In the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals have begun working at home to reduce contamination and keep themselves and others safe. While for some, this may seem like heaven, working from home actually requires more effort than you would expect. It can be easy to get caught up in mixing work life and home life since you aren’t leaving to work elsewhere. This can take a toll on your mental health, which can be devastating for those currently in recovery from addiction. Knowing how to work from home effectively can eliminate this potential threat to your recovery and help boost it over time. Next time you are struggling with your work from home life, try these strategies to protect your mental health and recovery.
First and foremost, you need to have a designated work area. While working from home, you may be tempted to just work in your bed or on your couch, but this is not ideal. You may be tempted to relax and end up falling behind in work, so you begin stressing. It can also have you mixing work and home spaces, so you end up never knowing what is associated with work and what is associated with home. Having somewhere that is only for work will help you be more productive and help your brain know when it’s time to work versus when it’s time to relax.
It can be easy for your work and home lives to bleed into each other if you work from home. A great way to combat this is by having a strict routine to set aside time for working and time for relaxing. Just as you would work from 9-5 every day at the office, you should have a similar schedule for working from home. Doing this will maximize your time working and keep you from procrastinating. It also allows you to separate work and home life to balance your mental health better.
Working from home may seem like a dream come true because you are not required to wear work clothes. You could wear pajamas, and no one would know, so why shouldn’t you? Well, there are benefits to getting dressed for work every day. Now that you are working from home, you don’t necessarily have to wear a suit and tie, but it does help your brain to get into work mode by dressing “up.” This simply means you shouldn’t wear pajamas while working, as it can tempt you to relax or cause your work to be more sloppy as you are not in the right mindset. Even wearing a business casual outfit can help your overall work from home routine.
Keeping yourself organized is vital to a productive and happy work from home life. By having to-do lists, setting goals for the week, and more, you can keep track of your work in real-time and reflect on your performance each week. This way, you know if you are getting the proper amount of work done and if you are doing it correctly. Having an agenda or planner will also help you feel a sense of accomplishment both at the end of every day and at the end of the week when you see all of the tasks you completed. This will help boost your mental health and keep you upbeat concerning work.
Working from home can cause you to work overtime without realizing it. Because you are home, you may think you are relaxing more than you are, so you work longer than you usually would in the office. However, you should take breaks at home just as you would do at the office; this gives you time to refresh and re-energize to help you avoid burning out. Burning out can not only affect your work performance but your overall mental health as well. Taking breaks will keep you afloat when it comes to work and help you separate your work and home life.
It is essential to be kind to yourself while working from home. If you typically work in an external office environment that is not big on rewards, that practice does not have to carry into your work from home life. While this doesn’t mean going overboard, it signifies that you deserve a reward if you have reached a goal or finished a big project. Rewarding yourself can be making a fresh pot of coffee, taking a longer break than normal, or having your favorite dinner once work is over. Remember, working from home doesn’t have to be boring by sticking to routines and such. Make it fun with rewards when you complete the work at hand to boost your mood and mental state.
The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down for many people, shifting much of the workforce into people’s homes to avoid interaction and contamination. Working from home can have its benefits, but it can become tedious and tiresome if you do not do it properly in a way that is conducive to your work life, home life, and mental health. Setting boundaries for yourself and holding yourself accountable in your work and home life can make the transition work seamlessly. NorthStar Transitions understands the difficulties that have come with the pandemic, and we want to ensure our clients are doing well and maintaining a good mental state of mind through this time. Don’t burn yourself out working from home. Make the most of it and enjoy this time of change. If you are currently struggling with your work from home routine or need advice concerning your mental health, call us today at (303) 558-6400.
