Finding support for our daily rhythms to beat working from home blues
The COVID-19 pandemic has wrought rapid changes in our lives. Our social rhythms, routines and work habits have seen significant change and many of us are experiencing feelings of uncertainty, worry, anxiety, and a sense of languishing.
There are also feelings of isolation, loneliness and despair some may have due to extended periods of working from home, and online school. However, as we are collectively experiencing stress, there are also strategies we can use to help us cope during this time.
It is important to note that we all have resources internally, that we can draw on. While there are different strategies out there, finding what resonates with you and doing what works for you becomes vital.
Some may have feelings of isolation, loneliness and despair due to extended periods of working from home and online school
An essential coping strategy is to find support for our daily rhythms. Engaging with ritual and routine during the day contributes to positive mental health. Create a regular bed time and a wake time to begin with, and schedule regular breaks when working, have 30 minutes for physical activity, and set apart time to connect with people you care about.
A routine does not have to be extremely rigid or strict, but having a basic structure to one’s day can be beneficial. Rituals like changing from ‘home clothes’ to ‘work clothes’ can create motivation to work. When possible, having a designated, organized space to work can be helpful. Focusing on basic self-care like staying adequately hydrated, getting regular sunlight and fresh air, and receiving adequate nutrition while limiting stimulants like caffiene and energy drinks are ideas that can help us during this time as well.
Another useful strategy is to find support for our bodies. Using gentle cues of safety can help: Bringing ourselves back to the moment by reminding ourselves of the date, time, where we are, what we are feeling in our bodies while we work from home or attend daily ‘Zoom’ calls are ways to help us feel anchored when it is natural to drift.
Here are some ideas that can help with grounding ourselves in the moment.
5-4-3-2-1- Grounding Exercise
5- notice five things you see in front of you
4- notice four things you can touch
3- notice three things you can hear
2- notice two things you can smell
1-notice one thing you can taste
Deep breathing
The 4-7-8 breath – Inhale through your nose for four counts, hold your breath for seven counts and exhale through your mouth for eight counts and repeat.
The 4-4-4-4 breath- Inhale through your nose for four counts, hold your breath for four counts, exhale through your mouth for four counts, and hold your breath for four counts again.
nCold showers or running hands under cold water can also help calm our nervous system.
nSmartphone applications like ‘Insight Timer’, ‘Headspace’, ‘Calm’ etc offer
guided meditation and relaxation exercises.
Finding support for our relationships is another key strategy. Human beings as relational creatures rely on verbal and non-verbal cues and signals to feel safe. Ways we can begin to take in cues of safety and connection are making eye contact whenever we can (virtually and in real time), smiling with our eyes, and becoming aware of open, relaxed and calm body postures. Avoid multi-tasking on Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, to allow space to notice and take in other people on the call. Connecting with neighbours is also important.
Aspire to be more like Teflon and less like Velcro: Being aware that our minds naturally gravitate towards negative information, and that thoughts that are negative or unhelpful tend to be more ‘sticky’ than neutral or positive thoughts is another way to manage our well-being. Understanding that it is not always a situation or an event that makes us feel distressed but our interpretation of the situation is important. For example, information shared on the news about the increasing number of people being treated for COVID-19 can make us feel anxious and fearful in our own homes. Another way to look at it may be to tell ourselves that ‘it is concerning to hear that … people are being treated for COVID-19 right now, but that doesn’t mean I am in any immediate danger’. Training ourselves to catch our thoughts, and reflect on whether they are useful and helpful is a skill we can practise during this time.
Working from home, being alone for extended periods of time, or being in the same space as other family members all of the time too can be stressful. It is extremely important to remind ourselves that our feelings during this time are valid, whatever they may be.
While self-care and self-help strategies are definitely useful and viable, there are also times we require additional support. Seeking help from a mental health professional or through a helpline are also resources that one can use.
(The writer is a Counselling Psychologist, mental health advocate and trainer)
Helplines
w1333- Crisis Support Service (24 hrs)
0112696666/0112692909 – Sumithrayo (9a.m.-8p.m.)
w1926- National mental health line (24 hrs)