Work from Home - Creating A Mindful & Healthy Work Space

It’s been more than a year since the pandemic changed the work dynamics from traditional to Work From Home. It’s funny how we thought it would be fun but everything fell apart when the tables turned in reality. Irregular sleep patterns, degrading mental health, imbalanced personal life and so much more disturbed the usual order.

Uncertainties during these times have steered a different level of pressure because of the new remote work culture. Women among all are the most affected! Can you agree any less? But if we vibe high and practice mindfulness, it can improve work satisfaction, hike productivity, and give a boost to your mental health.

What is Mindful Productivity?

Performing meditation or yoga are amazing ways to achieve mindfulness but they’re not the only vectors to incline your thoughts and your surroundings to what you feel. Being in a mindful mode means much more and beyond this. Mindful productivity helps you appreciate the little things in your daily life, allows you to pay attention to the present moment and what’s going on with you.

It eliminates the non-judgemental feelings and trains your mind to worry less about any kind of negative thought.

According to our experts, the following ways can help you clear up your head and maximize productivity while working from home-

1. Create a separate working space- Managing work from home can be big trouble if things are not organized properly. You cannot stay focused if you are surrounded by distractions. Start with decluttering your surroundings. See if you can carve out some space for yourself and if you aren’t fortunate with that, choose a silent place so that you can attend your meeting peacefully and concentrate on work tasks.

2. Plan your routine as if you are in the office- Make a checklist of work tasks, pen down the series of actions, and work on it. You can take small breaks to re-freshen yourself by doing exercises right at your work desk or maybe walk around for a bit but make sure to resume work as planned. By doing so, you’ll be able to complete tasks within your official timings without exertion.

3. Eat meals on time - We often go mad when hunger strikes. Isn’t it? It’s a common observance that the stress of work can disturb our meal cycles. But it is important to eat well and stay diligent when it comes to your meals because it directly affects your body and state of mind. Store and keep portions of eatables on your desk in case you get stuck somewhere. Have it alongside but dare not stay empty stomach. Good food habits = Good life.

4. Take good care of yourself- Do not get all cozy in bed and spend the rest of your day with your laptop on. Shut your devices once done with the tasks, get some fresh air, have a nutritious snack, drink plenty of water, and relax yourself to live the most out of those moments.

5. Move ahead with the right pace- Remember you are not in a race, you don’t have to put your mind on skates and hurry up to complete your tasks. There’s a limit to what you can do so avoid multitasking and stop trying to do things out of your bandwidth. According to a Harward study, the efficiency of work can drop by 40% if you pressurize yourself to complete multiple things at the same time.

6. Set boundaries, Find Peace- If you feel overloaded due to projects, refuse to pick up a new one. While it is important to be productive, make sure you communicate well with your employer about your priorities. Being professional is great but don’t hesitate to state your needs whenever necessary. As long as companies aim at profits, you should aim at health.

7. Keep personal life at bay during work hours-  Do not get tempted by other activities at home. If your siblings are playing a game, let them, you can join them later or if your partner is watching a movie, that movie is going nowhere! Entertainment is necessary to light up your mood but there is a flip side too. It can eat up your productive time and make you fall into the pit of helplessness. If you have a pile of laundry to be done and you can’t stop thinking about it, ask your housemates to share the load.

8. Develop self-compassion- Be kind to yourself! Know that everyone makes mistakes so don’t be harsh on yourself and drag yourself excessively in the pity zone. Ensure you have enough time left for stuff that makes you happy. Working hard doesn’t mean you have to skip the bright side. Exercise, dance, sing, jam on your favorite instrument, cook, read, just do whatever keeps your spirits high. Give your body the break it needs.

Take Your Mind Off Red Alert

According to a study, WFH is associated with many positive benefits like improved family and work integration, lower fatigue levels, and location independence.

However, WFH can also deteriorate an individual’s mental and physical health due to extended hours, lack of organizational boundaries between work and home, communication gaps, and “just two minutes break” on social media that turn into wasted hours.

So, work on yourself and manifest your energy into productive working. If it seems hard to do, you can consult our experts via chat/audio/video calls on The Wellness Corner app who will be your companion and guide to make your life easier. It’s ok to feel lost and ask someone who knows exactly how to handle the hooks and crooks.