Claire Renfrew: Working From Home
The reality for most is that we’re spending a lot more time at home than usual. Some have found the transition to be smooth sailing whereas others are experiencing rougher seas. Whether you’re working from home or not, routine can help build mental resilience regardless of the circumstances you face. Music Psychologist, Claire Renfrew, shares how we can all bring connection, structure, music and joy into our day. These are some of the ways we can support our spirit, along with our mental and physical health.
Many of you may be working from home during this difficult time. Although our daily way of living has currently changed, we can view this as an opportunity to visit the activities that we may not usually have time for. If you are working on your current job, new projects or just generally spending time on the computer here are a few tips to stay mentally healthy when working from home:
Stay connected – check-in with your community
Social inclusiveness is an essential part of every individual’s life. Try to encourage your colleagues to join you in facetime and phone meetings and to send fewer emails. If you haven’t done so already, create a Whatsapp group with your team to share daily updates about how your day is going. If you are a solo worker then ensure that you encourage friends and family to have online catch ups.
Work to a daily schedule to ensure that you maintain a healthy routine
Write a realistic daily schedule detailing all the tasks that you can reasonably complete to try to maintain a healthy routine. A feeling of normality enables individuals to commit to the task at hand which therefore decreases anxiety. Wake up, lunch and go to bed at the same time every day. Additionally, it is important to have a division between your work space and your home life. If you can, have a separate work space away from the TV and other distractions.
Keep moving
General movement does wonders for our mood, stress levels and quality of sleep. Working from home can often create more flexible working hours, meaning that you can fit in a daily exercise routine more easily than before. Make sure that you leave your desk for ten minutes every hour to keep your body moving and to give your eyes a break.
Music as a motivator
Music is a wonderful tool for emotional regulation. It can motivate, enhance positivity and promote mindfulness. Listening to your favourite tunes or discovering new tracks can be an excellent way to keep your brain active and increase mental stimulation. Even try creating your own playlist and sharing it with your friends or colleagues.
Be kind to yourself
Protect ‘you’ time and be proactive with your own self-care. This is a difficult and unprecedented time and everyone has been affected in some way. If you feel stressed and anxious, this is normal and you are not alone. It is important to recognise these feelings and to try to manage and minimise them if you can. One way is the decrease the amount of news and social media feeds you are consuming. Focus on your work and creative projects but don’t forget to spend time on other tasks that you enjoy such as; cooking, painting, reading, writing or meditation.
Motivating work from home playlist:
Tom Misch & Yussef Dayes - What Kinda Music