DISCLAIMER: The author of this blog is not a medical professional, this article is purely based on personal experiences and should be used for informational purposes only. This article is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical advice from a trained healthcare professional. Please speak to a medical professional with any specific concerns about your mental health.
In July 2019, I started a graduate role in pharmaceutical market research. I got a taste for office life, being surrounded by my project teams, getting to travel for fieldwork and bonding with my co-workers.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this did not last long and in March 2020, I started working from home. Although I now have access to the office as and when I chose, working from home has become an integral part of my working week.
One thing that I quickly learnt when working from home, was how much harder it is to stay motivated, happy and mentally healthy. Therefore, I have compiled a list of things that really helped me to adapt to working from home over the past two years. Please note, I am still in the early stages of my career, I do not have children and live in a rented flat, so this blog will focus purely on things that I found useful to me in my particular situation.
Define your working hours
When working from home, I found it so much harder to work within my typical working hours. When I was in the office, since I knew I had to commute home, I would be much stricter on myself in terms of finishing work at a reasonable time. However, when working from home, it became very easy to extend my working hours e.g. by starting a little earlier or working late.
The thing that helped me the most was to define my working hours and be strict on myself. I would only allow myself to log on early if necessary e.g. I had a meeting first thing or needed to send an important email ahead of starting my day’s work. I would also try to minimise working late as much as I could. I set myself a curfew of 6pm and would only work past that time if I had a crunch period or specific deadline, otherwise, if I was working on non-urgent tasks, I would reallocate time for them the following day.
This was by far the most difficult thing for me to achieve, because it is very easy to continue working past your normal hours when you’re at home and don’t have much else to do in the evening. However, it is so important to maintain boundaries between your work life and personal life, to give your mind time to rest and allow you time to do the things that are important to you.
Take time for yourself
When working from home, it becomes even more important to look after yourself and ensure you are still taking time for things outside of work. The best way to do this is to schedule yourself some ‘me time’ before and after work each day.
For example, in the mornings, I try to use the time I would normally use for commuting, to go for a walk or do a workout. This really helps me to start the day feeling productive and ready to work.
In the evenings, I also plan to do an activity that I really enjoy, whether that be reading, painting or getting outside. More recently, since lock down restrictions have eased significantly, I often plan to visit friends or go for dinner, to ensure that I have time away from the screen and out of my home working environment.
Take breaks
It is so important to remember to take breaks whilst working from home. Again, this is something that can be easily skipped over, since you are already working in the comfort of your own home. Getting time away from the screen is vital, in being able to maintain a high level of concentration throughout the day.
Something as simple as taking a walk around the block for 5 minutes in the morning and afternoon can quickly make you feel refreshed and can help you to concentrate. Taking a proper lunch break is also important, rather than quickly grabbing something to eat and taking it back to your desk. I try to step away from my desk, make myself some lunch and stay away from my deck to eat it. Also, if you can get outside in your lunch break, I would really recommend it, to help split up the time spent working from a computer screen.
Separate your workspace from your living space
Keeping my workspace and personal space separate is the hardest thing I have had to learn to do. In my flat, I don’t have the luxury of a separate office or workspace, which means my desk setup is in my living room. However, even if this is the case, it is crucial to be able to separate your workspace from your living space, to ensure that you can properly unwind at the end of a working day.
If you do have a separate workspace, that’s great, I would recommend you only spend time in there whilst working and when you are finished for the day, vacate back into your living space. In my case, as I don’t have a separate workspace, I would recommend that at the end of your working day, you turn off your laptop and work phone, and leave them on your desk. I do not sit at my desk for anything other than work.
Stay connected with co-workers
Something that I really miss when working from home, is getting to bond with my co-workers e.g. whilst making a coffee in the kitchen, between meetings or even in the pub after work. This is why I try hard to make time for short catch-ups every so often with my co-workers, to talk about anything other than work or to discuss any challenges that we are facing.
Also, just spending a few minutes at the start of meetings for these small conversations that would usually happen spontaneously in the office, can really help to keep connected and build stronger bonds with your team.
In summary, it is important to remember not to overwork yourself and be strict with your personal time, to live a well-balanced but productive life, when working from home!