2020 introduced a new generation of people – both employees and students – about the joys of working and studying from home. If you appreciate and value the lack of a commute and have enough space at home, the joy is self-evident. But if you like interacting with people daily in person or perhaps live in a smaller space with others, the word joy might be dripping with sarcasm.
Depending on your situation and personality, COVID-19 lockdowns and stay at home orders can be a positive or negative and sometimes, both. What can you do to have a better at-home experience taking into account all of the factors that are specific to your situation?
I began working from home in 2005 and immediately noticed the benefits. No commute. Flexible hours. I didn’t miss the office politics nor did I miss the daily interaction with others. My wife on the other hand likes the interaction with others and finds it hard to be stuck at home for weeks on end. Maybe you are one or the other or perhaps it depends on the day how you view home working!
What can you do in either case? How can you balance work or school while also taking care of your physical and mental health?
Physical health and working from home
If you’re working at home in close quarters with others in your household, assuming each of you is isolating, wearing masks when in public and socially distancing, your chance of becoming infected is much less than if you are avoiding doing most or all of these things. But you can further do things when working from home to ensure your physical health is protected.
Use the space you have: If you have separate rooms where you can each work it not only gives you space to protect your physical health but all offers you some privacy while also giving you some time away from your housemates which ties into the mental health aspect which we’ll touch on below. Set up a makeshift office in your kitchen, basement, bedroom or living room if necessary.
Crack a window: Occasionally open a window if you can to let some fresh air in. Even in winter, the cold air for a minute or two helps to freshen things up and since staring at a computer screen or Zoom call for hours on end can make anyone tired, it might help to give you a bit of a wake up.
Invest a bit in exercise: While you can’t go to the gym – and may not want to anyways – and perhaps you’re not even a gym person, you shouldn’t ignore exercise. But if you have at least $250 to spend and a bit of space, you can buy a:
- Reasonably sized treadmill including a condo/apartment style model.
- Quality weightlifting bench and selectable dumbbells.
- Stationary exercise bike.
And if you only have a lower budget, a skipping rope or basic weight kit can be had and delivered online in a few days.
If you have a bit more money to spend, you can choose higher quality items or multiple options that will last you into the future. I have a treadmill, weight bench and selectable dumbbells and while I spent more than $250 alone on the treadmill in 2020, your budget doesn’t have to be a big one to get something to keep you active. I’ve had the bench and weights for 3 years and they’re as good as new and I use them regularly. No excuse not to exercise when the equipment is in your house!
Don’t underestimate the ability of activity and exercise to keep you positive. On the other hand though…
Don’t gain weight: This is a hard one for some people. I’ve read numerous online stories of people who are at home and perhaps working or unemployed, out of school or just too close to the fridge, have put on weight since COVID-19 first became a thing. If you start gaining weight from being at home and don’t like it, you either have to eat better and less, work out, or do both. It’s really that simple. Don’t underestimate the ability of lack of activity and gaining weight to bring your mood down and contribute to mental health problems, especially if you have other issues in your life to deal with.
Mental health and working from home
The mental health aspect of working from home whether due to COVID-19 or other reasons is a big one that more people are discussing. Beginning in March 2020 around the time of the first global lockdowns, researchers began speaking with people regarding their experiences and reported
negative mental health concerns, with 16% – 18% of those surveyed showing anxiety and depression symptoms.
With businesses shutdown and people afraid or unallowed to go outside, access to mental health assistance may be hard to come by. Here are some suggestions to keep your spirits up:
Get outside if possible and allowed: The more people stay indoors cooped up, the more unhappy people tend to become especially if you’re social and are used to getting out. Even a 10 or 15 minute walk around the block or in your front or backyard if allowed is a way to break up the monotony.
Let the light in: Open drapes to let the sun in which can also help to keep you motivated and positive especially if you’re stuck inside. The sun can have a positive mental affect on us especially during winter or when we’re otherwise stuck inside.
Move around: Depending on how big your living space is, move your home office around. I sit in the living room by myself but occasionally stand in the kitchen to work and stretch my legs. I’ll sometimes sit at a desk in my daughters’ rooms when they aren’t in use. Use your patio or balcony if you can when the weather cooperates. If you have a bar stool or high chairs, you can move them to a place in your home with a counter and work there to change things up. If doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity, mix it up a bit to keep your sanity intact.
Quick tips to survive a lockdown and working from home
- Keep a regular schedule. A routine of going to bed and getting up at the same time makes you feel like things are normal even if they aren’t.
- Take breaks. Staring at a computer screen for hours is tiring and can be counterproductive. When possible, take short breaks and give your eyes a break from electronics.
- Stretch your legs. Studies show that sitting 8 hours per day with no exercise can have long term have similar affects to what obesity and smoking cause.
- Get out when possible. Leave your house safely if you’re allowed to get out. Even walking around the block or backyard, seeing a few people, watching the cars go by and being active really helps to keep you positive.
- Keep in touch. Others are in the same boat as you. Keep in touch with colleagues, family and friends. Check in with each other to say hi and keep in touch with positive people and not those who are likely to bring you down.
- Use your time wisely. In your spare time read a book. Check out a free online language learning app like this, this or this one. Go outside your comfort zone and try something new rather than just watching tv or surfing the Internet.