Managing Your Mental Health When Remote Working
These are challenging times for all of us and our routines and daily interactions have changed beyond recognition. Andrew Wallace shares with us his thoughts and tips on managing your mental health whilst working remotely.
The coronavirus outbreak has brought on many new challenges for us all. We’re learning to live very different from how we did before, including our daily habits, and in our work routines.
One of the ways businesses have kept themselves running is by moving their staff to remote working.
For some of us, this is not a new experience. I personally spent two years working remotely for a client.
While it definitely gave me certain freedoms, it also made managing my mental health a priority.
When you’re working from home, you instantly find yourself in a situation where you lack human contact as well as access to resources you would usually have within an office environment.
That can be a massive change. And it’s a change that many often struggle with.
Writing from my own experiences, I’d like to share with you some of the tricks I used to maintain positive mental health while remote working.
Use Video Chat & Voice Calling
Firstly, try and maintain as much human contact as possible.
What was my trick? I would always go for a daily shop at Tesco. Of course, that’s not an option for you thanks to the risks associated with the coronavirus.
Instead, I recommend maintaining contact with your clients, team members and staff via video chat or voice calls.
Using apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams are useful for a quick chat, but video and voice calls offer more interaction.
It’s almost as good as being within the same room, except you have the benefit of hitting mute when you’re bored of listening to them!
Personally, I prefer voice calling clients and co-workers. It gives me a chance to pick their brains, answer questions, and find out how they’re doing.
The same goes for phone conferencing. When you’re remote working, it’s a great chance to maintain those personal relationships even when you’re in lockdown miles away from each other.
Find opportunities to call, Skype or FaceTime the people that you work with. Remember that they’re in the same boat and will more than likely be glad to hear from you.
Just try to avoid turning yourself into a potato during a team video conference.
Don’t Give Up on Your Daily Work Routine
Next, make sure you have a proper daily routine in place.
It’s so easy to slip out of your daily routine and get up at 10am, before spending your day working from bed in your pyjamas.
My advice is simple: don’t do it.
You want to keep your home life and work life as separate as possible. Falling into bad habits will affect your motivation and performance.
Make sure you’re up around the same time you’d usually get up for the work and get dressed, even if it’s just casuals.
Even better: if you have the space available, set up a home office so that you have an area in your home dedicated solely to work.
Also make sure you take proper breaks and finish promptly. Enjoy your lunch away from your home workstation so you feel like you’re actually having a break.
I didn’t have a spare room at home to use – the joys of house-sharing – so I would instead plant myself in the living room every day.
When it came to lunch time, I would put things away, and spend the half-hour in the kitchen cooking something fresh and vibrant.
I turned working from home into a positive, as I got to cook fresh food and relax without having to step out of the door.
I’d also always finish the end of the day by calling my client to give them a quick overview of the day’s achievements. I wanted them to know I had been working hard for them, and to also say that I was signing off for the day.
That way I made a clear divide between what was my work life and my personal time, so that I could better manage expectations and therefore not stress about work stuff.
Be Open About the Challenges You’re Facing
Adapting to a remote working situation isn’t always easy and some people can find it a real culture shock.
You may find that you are unable to complete tasks or that you need to make massive changes to existing processes.
This can be extremely stressful for you, and with enough going on in the world right now, the last thing you need is more stress.
I find it is important to be open with co-workers, clients and employers about the challenges you’re facing.
By being open with others, you will get the support you need.
In the past I’ve struggled intensely with depression and anxiety. At times it affected my work performance because I let my feelings get in the way of my work.
I’d often feel like my work was inadequate or below standard, even when it wasn’t.
Opening up to my managers about my worries gave them the chance to offer feedback. That helped me understand what I was doing right and what I needed to improve on.
Having that knowledge helped me move forward instead of freezing up and falling further down the rabbit hole that was my mental health.
Your co-workers, clients and employers only want the best from you. Your honesty will help them help you. It will give them a context for why you may not be achieving all your goals or why you need a break from a project.
You’ll be surprised how supportive they will be. Believe me.
Some Last Thoughts
Hopefully I’ve helped make remote working less of a challenge for you.
Just remember that your mental health and wellbeing must come first during this difficult time.
You’re not alone in how you feel. Most of us are finding our current circumstances disruptive and uncertain. So, please don’t feel embarrassed or silly about struggling right now.
Remember there are numerous support services available if you’re concerned about your mental health, including the charity Mind, Rethink Mental Illness, and the Mental Health Foundation.
Be kind to yourself. That matters most right now.
Andrew Wallace is a freelance content writer & web editor in Coventry. He runs WELLGBT, an online mental health and wellbeing blog.