Maintaining Positivity When Working From Home

As a network of successful professionals working remotely, at All Star Reserves we are well versed in the challenges of working from home.

In recent months and in the months ahead, millions of workers have adapted to working from home as a result of social isolation measures implemented by the Government in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

In the first few months we were focused on setting up and making things practical for the short term. Families saw a struggle for quiet space at home against the backdrop of toddlers wanting interaction, teens being homeschooled and the food shopping being delivered. It was chaotic and fire fighting.

As thoughts now turn to the months ahead, some must consider working from home as a sustainable, long term prospect. With the loss of usual routines, colleague interactions, commuting and different work spaces, managing your mental health needs becomes even more important.

Here we offer our considerations when dealing with work factors which can affect an individual’s productivity and explore ways of alleviating stress and anxiety. 

Your space

Not everyone has a home office ready to go. Those with a home office may not be used to spending many weeks operating in this space.

If working from home is now becoming your long term option, you may want to consider relocating where you have been working in your house, or changing around your home office to suit you better.

If you can, try to set up somewhere with lots of natural light and ventilation. It can be easy to overlook how a regular dose of vitamin D from sunlight can really help to affect your mood.

If others in your household are working, consider whether you would find a co-working-style set up on a kitchen table more motivating or whether separate spaces could help with concentration. You may decide to move to different locations throughout the day.

Ultimately, it’s all about creating a space that you can feel comfortable and productive in – even a few small touches like plants, pictures, a new chair can go a long way in making your working space feel welcoming and ultimately help with productivity. 

Stay connected 

Working from home can easily lead to feelings of isolation or loneliness. Even if you live with family or have housemates it is important to stay connected to those at work as they are also managing this changing circumstance. Boost spirits and revive your motivation by having regular interactive calls like Zoom, Skype, Teams or FaceTime calls with your work colleagues. You may be in the habit of going onto a ‘work’ call with the video switched off, get back into the habit of switching the video back on. If you have a work issue you need to discuss, try not to put this in an email, pick up the phone instead and talk it through. 

Boundaries

It’s so easy for lines to get blurred between your working day and your social day when working from home. We tend to work longer hours when working from home therefore it is essential to implement healthy boundaries.

You could consider:

Setting strict start and end times for your day

Get out of the house at least once a day for exercise, rain or shine!

Take regular breaks throughout the day, in different rooms of the house. Even ten minutes drinking coffee in the kitchen can make a difference. Take your normal lunch break.

Work hard to switch off in the evening, avoiding looking at emails or messages if possible.

Be honest with yourself

Mental health in the workplace was high on the agenda before the CV-19 crisis. Employers are open and keen now more than ever to listen to individual situations and challenges. If you are worrying about childcare challenges, feelings of isolation, equipment challenges or are generally feeling overwhelmed, it is important to raise your concerns with your manager, just as you would if you were operating in a physical location. If you are a sole trader and have no line manager, keep the social networking groups alive over Zoom, many of these networks have support on offer or share with other entrepreneurial friends.

Workload tracking - as important to you as your boss

When working from home, it is important to keep track of the work you are prioritising now as well as any work that you had planned before shifting to remote working. This will enable you to keep tabs on everything you have on your plate, it will stop you from feeling overwhelmed and provide accountability in your own mind. Days can be lost in Zoom calls that you have contributed to, but nothing written down can leave you feeling like you haven’t achieved much that day. You have!

You could create a plan at the beginning of the day giving you tasks throughout the day and it will help you to see what you have accomplished when everything is finished. 

Self care

We’ve all seen the jokes where the Zoom meeting attendee has a shirt and tie on for the call and then walks away from his desk in his underpants! Getting ready and dressed in the morning is an important part of a regular working from home routine. It helps with feeling awake and ready for work as does keeping hydrated throughout the day to keep concentration levels high. 

Take time to talk to friends and family on a regular basis, they are there to support us all. In this week especially reach out to those you love to say hi. This week is mental health awareness week and the theme is "Kindness". We can all help to share moments of kindness amongst our work colleagues, families and friends.

Mind

Mental Health Org