Working from home: A mental wellness survival guide

A woman sitting working

Two months ago, working from home was the dream. Now it feels like you’re on day 2,789,043 of quarantine, and working from home isn’t all it was cracked out to be. In fact, you might feel mentally drained and find it difficult to focus.

It’s normal to feel “off” mentally right now. Change is stressful at the best of times, and now we have to learn many new things and worry about a pandemic at the same time. The good news is that there are simple ways we can quell anxiety and increase productivity. Normalcy, grounding, and boundaries will be your allies amidst this chaos.

Start by bringing as much normalcy into your life as possible. Our minds thrive off of routine, and small cues of ‘business as usual’ can subconsciously signal your mind to feel safe, and thus allow us to better focus.

Do as much of your pre-quarantine morning routine as the new normal will allow (understanding that in addition to being a full-time employee, you might now also be a school teacher). This could look like taking a shower, washing your face, and even putting on some makeup. Though it may be unpopular, I recommend getting out of your PJs and putting on pants other than sweats or leggings. Your mind and body have been conditioned to know that when you do these things, it’s time to get down to business.

Have you ever read the same email 3 times and had no idea what it said? This is where grounding comes in. Grounding brings your wandering mind back into the here and now. It’s hard to worry about the future (or the laundry) when you’re present in the current moment.

A couple quick and effective grounding tools include: 1) breath work (imagine an upside-down triangle, inhale up one side, hold across the top, and exhale down the third side), 2) connecting with your five senses (notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste), and 3) asking yourself “how am I feeling right now?” Try different techniques until you have enough in your toolbox to pull from throughout the day.

Once you’re present, it’s time to set boundaries with yourself and others. Make a schedule for each day, and incorporate time for breaks and grounding to stop them from creeping into work time. If you’re a news junkie, try consuming it only once per day because constant news-overload can cause a loop of fear and unproductivity. Get the information you need to stay safe for the next 24 hours, and if you’re following the CDC guidelines, there’s nothing you can learn before tomorrow that will directly impact your day’s plan.

When setting boundaries with others, communication is key. Remember that schedule you created? Share it with the people with whom you do life. Your roommate doesn’t know that he shouldn’t turn on the blender outside your workspace during an important meeting if he doesn’t know you have one scheduled. Make it clear when is work time and when is break time, and communicate your needs. Share your schedule with your teammates at work, and block off your calendar for ‘do not disturb’ times when you need to put your head down and work, uninterrupted.

Finally, give yourself grace. For many of us, that means lowering our expectations. We’re living in an imperfect time, in an imperfect world, and we’re all doing the best we can. How will you show yourself compassion today?

Clara Belden, Certified Holistic Coach & Owner of The Happy Hour. If you need a little extra support and care during this time, The Happy Hour has virtual community groups and workshops to help transform this quarantine into an opportunity for personal growth and self-care. Visit www.thisishappyhour.com for more.