If you have found yourself forced to work from home under the COVID19 restrictions, you might have experienced some degree of isolation. It is important to remember to take care of your physical health and mental health whilst adjusting to the new reality that is working from home.
As a young startup, FaultFixers is dedicated to ensuring that all of our team members are fit and healthy, including mental health. We have a flexible working policy where our team have the independence to dictate their day, however, works best and that works for us! Not every business is the same so it is important to look after your own mental health and check in with those around you.
Below you'll find some of our most helpful tips and hopefully, they help you too!
This one is a given and you've probably heard it a million times (even pre-COVID). It is, however, so important to take regular breaks when you're working from home. Sitting in the same position and staring at your screen for hours on end can induce back and neck pain or strain the eyes. Not to mention, your brain needs to experience rest periods to avoid things like burnout.
This one isn't easy for any of us but most of all, those who have limited space or share their space with others. It's important that if you are a manager you invest in your team by providing them with technology or products that will support their home working environment.
If you are struggling with this, there are a couple of things you could do:
Set a routine every working day. Start work at a certain time and finish at the same time every day. This creates a boundary between being at work and relaxing at home.
Keep a work diary, but also a personal diary. Even with the limited things on offer with everything shut down, it is important that you invest some time in yourself. Whether it's scheduling a self-care day or learning a new recipe. Alternatively, if you have the option of moving home then take a look at moving companies.
Take advantage of technology! There are hundreds of products that can support your mental health during this time. Apps like Calm provide you with relaxing guided meditation or use activity trackers like the Apple Sleep app to track your sleep and ensure you get a good nights rest.
We are social creatures and require regular interactions to maintain our mental health. It is crucial to our well-being to be connected with other people whether it's through phone calls or zoom quizzes.
Make sure you mix in some fun as well! Organise Friday night drinks over zoom or get your friends together to do a zoom workout. Anything to keep your mind occupied and experiencing new things.
This one is essential. Communicate! Talk openly with your team about their struggles and how you can support them (and each other). Organise regular one-to-one's with your team members to discuss how they're doing or have weekly lunches together over zoom.
We're firm believers in providing the best experience possible for your team whilst working from home.
Let us know if you have any special tricks to support your mental wellbeing in the comments below!
