3 Powerful Mental Tips For Remote Workers
Going full remote is the greatest. But with greater freedom over your life, it is important to pay attention to things that you had never thought about before.
Haters love to bash.
They’ll bash remote work in every way possible. They’ll bring in all sorts of arguments ranging from:
“Remote ruins teamwork.”
“Remote jobs were only a pandemic thing.”
“Company culture needs to be face-to-face.”
And the damn list goes on. The haters are that free.
Of all the arguments, I’d have to agree with only one.
The potential effects on your mental health.
Now, don’t start thinking, “oh my god, the haters were right.”
No.
But it’s important to be wary that working remotely does limit your physical interaction with people.
This limitation may have different effects on different people. Some may feel excluded from society. Some may get obsessed within their own world and forget that a physical world outside exists for them.
Regardless, it’s essential to understand this:
Working full remote is a blessing. But with greater power comes a greater responsibility over yourself.
Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good
Working from home is not an excuse that you can be in your pajamas. Of course, you can, and no one can stop you.
But how you dress does affect the way you feel about yourself.
Ever seen the way you walk when you wear formal attire? Somehow, you suddenly feel important. You feel you have things to do, shit to solve, and no time for nonsense. That’s exactly what I mean by how you dress affects how you feel.
Now, of course, you don’t have to suit up like the Peaky Blinders.
But you need to have appropriate WFH attire that is different from your home clothing.
How that looks is entirely up to you. Heck, it could be:
Bermudas and a polo t-shirt
Work slip-on shoes that you put on when you enter your workspace
Slipping on an office watch as you begin work from your workspace
You want your work zone to be a hyper-productive place where you can focus and feel like you’re changing the world as you type away.
Basically, you wouldn’t want the comfort of your home seeping into your work zone. It may not seem important at first, but over the months - trust me, it will affect your productivity, mood, and eventually your performance.
Get Out
Literally. Get out of your house. It doesn’t have to be during work.
But during your breaks or after work, make it a point to get out of your house and immerse yourself into the world outside again.
When you’re not obligated to leave your house, many people don’t. And in doing so, they become reclusive. The outside world suddenly seems unappealing and social interactions seem redundant to them.
When this happens, people become too attached to the comfort zones of their houses. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month.
And when they do finally step out? They tend to have difficulties integrating in again.
It’s critical that you make the time to step out into your physical environment at least once in 2 days.
You don’t have to talk to people and go looking for conversations.
Go for a walk. Feel the fresh air and watch nature.
Go to a cafe. Bring a book or your kindle and enjoy being in public.
Make it a point to hit the gym weekly.
Join a community club that does activities you like on the weekends
The options are endless. You do what suits you.
But, get out.
Watch Your Diet
It’s easy to get into the “I’m going to eat whatever I want, whenever I want.”
It’s also easy to call your friend Jack once in a while to accompany you while you’re working.
But don’t fall into that trap. Remember, what you put in your body is the fuel that will sustain you while working.
You’ve probably worked years at a physical job and were forced to eat what your environment offered you - from fast food to junk food to the beers you may have never really wanted.
Use the opportunity you have while working from home to start eating better. Note that I did not say healthier. That’s entirely up to you.
Try cooking your own meals. Try preparing your own food. Utilize your creativity and make something fun for yourself for breakfast or lunch each day. Avoid alcohol during work hours.
The habits you build up daily will affect your physical body. And the bad habits will compound over the days, weeks, and months to make you feel even worse mentally, physically, and ultimately, emotionally.
Take care of your body, mind, and habits, and they’ll take care of you.
What other remote tips have you come across that you would recommend? I’d love to hear them.
Let me know in the comments below!
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