Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, research indicated that letting employees work from home might help increase employees’ job satisfaction and commitment to their respective organizations. Research suggested that granting employees the opportunity to work from home could also boost productivity and reduce job-related exhaustion and stress. Now that COVID has hit, it is clear that the benefits of working from home can be substantial though there can be drawbacks to working outside a traditional workspace, especially if working remotely isn’t a voluntary move.
Some employees who suddenly started working remotely due to the pandemic were unsure about how to handle the freedom and flexibility that comes with working from home, which lead to an unhealthy work-life balance. Additionally, some employees who work remotely struggled with the lack of in-person engagement with coworkers and superiors. Some also experienced severe stress that negatively affected their ability to perform well at work, and had negative consequences for their relationships with family members and friends.
Work from Home Mental Health Tips
Remote employees who feel isolated from coworkers and superiors, and experience depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues may benefit from a consultation with a doctor. If these employees meet with a practitioner, they can explore treatment options to ensure that they can cope with the mental health challenges commonly associated with working from home.
A doctor will offer a personalized treatment plan to help with mental health challenges. The plan may include the use of medication and/or psychotherapy, depending on the patient’s symptoms and their severity. Also, a doctor may recommend various work from home mental health tips to help a patient manage depression, stress, anxiety, and other mental health problems.
To combat mental health issues while working from home, employees may benefit from building downtime into their everyday schedules. Spending time each day jogging, journaling, or doing other activities that bring joy may help remote workers take a break from the hustle and bustle of work. Plus, remote employees can use these activities to recharge during the workday and return from work breaks feeling ready to perform their best.
In addition to integrating downtime into their everyday schedules, remote employees can devote time to chat with coworkers and superiors throughout the workday. For instance, a daily check-in with a superior via video chat may help a remote employee stay up to date on work activities. Remote employees may want to consider setting up virtual lunches and other social gatherings. During these times, workers can stay connected to one another without the pressure of focusing on work tasks and activities.
Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and a good sleep regimen may help remote workers feel connected to the world around them. Going for a walk or jog or completing a workout in the middle of a workday may help alleviate stress. Furthermore, remote employees who enjoy meals and snacks that contain fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods may feel more energized during the day, leading to enhanced mental health and improved workplace productivity and efficiency. The combination of regular exercise and a healthy diet may help remote employees avoid fatigue during the workday.
Along with prioritizing exercise, diet, and sleep, remote employees should establish boundaries between their personal and professional lives. When working from home, employees may be tempted to complete tasks around the clock to prove to their coworkers, superiors, and themselves that they are delivering key contributions every day. Instead of increasing productivity, this can quickly cause remote employees to burn out. To alleviate this issue, remote employees should try to work the same hours each day. At the end of the workday, remote employees should separate themselves from their work and spend time doing things they enjoy with family members and friends.
Remote workers may benefit from everyday mindfulness activities as well. These activities may include deep breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga. Any of these activities can be performed before, during, or after the workday. Mindfulness activities encourage people to stay in the moment and experience the world around them. They may help remote employees relax, and over time, may help them safely and effectively manage symptoms of stress or depression.
Finally, if an employee feels overwhelmed by the challenges of adapting to working from home, consult with a superior right away. At this point, the worker can share their concerns with their superior, and the pair can work together to address any issues.
Explore Mental Health Therapy Options
The above work from home mental health tips may help remote employees protect their mental health. However, if sadness, loneliness, anxiety, sleep issues, and other physical and emotional symptoms persist, employees should pursue medical treatment. In these instances, remote employees may be coping with depression and similar mental health issues. These problems may escalate if workers try to ignore them.
At Achieve TMS, we offer transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to patients coping with depression and anxiety, which make it tough to work from home. Our noninvasive depression therapy involves the use of gentle magnetic pulses to stimulate neural activity in the brain and may help patients reduce or eliminate their symptoms of depression and other mood disorders.
Our team is available to teach patients about TMS. To learn more about TMS therapy or schedule a treatment consultation, please contact us online or call or text us at 877-909-4363.
