Working remotely: How to take care of your emotional health?

Covid-19 the pandemic has forced the entire working system to avoid physical presence in the office, and start working remotely. As per Indeed, one of the top job portals the searches for remote based works have skyrocketed in the last month, and geographical boundaries are not given priority by most of the employers, who are more eager to get quality instead of giving preferences for local recruitment.

The most contagious and fatal pandemic that people are experiencing now is somehow horrible for all! Till now where social distancing is the key factor to prevent the disease, Govt. in almost all the countries have declared that except few emergency and special service providers the most of the employees should continue their work from home. The pandemic has already taken the lives of millions of people across the globe but has already defined the consequence of skills as a top priority for hiring as opposed to the location of the job hunter.

Covid-19 has completed a year and this time comes with a second wave. Many parts of India are now strictly maintaining the lockdown process and most of the employees are working remotely. But being an employee have you ever noticed any change in your mind since the time you started working from home? Are you feeling more stressed out? Are you feeling lonely and sometimes even irritated for small issues? Keeping yourself isolated from others and working alone at home for a long time can surely affect your emotional health. Across the globe, many are working remotely full time and completely isolated from colleagues and friends, where their normal life is getting disturbed and indirectly creating stress and anxiety in their mind. The prolonged remote-based work can sometimes make the employees feel embarrassed and especially the uncertainty of going back to the normal life can make them insecure. No way we should ignore such emotional feelings that may lead to any serious mental health issue later.

Then how to take care of employees' emotional wellbeing?

Taking care of employees' emotional wellbeing is just as important as taking care of your physical health and having nutritional foods.

Keep the right work schedule – As per your work responsibility, you must work hard for your organisation. But that does not mean you won't find time for yourself. Everything mainly depends on how well you manage all the things and find out time for your own. Mental wellbeing depends mainly on how relaxed you feel and stay away from anxiety, stress and depression. Here you should maintain a well-planned routine that works great for your remote job and simultaneously keep yourself energized. Take a short break in every 45 minutes to 1 hour. to refresh your mind. Include regular exercise, listening to light music and meditation to feel relaxed and stress-free. Start your day with a to-do list and fix a time for that. Maintain your work and family life separate, do not mix them at all. This way you can set your goals and avoid unwanted mental issues at the same time.

Take small breaks and relax your mind – During your working hours take very small breaks like for 5-6 minutes and close your eyes, try to make your mind free from all the thoughts. Take a long breath and focus on your inhale and exhale. This is a great way to keep your nervous system relaxed and recharged!

Make yourself happy – You must make yourself happy and should indulge in fun activities. Something that can help you to smile can minimise your stress level and help you to keep the healthy mind that you need. Happiness is the key factor for employees' mental wellbeing. Many companies conduct employee happiness programs for their overall mental growth and emotional balance. It could be an added advantage for you if your company provides such a facility. Else you may focus on your hobbies, self-care or something that can help you to refresh your mind and make you happy.

Customise your home office – Decorating your home office can revitalize your mind and you could feel great working there for a long time. Make your sitting arrangements like your desk, chair etc. comfortable. Arranging music systems can help you to avoid a monotonous work schedule, especially where you don't have options to talk to your next co-worker. Make your sitting arrangement at the most comfortable and quiet place in the house where you can enjoy working and relax your mind at the same time.

Talk to your friends – It's pandemic time. So, avoid going outside as much as possible. Try to communicate with your friends by phone/video chat at the weekend to refresh your mind and boost your emotional wellbeing.