How to Manage Your Wellbeing When Working From Home

As a result of COVID-19, the majority of UK professionals have been asked to work from home in order to curb the spread of the virus. If you’re finding this difficult, you most certainly aren’t alone. And that’s why it’s important to know how to manage your wellbeing when working from home; especially under these circumstances.

If you’re new to this way of working, or are feeling anxious because the considerable amount of uncertainty, we’re here to help. Check out our tips, which might make it easier for you to take care of yourself during this trying time.

Set boundaries

It sounds simple, but many people that are new to working from home struggle with separating their work life, from their home life. While it does enable you to be more flexible in the hours you work, it’s vital that you continue to follow a routine and set boundaries.

Doing so will ensure that you keep work separate from your other activities. In turn, you’ll stand a better chance of effectively managing your wellbeing when working from home.

In the current situation, you might feel obligated to work all day without any breaks. After all, you’ll want to prove to your manager that you’re working hard. However, most employers won’t want you to operate in this way as it’s counterproductive. Not only will you not work as efficiently, but the quality of your work will be poorer. Plus, you’ll be putting your mental and physical health at risk.

As such, it’s important to set clear boundaries for when you will and won’t work. The best way to do this is to follow the same routine that you did in the office. Remember to factor in time to have a cup of coffee, take your lunch break and get a bit of time away from your desk. If you don’t manage your wellbeing in this way, it’s likely that you’ll burnout and be less effective at work, and at home.

Stay in touch

When we’re in the office, it’s easy to forget how often we communicate with the people around us. It may only be a short conversation every couple of hours, but it makes a huge difference to our mental health. As such, working from home can make you feel very isolated.

In these challenging times, it’s more important than ever that we support each other and stay in touch with our colleagues. In order to do this, we recommend organising regular catch-ups with your manager or team members via video chat. You should use this call to properly connect with one another and not just talk about work.

It may seem silly, but these daily meetings are a great way to manage your wellbeing and counteract the effects of social distancing and self-isolation. If you’d prefer not to do a video call, then why not pick up the phone? Avoid emailing too much as this can be difficult to stay on top of and isn’t a good habit to get into.

Confide in your manager

While it’s not always easy to admit if you’re struggling, do speak to your manager if you can. They’re there to support you and help guide you through this difficult time. Alternatively, if you don’t feel comfortable talking to them then it’s worth confiding in your HR department.

Sometimes a quick chat helps to take the weight off your shoulders and acknowledge how you’re really feeling. Your mental and physical health is more important right now than ever before. So, make sure you’re making the most of the resources available to you.

Alongside this, the NHS website is packed with helpful advice and links to useful resources. For example, it has a dedicated page for mental help helplines as well as assessment pages and guides.

Make time for activities you enjoy

When you’re done with your working day, it can be really easy to focus on all the other jobs that you need to do around the house. In the current climate, it’s obviously important that you keep on top of these chores and keep your home clean. However, that doesn’t mean that you should ignore other activities that are good for your mental health.

To make sure that you find the time to fit these in around your work and household chores, why not create a weekly schedule that specifies when you should do each activity.