Wellbeing During COVID-19
We are now entering the month of April as a global community burdened by the fog, that is COVID-19. Adhering to the prescribed social distancing practices have demonstrated that this approach is one of the best ways to protect ourselves and others against infection. In following the recommendations, it is important to acknowledge that isolation comes with its own unique set of challenges. As a result of public health directives, many have transitioned work to their home environments are juggling homeschooling and have reduced socialization.
Having a workspace within your home environment can present new and mixed emotions. Home, once being the retreat from the stressors of the outside world is now a blend of these environments whilst also being devoid of those daily interactions with colleagues and clients with whom we may encounter on an otherwise daily basis. Accompanying children and homeschooling on top of the adjustments and what was once a place of solitude, has now become permeated with stressors and activities that were typically experienced outside of the home environment.
Not only a necessary, but for many, the workplace offers a sanctuary of growth and establishes purpose as we go about our days within our micro-community. This rings especially true for the extroverts. For the introverts, they are thriving within an environment they enjoy, though they too could be experiencing challenges presented by the strict social distancing measures in place in many countries.
The impacts of COVID-19 has seen workplaces close and community connection hubs such as cafes and restaurants withdrawn from daily life. It is obvious that social connectedness is challenged and behind this, is the impact on individuals health and wellbeing.
Though it is not all bad news. Transitions can be challenging but there are many things that we can do that will help us feel satisfaction within new environments. Our mindset will determine how well we adjust and taking decisive action over the things that we are within our control, can empower us and offer more joy during these uncertain times. The following list of potentials may help to improve areas that may be currently stressful.
Your Environment
Establishing an environment conducive to work and home life can be tricky, but the benefits can be huge. Having a space that allows you to get into the work mindset will help you maintain focus. Having your work tools in order (as much as possible) may reduce anxiety and allow you to feel as though there is separation between home life and work-life. It is also important to share with your children (if you have any) that there are times that you need to focus at certain times or make calls (flexibility is key here). Remember, many people are experiencing similar circumstances and the odd interruption is not the end of the world (it may bring light to an otherwise vanilla conversation). Offer yourself some mental freedom to do what you can and acknowledge that, given the circumstances. Try not to get too critical of your productive time as working from home has changed everything about the normality of work.
Routine/Schedule
Having a To-do list is important and having some short of structure for the day is also. Practicing this will help you maintain task continuity and productivity, which can help you feel a sense of achievement through all this uncertainty. Scheduling regular hours to work and when to break, can also help you get in the zone and build upon that sense of achievement. Whilst it may suit some to be flexible around these hours, others will find that rigidity provides a stronger sense of normality. The best part about working from home is that you have an opportunity to do some short burst exercise to keep yourself energized without disrupting colleagues. Perhaps the time to start is right now while no-one is watching!
Socialising Remotely
Nonverbal communication is a huge part of our connectedness. Interpreting emails and text messages can leave an area of uncertainty as they lack nonverbal cues that one would normally get from face-to-face conversations. This can create a grey area of interpretation leaving some in distress. Thankfully there are many programs available to connect face to face in real-time, such as Zoom, Google Hangouts & Facetime (the list goes on). They are easy to use and if you are somewhat tech-challenged, once you have begun to figure out how to use them, they get easier every time.
Change your Physiology
This is a big one that you have total control over. As mentioned above, working from home or an empty office provides the perfect opportunity to break up your work with some physical activity. With no one around, you are safe to do as you wish, even in your pyjamas! Changing your heart rate, increasing blood flow, improving your digestion and increasing your clarity of thought are all benefits of changing your physiology. Not only that, moving will also decrease stress. Humans were never meant to sit for the amount of time that we do now. Our anatomy and physiology favours movement, so go on, take a movement break - consider it good occupational health practice.
Mindful Eating
Working in close proximity to the refrigerator or the pantry can be a recipe for disaster. Emotional eating, if left unchecked, can cause many health issues and we are likely to experience the emotional pull more frequently within the home environment. Meal breaks and taking food to work provides us with limited opportunities to eat due to boredom. For many, with isolation comes boredom. Be aware that losing the regular interactions that we as humans thrive upon throughout our day, can leave us wandering around the kitchen looking for snacks of any sort. Being disciplined during this time is important and being mindful that choosing good nutrition has many health benefits.
In order to break the boredom have a set of strategies on hand such as, taking a break, change your physiology (move), connect on a face-to-face platform and chat. Or Perhaps take the apple test - ask yourself, would I eat an apple right now? If yes then eat it, otherwise, change something - anything that provides a productive distraction from the fridge or pantry.
Positive Internal Dialogue/Language
Go easy on yourself during this time. Noticing and changing your internal dialogue may be just the thing to empower you within your new daily environment. Simply acknowledging that we are facing new challenges beyond our regular duties at the moment and it is likely that this time is temporary.
Overall, continue doing the best that you can given the circumstances that you are facing and we are all going through some transition at the moment.