Janelle Zacherl
April 9, 2021
Working from home can have both positive and negative effects on your mental health. With COVID still prevalent and vaccines still not available to everyone, the pandemic is still at the forefront of many people’s minds. Adapting to this harsh reality is important, and companies should discuss with employees how best to handle mental health while working remotely. Many factors can contribute to mental health including the level of isolation, personality, diet, and even whether or not you have a pet. In this blog, we’re going to discuss ways that you can improve your coworker’s mental health and how you can take care of your own well-being while working remotely.
1. Check-in regularly, and not just about work. Make sure to ask your coworkers how they’re doing, and what’s new in their everyday lives. Take an interest in them as people, so that office life doesn’t seem as far away.
2. Make or share videos or articles emphasizing mental health. Humorous and motivational content is easy to find on YouTube and can brighten a coworker’s day when
3. Try to stay flexible with scheduling, but balance with organization. Things come up when you’re at home with kids, pets, and appointments. While it seems more convenient to get things done when working from home, it can often be more distracting.
The most common negative side effects reported are loneliness, anxiety, stress, pressure, and depression.
1. Try to keep a normal routine. Get up and go to bed at the same time, eat regular meals, and try to clock in on a schedule. Planning out your days beforehand will help keep you motivated, and manage deadlines, side tasks, and meetings. In a survey from TELUS International, over half of respondents said that working from home has interrupted their sleep schedules.
2. Try to get outside or even work outside if it’s not too distracting. Sunshine and fresh air are natural mood boosters.
3. Make sure to take your weekends or days off. Spend time with family, pets, doing something fun or relaxing that takes your mind off of work. Something I’ve noted since working from home though is sometimes, it’s easier to get things done on the weekends. Clients and appointments aren’t as pressing. Saturdays are great days for blogging, for instance. But the main point here is to have some downtime.
4. Commit to weekly meetings to connect with at least one coworker and make sure to discuss a few things that aren’t work-related. Weekend plans, kids, pets, fun restaurants, or activities make for great mood-boosting conversations.
5. If the feelings of loneliness or depression are becoming overwhelming, it’s important to seek professional help. Talkspace is a great resource to find the right professional for you.
Let’s make our mental health a priority.
April 9, 2021
