one. This work-space should be away from any distractions. 4. Keep some healthy snacks in your work space if you're someone who needs to take breaks and snack, this way you won't visit the kitchen often or overeat. 5. Make sure your chair is a comfortable one and doesn't cause you pain in the long run. 6. Keep a standing work-desk as an alternative for when you have been sitting for a long time. 7. Have a dedicated time for coffee or snacking. Use the same to check your social media. 8. And a dedicated time for exercising. There are hundreds of home workout ideas and video online, leverage those. 9. Give your eyes a break, do a few eye exercises every other hour. 10. Lastly, whenever you have an audio call to attend, walk while you talk.
Mentally:
1. Make a to-do list with the priority clearly marked. 2. Set a goal for yourself or a deadline to ensure that the tasks at hand are completed successfully. 3. Reward yourself when you have reached you goals or delivered your work on time. 4. Don't beat yourself over unfinished tasks, or lower productivity rate. Being at home can be distracting and being isolated at home for a long period of time can make it even more difficult to work. 5. Take some time off between work to give your brain a rest and reboot. 6. Sleep for 6-8 hours, no more and no less. Napping at noon might not be the best idea so sleep well through the night. 7. Dedicate time to your family and a few chores to lend a hand at home. 8. Most importantly, do what makes you happy now that you have some extra time. Take a new hobby or get back to an old one. Do some DIY self care from the internet. 9. Watch some shows or movies that you didn't have the time for. 10. Take up yoga or a few breathing exercises.
Psychologically:
1. Isolation doesn't have to mean loneliness. Make sure you interact with those at home. 2. Virtually socialise, get on an audio or video call with your friends or relatives that you miss. 3. Speak about how you feel to those close to you. 4. Acknowledge the fact that this isn't a normal situation and whatever you feel about is valid. 5. Speak to a professional, there are several helplines running or if you have already had a therapist, contact them and let them guide you. Most of the organizations have EAP helpline- Employee assistance program. 6. Prioritise your psychological well-being over work if needed. Speak about it to your employer or whoever you are answerable to. 7. Don't feel pressured to deliver more than usual or be more productive just because you might have a little bit more time on your hands now. 8. Don't panic, be alert. Take the necessary precautions. Maintain a stricter hygiene if that makes you feel better. 9. Do away with the clutter or clean your spaces, this can also help relieve you of some psychological stress. 10. Eat healthy, eat well and eat on time. Nutrition plays a big role in our psychological and mental well-being too.
Spiritually:
#1. Chant. 2. Meditate. 3. Pray. 4. Spend some time with yourself, reflect on your day at the end of it. Think about how you can better yourself. 5. Connect with someone who shares the same energy wavelength as you and help each other.
Lastly, these are difficult time for all of us but more so for some others than us. Small businesses, service providers, daily wage workers, etc. are going to be the worst affected. A lot of them can't work from home because they work at homes. Share your resources with them, give them a little more than what you owe them, give paid leaves to protect yours and their family's health. Do what you can afford to financially for those less privileged. The most important of all, stay indoors.