It’s been little over a month, since we started staying indoors to practice Social distancing with the goal to flatten the curve. By now, you probably have read at least 5-10 post on effective remote working on LinkedIn, received forwards on Whatsapp, shared posts on Instagram including cooking challenges, workout videos and cribbed about the lockdown. I’ll be honest, I have done some of it too.
For some of us, it is the usual way of working and for others, it’s something they have dreamt of doing since they were stuck with a desktop at work.
One thing for sure, ‘working from home’ isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. While you have been shuffling across zoom calls and playing ludo with your buddies, we are burning out more than just energy.
Mental wellness has been ignored and been on the backburner for most of us for years but in these times of self-isolation, it may become bigger than it has ever been.
Why is it important ?
Think of it like Physical health, which is much more commonly cared for.
When you work out, eat clean and rest, you feel good and are considered well than when you constantly ache, get sick or are hurt, which makes you unwell. Wellness is constantly moving back and forth. We are never fixed at any one point in it.
Mental health has a similar scale. From being productive/happy/energetic to withdrawn/aggressive/depressed, you will move along the scale throughout your life.
Research has shown that they both are related to one another but are mutually exclusive in some respects as well and focusing on just one of it may not be the best bet.
How to manage it?
- Focus on your sources of motivation. Think about what and who is important to you. You don’t need to connect too much or with too many people. Confide in your entourage but make sure to give them time to share their stories as well.
- Social media can cause a lot of anxiety. Avoid following news like a scoreboard in a sports event. If you must, read/watch it maybe once a day. Trust me, even if you don’t want to, people will tell you what’s going on.
- Binge watching is tempting but instead, try to engage yourself in exercise. Find workout buddies who are not doing it just to post it on social media. You can watch the usual amount of TV while having your meals.
- Medidate. Yes, it may sound cliché, but it helps. Look for an app on your phone or just find something good on Youtube. Set aside 15 mins in a day, close your eyes and introspect.
- Plan a schedule. Build a routine. Identify a structure. Use your job as a base and set hours/tasks around it for personal time, chores etc. Make sure the lines do not get blurry.
Its alright. It will be for sure..
If you still feel anxious and find yourself panicking during a video call or avoid talking to people for long time, speak to an expert. There are apps which offer free/paid consultation with experts over text messages/phone calls.
Remember, we must change the way we do our core social interactions. We are in a place in time where we need to do our own chores and still be active at work. Plus, we got to be much cleaner with constant handwashing and facial hygiene.
If you need it, get some space. There is nothing wrong in demanding it from your teammates and family. Use your terrace. Take a walk. Try to be in the moment and value what you have.
We as humans have survived bigger threats and experts agree that with time, we will overcome this virus too.
As in the chorus/bridge from the song called ‘Coming up roses’ from ‘Begin Again’
– ‘Hold on – Hold on’.
