Remote Working & Mental Health: 6 Ways To Practice Self-Care

Remote working has, almost overnight, become the norm as Boris puts the UK into Lockdown. Staying indoors and stopping all social contact inevitably presents a number of challenges to businesses, many of which we have highlighted over the past few days.   One, much less reported on, issue is that of mental health and the challenges facing people working from home. As the social stigma behind mental health has now more or less vanished we are able to speak openly and honestly which in turn enables us to identify triggers and  ways to cope. Here at FuseMetrix we understand our mental health is as important as getting the right nourishment and hydration. 

 

 

We often overlook the importance of a sense of belonging and identity. Many of us sub-consciously rely on the name displayed on our desk or the location in which we work to define us and give us sense of self. Remote working takes this stability away and puts us at risk of losing our sense of professional identity, performing poorly on set tasks and projects. 

 

Many of these issues can be alleviated by creating and following a set routine individual to you and designed for self care and productivity. Scheduling healthy meal times and breaks should be as much of your routine as managing and prioritising works tasks appropriately. 

 

In the current climate of remote workers and uncertainty we understand just how tempting it can be to have that extra drink or two, but save it for the weekend! Be smartly dressed and ready for a video call at any time. Managers don’t like the “hungover-in-pyjamas chic” look. Trust us.

 

The FuseMetrix team are still maintaining a full service to clients even from home including full phone system using soft phones on our laptops, we have daily departmental team video calls at various times through the day to help keep cohesion in the teams and ensure we can see how people are doing and how they are feeling as well as keeping up with work.

 

 

It’s 2020 Isolation does not have to mean isolated!  With all the amazing tools we use here at FuseMetrix and as we talked about the other day we feel it is essential to keep connected with your co-workers, you might be isolated but you are still part of a team.

 

See this as an opportunity to block out distracting co-workers and have more focused meetings and conversations.

 

Engage with co-workers in other teams via instant messaging and lend a hand if someone needs it. Chances are if your finding your new situation challenging your colleagues will be too!

 

Eating healthily and listening to your body is critical, particularly during this time of social and financial distress. Continuing with a healthy eating plan will help split up your day, feed your mind and support your routine. 

 

Join WhatsApp groups with your colleagues to share memes on the real struggles of home-schooling and remote-working. Stay hydrated and keep yourself moving with regular breaks from your screens. Enjoy the rewards associated with winning back commute time giving you longer in the office but remember to have an off button.

 

The best way to ensure you create your best work-life balance is by keeping routine. 

 

With gyms closed and our front door bolted, online workout videos have become increasingly popular and great fun too.  You could take a break and do online yoga with the kids, my youngest one is mad on Disneys Frozen and we found an online kids themed yoga workout which is suitable for absolute beginners.  It’s great to stay connected with your team but remember the kids are also isolated and great to do things together with them in your breaks from work.

 

Taking regular breaks and moving around is important while taking advantage of any outside space we may be able walk or run in. 

 

If you need to be more relaxed to look after family members your employer should understand this. It’s really important to not risk burn out.  

 

In this time of crisis it is important that we all do what we can to keep the wheels on the bus and keep the economy going.  Employees and employers alike need to make allowances for each other and in particular whilst we employers may be squeaking financially we must do our best not to pass the pressure to our teams.  

 

We got where we got thanks to our teams so let’s look after them now if they need help, after all it is our teams that will help us re-build after this is all over. 

 

While the FuseMetrix system and the other cloud based platforms we use to keep our business and employees healthy allow us to offer our customers the best possible service, it is important to recognise the issues highlighted in this and previous content. 

 

For most of us, remote working is a new concept and we have not yet had the opportunity to find what works for us and what obstacles to look out for. Don’t worry, it’s a learning curve for everyone and without the hustle and bustle of the office you can convince yourself you’re underproductive and behind your team. Time to check in with your manager! Chances are, you’re not, but even if you are ask your manager for guidance and advice on dealing with your struggles.