Remote Work and Mental Wellness

Transitioning to remote work can be stressful.  Even if you’ve got a handle on your new routine, uncertainty and change are hard on the psyche.  Just as exercise and proper nutrition are necessary for our physical health, our mental health can really take a hit if we’re not paying attention, especially when you factor in the isolation and increased risk of burnout that come into play when your home becomes your office.

To help you during this transition, our team has put together some tips to help you stay mentally well in your day-to-day and develop new healthy habits along the way.

GET BETTER SLEEP

This is arguably the most important of them all as it affects every element of your day.  Helpful tips to get scientifically proven better sleep include no coffee/caffeine after 12 pm, sticking to a routine schedule, eating dinner earlier, limiting screen time (especially at night), and giving yourself time to wind down after a long day.  New studies show that 7-9 hours is the number we all need to feel truly rested.

PRACTICE SELF-CARE

What better time to up your health care routine than while spending more hours at home? From your morning beverage to your nighttime ritual, consider making some tweaks to benefit your overall health.  Add some collagen protein or an adaptogen blend to your morning coffee (pro tip: mix it with this).  Take baths with natural essential oils to soothe your mind and aching muscles.

EXERCISE

Make time in your schedule to get a workout in! Even if it’s only 20 minutes.  High intensity interval circuits burn calories fast and are easy to do anywhere.  For less intensity, try Yoga or Pilates.  Every hour or two, get up, walk around, stretch, get outside, walk the dog, etc.  Staying active is so important for our mental health as it boosts our mood and reduces stress and feelings of loneliness and isolation.

JOURNAL

Writing is a great form of release.  It enables you to process your thoughts, then take a deep breath and move on.  Journaling first thing in the morning is great if that works for your schedule, or you can use it as a way to unwind at the end of the day.  It’s important to check in with yourself and honor the emotions we experience when our lives go through a transition.

MEDITATE

Meditation is powerful in forcing us to slow down, breathe, and remember what’s truly important.  Start your day with meditation or take a mindfulness break in the middle of the day – that constant chatter in our heads can be incredibly overwhelming and is just not helpful.  Try two of our meditation videos, Part 1 and Part 2, to get you started.

READ MORE

With all the noise on our devices and televisions, the most beneficial thing we can do for our minds is to read.  Ask your friends for book recommendations.  It’s easy to have an audiobook playing while you complete another task.  Reading is great for winding down at night and helping us achieve restful sleep.  It’s also far better for our critical thinking than mindlessly watching tv.

PICK A NEW HOBBY

This is a terrific time to create something new and exciting – get creative and let your mind go! Take to that list of ideas you’ve been adding to for years, but never taken that seriously.  Or, devote energy to that project you’ve been putting off because you didn’t have the time or resources.  Even completing simple household chores or renovations we never have time for makes us feel accomplished and at ease.

FACETIME WITH FAMILY + FRIENDS

Let’s face it, we need to see and interact with other humans for our health.  Actual evidence shows that having a strong network of support is an important component of adult life and crucial to our happiness.  So, lean on each other, call, facetime, and make each other laugh.

GET MORE SUNLIGHT

It’s real folks.  Light directly affects the serotonin levels in our brains, and the benefits go beyond fighting stress and anxiety.  Vitamin D is essential to our skin and bones.  We get some Vitamin D through our food, but the best way to get it, believe it or not, is through direct sunlight.  10 minutes in the sun will do the trick, but if you’ve got sensitive skin, you can protect it from too much exposure, with all natural sunscreens like these.

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