Before the pandemic, I used to take a three-hour commute into the city. Not every day, luckily (I couldn't stomach six hours of travelling, five days a week, frankly), but regularly enough that I would come to really value the time I didn't spend commuting. I would spend it meditating, listening to a podcast, doing some e-learning, or just plain old sleeping in.
Now, I haven't commuted for a couple of years, and I couldn't say that I'd be happy to go back to it. My self care routine has become a permanent fixture of my mornings. It's this routine that has kept me from experiencing the high levels of stress that I once used to experience, back before I valued career success over my mental health.
However, while some of us have been able to slip into the work-from-home routine fairly easily, I've noticed that some of my friends and colleagues have taken the opposite route, using their extra time in the mornings and evenings to work longer hours. While this may help you achieve more in your working day, it may not be such a great routine for your mental wellbeing.
Now, I know that everyone has their own priorities, but if you feel that your mental health has taken a dip, I would recommend making active decisions to better your wellbeing, even if that means having a frank conversation with your employer about your workload.
If you're able to get back your mornings and evenings, here are a few ideas of self care activities that you could implement into your routine:
1. Invest in a skincare regime
If there’s one habit many of us picked up during multiple lockdowns, it was a proper skincare routine. With nowhere to go and fewer opportunities to show off our favourite makeup, we turned to looking after our skin and embracing our natural beauty instead.
A lot of us found the soothing ritual of applying serums, toners, and moisturisers to our face to be relaxing, and there have been many accounts of people seeing improved mental health as a result. The rhythmic routine of applying products offers us a moment to be mindful, and prioritising ourselves in these moments can boost our wellbeing.
If you’re one of the many people forgoing makeup when you work from home, spend the time that you’d usually use on commuting on looking after your skin. Your face, and your mind, will thank you.
2. Practise meditation
Working from home can be just as hectic as a day in the office. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of work life as you’re bombarded with Teams messages and phone calls. This can leave you feeling quite stressed and burnt out, especially if you’ve rolled straight out of your bed to your desk.
Taking time in your morning to practise meditation and mindfulness can put you in a mindset that is ready for a busy day of remote work. Those moments of calm mean you won’t be stressed from the moment you log on. It sets the tone for the rest of your day and can help you deal with the challenges that may come your way.
We all know by now that meditation doesn’t just mean sitting cross-legged and chanting ‘Om’. It means taking a quiet moment to be present in the now. You can practise basic meditation, which is to focus on your body and your surroundings instead of the thoughts racing through your mind. Breathwork and repeating positive mantras to yourself have also been proven to improve your mental health.
Meditating after you log off work, in the time you’d usually spend travelling home, can also help you release all the stress that may have built up during the day.
3. Write in a journal
Another practice that allows you to be mindful is journaling. The act of writing down your thoughts, emotions, and significant events from the day can reduce stress and anxiety, as well as help you to work through complex emotions.
There are many methods of journaling that could benefit you. If you enjoyed keeping a diary or journal when you were younger, simply writing about your day and how you’re feeling can be helpful – and there’s a sweet tinge of nostalgia mixed in there too.
Writing freely is a good way to get all of your thoughts on paper, then you can begin to dig into them and understand what you’re feeling, why you’re feeling it, and how you can address it. Gratitude journaling, where you make note of the things in your life you’re thankful for, can also give you a more positive outlook on life and increase your happiness.
Journaling can be done both before and after work once you’re comfy in your pyjama set – and it can even help you switch out of work mode and into life mode by getting any frustrations off your mind.
While some people in certain circumstances have understandably rejected the move to work-from-home, for others, there’s no going back. I certainly wouldn't want to take up a three-hour commute once again. But, whether you’re a full-time remote worker or you have a few precious days a week to work from home, spending the time you used to use for your commute on self-care activities can improve your stress levels, reduce anxiety, and even boost your happiness. What more could you want?
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