Maintaining Mental Wellness while Working Remotely
The Art of Balancing – Striking a balance between professional commitments and mental wellness is paramount when working remotely. At Kate Cook Biz, we understand the delicate art of maintaining equilibrium.
In this blog, we explore the effects of remote work on mental health, the benefits of work-life balance, the impact of remote working jobs, and the personal nuances of mental wellness.
Remote Work Effects on Mental Health
Remote work can impact mental health, from the challenges of isolation despite the benefits of a flexible work environment. As we have seen over the last few years, working at home can have a benefit – cutting down communing time, allowing you more sleeping time, and giving you time to prepare healthier food (rather than just grabbing stuff on the way home from work) but there are downsides to working from home.
Instead of our home being our sanctuary, it can become our prison. Although it takes effort to get out to work, the benefits can be enormous. As many of you know, I am doing a Masters, and the university has insisted we return to a taught on-campus format – in short, a pain. But, I bumped into someone in my seminar group, who I am pretty sure, will be vital to help me with my dissertation – and an unexpected bonus, totally unplanned and vital.
This applies to the workplace too, those chance conversations, the conversation at the watercooler, give our work not only added dimension and meaning but also the chance of vital collaboration. Socialising is part of what it means to be human, and a vital part of being well both physically and mentally.
Working from home can exacerbate:
- Isolation and Loneliness: Especially if your partner is out at work – you need to interact – even if you feel you are an introvert. Your immune system relies on signals in the environment to trigger your immune system to be vigilant, or stand down – being with other people is part of health, whether we like it or not
- Blurred Boundaries: We can’t stop working – It’s too easy to just lift the lid of the laptop and keep going. Our sitting room (what was our sitting room is a reminder of work, we are never off/ there is a constant reminder of our work.
- Communication Challenges: We become socially awkward! No man is an island and we need to communicate in person.
- Work-Life Imbalance: One day merges into the next as we don’t have any texture (change of environment) on which to peg our lives – common, due to the experience of the last few years, is not to have any idea of what year anything happened or any sense of time elapsed. One year has become another, and then, before you know it, and if we are not careful, it’s all over. Poor habits have become poor health, poor health robs you of vitality and joy – and then, game over (just to cheer you up).
Benefits of Work-Life Balance
A sense of living your life in full whether at work or home!
- Enhanced Productivity: Achieve a healthier work-life balance to boost overall productivity and job satisfaction. The first step starts with physical health – your food and nutrition, movement (exercise) and your mental attitude!
- Reduced Stress Levels: Find equilibrium to alleviate stress and prevent burnout – finding joy, stilling your mind, and finding purpose
- Remote Working Jobs: Navigating the Landscape – and knowing where the boundaries are – grabbing the obvious benefits (later start, less commute, flexibility etc) but not falling into the pitfalls. Having “real” experiences is key – things that you experience in your body, food, friendship, communication, exercise etc – and not just retreat behind a screen
What Does Mental Wellness Mean to You?
Although we try to pathologise mental wellness into a sort of condition/state called mental health – no one should be the judge of what being mentally healthy is apart from you. Take note of the internal barometer – generally, would you count yourself as happy? Do you feel you have a purpose? Are you stressed? (and is stress taking over?) Do you mitigate stress (through diet, exercise, meditation, friends and family?) if so, you are probably doing fine.
What does Equilibrium mean?
Equilibrium refers to a state of balance or stability where opposing forces or factors are in equal proportion, offsetting each other and resulting in a state of rest or harmony. It is normal to experience ups and downs and as long as you can see these states as temporary then you are probably mentally healthy – if you are getting way more downs than ups, then look at your core values and see if they are aligning with your current work. Do you need to make some changes? Sometimes, a coach – can help you navigate a new path without it seeming too daunting.
Maintaining Mental Wellness while Working Remotely
As we navigate the complexities of remote work and the art of balancing, Kate Cook Biz offers insights into the delicate art of balancing professional commitments and mental wellness, starting with physical strategies for finding that balance (nutrition, movement, laughter!)
Understanding the effects of remote work on mental health and embracing the benefits of work-life balance are crucial steps towards fostering a fulfilling and sustainable career. At Kate Cook Biz, we believe that mental wellness is a personal journey, and we invite you to explore the art of balancing in the realm of remote work.
May your career be marked by harmony, productivity, and a profound sense of well-being. Reach out to Kate Cook Biz today to start your journey.
