Taking care of your well-being when working from home

The pandemic has permanently increased working-from-home patterns, equivalent to almost 40 years of pre-pandemic growth, reports the WFH Research and the Survey of Working Arrangements and Attitudes (source). 

It has become the new normal for a lot of people, with the 2023 State of Remote Work report highlighting an overwhelming majority of the 3000 respondents (82%) said they are now working from home. This is significantly higher than in 2022 (59%) (source). 

While there are benefits to working from home, such as increased flexibility in choosing their work location and how they spend their time, there are also drawbacks, like not being able to collaborate with colleagues in-person, struggling with loneliness and having difficulty separating your workspace from your personal space. 

We’ve gathered some tips from the clinical team at ieso to help you create healthy habits when working from home that prioritises your physical and mental health. 

Get into a morning routine 

When working from home, there is less pressure to get dressed and leave the house on time (unless you need to do a school run first). Although this may sound like an advantage, it can also mean that you do not make time to prepare yourself for the day ahead. 

Try managing your morning as if you were commuting. This starts with getting enough sleep and waking up at a regular time, having breakfast and changing out of your pyjamas. A 2019 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found morning exercise improves attention, visual learning and decision-making (source). So, you could even add some movement to your day by walking via your local coffee shop, following an online yoga class, or going to the gym, depending on what suits you. When you’ve established your new routine, remember to be consistent. 

Create a dedicated workspace 

It is important that you have a dedicated workstation with everything you need in one place. Ideally, this should be somewhere quiet and away from the areas where you relax. Although it can be tempting to sit on the sofa while working, this does not help your posture and it can blur the lines between work and your personal space. Instead, sit at a table or desk in a supportive chair. 

In the 2023 State of Remote Work report, 71% of respondents say it is important to set work boundaries (source). Therefore, you may want to set some boundaries by reminding your family or the people you live with that when you’re in that space, you’re at work and you need to focus.  

Connect with your colleagues 

In an office, you naturally interact with people throughout the day. You may have a morning catch-up with your co-workers or sit together at lunchtime. These opportunities for conversation make it easier to build relationships with people and get to know them on a professional and personal level. 

In comparison, it may feel harder to connect with your team while working from home, even if your company has systems and tech in place for remote team collaboration and communication. When you do contact your co-workers, why not try using methods of communication that feel more human? For example, send a voice note rather than an instant message, and video call with the camera on. Plus, making the effort to send that ‘good morning’ message really goes a long way, even if it’s virtual. 

Separate home and work  

When you work in an office, you can shut down your computer and leave your working day behind. However, when you work from home, your ‘office’ and your personal space crossover, and it is harder to separate the two. This may make it difficult for you to switch off in the evenings and in your time off, which can lead to stress. 

While it is important to have a dedicated workspace within your home, it’s also crucial that you set healthy boundaries. For instance, checking emails outside work hours is a commonly blurred work boundary. 81% of people from the 2023 State of Remote Work report say they do that, with 63% checking emails on weekends or days off, and 34% while on holiday (source).  

At the end of the day, stop reading your emails, turn off your laptop and close the door to your workspace. Prioritise your rest time to prevent yourself from burning out.  

Remember to move 

The chances are that by cutting out the daily 59-minute average commute to the office (correct as of 2018, according to the UK Trade Union Congress) you are also missing the opportunity to get some steps in. Since meetings at home are virtual, you may not have many reasons to get out of your chair throughout the day. 

It is important that we move around and use our muscles as often as possible so that we stay fit. Perhaps you could get a standing desk or take a work call while walking. If not, make time to get some fresh air on your lunch break instead. 

Stretching also helps you maintain a good posture, especially when sitting at a desk for long periods. Be sure to stand up every 30 minutes to stretch your chest and extend your spine. This will reverse the hunched sitting position and reduce back and neck pain. 

Another way to release tension in your body is through breathing exercises. Take five minutes to breathe deeply enough that your abdomen rises and your chest expands. This technique can also help you to feel less stressed and more focused throughout the working day.  

If you’re struggling with work-related stress or burnout, reach out to your HR teams for guidance or, to access professional mental well-being support, depending on where you live in the UK, you may be able to access text-based CBT with ieso through your GP. Find out if you are eligible here. 

If you live in the US, you can access further support by contacting your Primary Care Physician or learn about alternate options here. 

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