The last year has been an utter turmoil for all. It has been a disaster, both mentally and physically. When on one hand the world is still fighting the nightmares of a global pandemic on the other hand people are fighting to make ends meet. And amidst it all, lucky are those who still manage to keep their soul and body together with the support of an income. When a person is bogged down with responsibilities and worries to satiate the hunger pangs, he/she has to make means to earn. While doing so, a huge population has been trying their best to keep their work from culture enjoyable and bearable.
Yet there are several who are suffering the blues of this ‘new normal’ work culture and are on their wits’ end to keep their mental sanity. The wisest of the lot have already taken psychiatric counselling sessions without any second thoughts. The advice of the counsellor has taken them to newer heights personally as well as professionally. Here, in this blog today we are trying to put special focus on what should and should not be done to cope with remote work along with some added tips to keep your mind at peace.
DO THESE
- Indulge in your work
Concentrate on your daily aims and acquire them with your self-drawn strategies. No one will help you more than you yourself can. So, recognise your strengths and work on them. Keep a positive mind and begin with your work the moment your working hours start. Do not leave behind any pending work and in case of extreme work pressure try to complete your day’s targets without any spillover.
- Keep disruptions and interferences away
One of the many reasons why you genuinely cannot complete your work daily and keep worrying is because you face a lot of interference. So, stop taking unnecessary calls and keep your important conversations crisp and brief. The more you concentrate on your work, the less worried you will be about it.
- Household chores should have separate time
When at home, you really cannot overlook or neglect the household chores. This is a phase that we are going through and thus, lending a helping hand in household work is just making things easier for the rest. Of course, you have to meet the deadlines and submit your assignments on time. But in between all these, you can surely take a few minutes off to unwind and take a break from screen time.
- Managing stress and burnout
Anger, exhaustion, exertion, agitation and burnout are the by-products of the tedious ‘new normal’. Sitting at home all day long without going out to relax, is indeed a trying situation. This is something that is out of our control but what lies within your control is to manage the manifestations that can have serious impacts on your mental health.
- Make a to-do list
Work out your daily worklist. When done with one, simply strike it out. Psychologically speaking, when you have your plans before your eyes instead of running them through in your mind, it helps you to work in a more organised way. You also complete your work within the stipulated time frame and avoid delaying it. Such daily achievements are your little successes that boost your confidence and make work from home smooth.
- Take power naps
Your mind will probably stop functioning unless you let it rest and cause mental unrest. The human brain is subject to a lot of stress and pressure but it should not be taken for granted. Taking short coffee breaks, a quick stroll around the house and taking a ten-minute nap work wonders. You must not confuse this with a waste of time because these are needed to help you feel relaxed and increase your efficiency. When the mind does not get the required rest, it stops working and hence your productivity suffers miserably. Since you are at home, do take that advantage to improve your work efficiency and also reduce mental stress.
DON’T DO THESE
- Underestimating your capabilities
As per many psychologist counselling sessions, an impending tension will always hover in your mind unless you complete your work and this often leads to underestimating yourself. There are several external factors too that prevent you from reaching your goals. However, that is definitely not the end of your professional world. What you must do is finish your work as much as possible.
- Pay heed to temptations
A lot of your time is generally wasted when, during your work hours, you begin checking your social media profiles. Though it helps you to relax for a few minutes, you cannot deny the fact how 5 minutes turns to 15 minutes while scrolling through the pages. This has to be controlled and the best thing to do is to avoid using the social media pages while you still have a lot of pending work. We suggest this because not completing your work will build up internal stress that will result in mental stress.
- Lie unnecessarily
Everyone, who is working from home, is under the same and equal grind. So, when a particular work is not completed and you are late in submitting the task, speak the truth about its status. Hiding facts and not accepting your real work status puts you on difficult grounds where you can face severe consequences from your office. At times, when you say that you have completed your work, but it is not so, you can be burdened with the pressure of more assignments. The accumulation of such workload creates an immense amount of tension that gives you sleepless nights, quite affecting your mental and physical health.
- Keeping your teammates in the dark
Your teammates are your ultimate saviours. They also deserve to know your status of work since they are the ones who help you when you are failing to reach your daily targets. Never miss a meeting or an important call where your presence cannot be fulfilled by the others but you need your teammates when you are not needed in person. Thus, when you cannot do a project alone, you need to be transparently truthful to your team and let them know how you would like them to help you out. This gives you a good chance to build a bond of trust with them.
Tips to be positive
Keeping the mind calm and nurturing positive thoughts are going to take you a long way in life. Initially, these might not seem easy but yes, once you begin to make them a habit, it only becomes too natural for you. Besides the DO’s and DONT’s, here are some valuable tips to ensure that they help you to juggle the remote working culture and also relax your mind as and when you can.
- Tip 1: The best psychologist in Kolkata suggests that doing exercises before, during and after your work makes your mind fresh. Which in turn results in better work productivity.
- Tip 2: Take up a hobby that is less time-consuming and extremely rewarding.
- Tip 3: Eat healthy and avoid junk items. Foods like fast food items, oily or calorie-based diets make you more tired and give a heavy feeling that does not let you concentrate on your work. Eating on time is also important as food gives you the energy to work.
- Tip 4: Reduce your screen time after work hours are over. This lets your eyes cool down and even rests your brain.
- Tip 5: Give your family enough time to feel better and avoid communication gaps. When you stay back at home and work throughout the day, usually the others in your family miss talking to you. This can easily create a gap between them and you. Thus, spend quality time with your family.
- Tip 6: Read good books or articles that are going to enrich your mind and reduce mental stress.
The list can simply go on and on without any end but the bottom line is that you should not let mental stress get the better of you. You need to work out your daily work schedules along with recess times. Avoid unnecessary hassles and stop overthinking as it causes great damages to your mental health. Instead of thinking ‘what should I do if my work is not complete’ or ‘what will I say to my boss’, focus on being dedicated. Pure dedication is never a waste and earns your good repute. That is more than enough to keep your mental stress at bay.
Talk to our leading psychologist in Kolkata if you are facing any work-related mental issues. Our psychologists at MindYog are full of sane and valuable advice that can be really life-changing for you. Contact us at your earliest and book your appointment today!
Mr. Ananat Sharma says, “I find working from home very stressful yet I try to follow what my counsellor at MindYog advises me to do when I experience burnout. I strongly recommend MindYog to every professional.”
