How to Stay Mentally Healthy While Working From Home with Kids
The last year has seen many of us spend more time working from home with our kids and family. While the extra family time is always welcomed, it can be somewhat mentally challenging when you have a schedule and a deadline pressing you.
So, we can’t help but wonder, how can you stay healthy, focused, and thriving when you’re stuck working from home and taking care of your kids?
It turns out we have a lot to share on the topic. That’s why we decided to share our experience on the topic.
From making sure you aren’t overworking yourself to sharing some tips and tricks to keep yourself healthy and thriving even during mentally challenging times like these.
So, without any further ado, let’s get this thing started!
CREATE AN INSPIRING HOME OFFICE ENVIRONMENT
If you’re going to spend hours locked away in the home office, it’s only fair that you are able to enjoy the setting. A comfortable and ergonomic chair should be top of the agenda!
Of course, a lighter color scheme and the absence of clutter will serve you well. Adding a little personality can inspire you too. Through a combination of family photos and Cesar Chavez quotes to remind you why you’re on this journey will keep you in a good mindset.
It’s not just about aiding your comfort while working. It also builds a clear boundary to separate your work and home life. Trust me, this is essential.
Just because you’re stuck working at home, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care of yourself.
More often than not, while we’re working from home, we tend to care less for ourselves.
And this is precisely the worst thing you can do for yourself if you’re spending all day long at home.
So, to choose the first thing on the list, we’re putting self-care on the top of the list.
Make yourself a luxurious bubble bath, take a bit of ‘me’ time, and overall make sure you’re cutting yourself a bit of slack.
When you’re spending so much time working and living at home, you have to take it easier.
Make sure you spend time outside during the day to get enough vitamin D.
And while we’re on the topic of not putting too much pressure on ourselves, we have to talk about going outside.
See, just because your office is in your living room it doesn’t mean you have to spend your whole day indoors.
In fact, make it a habit to block some time in your calendar every day. Dress up and go outside with your kid for an hour or so.
While you can’t afford to spend a lot of time away from the keyboard, you can still afford to go outside, even if it’s for half an hour.
In order to stay focused and motivated, it’s important to go outside while the sun is up.
Set proper working time and stick to it, no matter how hard it may seem.
Continuing on the topic, we just have to mention the importance of keeping appropriate working hours.
This means you don’t want to work after your workday is finished. While this sounds easy at first, trust us when we tell you—it’s not.
Spend a week or two working from home, and you’ll find yourself checking emails during dinner or “just catching up” after putting the kids to bed.
But to be truthful, you have to ‘catch’ yourself when you start working outside of working hours. This may mean turning off your phone after 5 PM or putting your laptop away once you’re done.
Routines are one of the best ways to make sure your mental health is on point.
The secret of staying productive while you’re working from home is to build and keep up with routines.
For example, you want to make sure you’re sticking with your morning routine. Don’t just jump out of bed and start working. Prepare a delicious breakfast for you and your family, and enjoy some family time together.
Sticking to your routines is one of the best ways to separate work from personal life, especially when your office and your home are the same place.
If you have a hard time sticking to your routines, a great way is to make a to-do list and aim to tick the not-work related tasks. That way, you’ll feel both productive, and you will stick to your daily routine.
Focus on doing the most important stuff of the day first.
And, finally, when you’re working from the comfort of your own home, there’s one huge secret that will make or break your day. Most importantly, you will have to do the most important thing of the day first.
Why first? Well, it’s pretty simple.
Dealing with the hardest, most important task of the day first means that you will have the rest of the day at your own pace.
If something unexpected happens, you can tackle it without stressing about your other important tasks (because you’ll be done with the first thing in the morning).
Final words.
To be honest, working from home can become very stressful if done improperly. The lack of communication with colleagues, sharing ideas, or even watercooler talk, means that burnout can quickly set in, and making money from your couch can become tiresome.
