Mental Health Working Remotely: Managing Emotions

Mental Health Working Remotely and Managing Emotions: Surely Our Responsibility! OR…

The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on our mental health: working remotely effects people differently and could be far reaching for us and for future generations.

According to a global study from Oracle during 2020 it was apparently the most stressful year ever, and 78% of workers said it’s effected their mental health. Not a surprise there then…

Conversational robot therapy

Over the past few years robot PTSD therapists have been getting great results working with veterans from Iraq and other wars. People would rather tell a robot how they were feeling as opposed to a human.

It’s now official! We would rather talk to a robot as opposed to a human.

“According to the study 82% of people believe robots can support their mental health better than humans.“

Oracle 2020

you Take Responsibility for your own mental health

Mental health working remotely; is something that we need to take responsibility for. No matter whether you work for a corporation or for yourself. My belief is that we ALL need to take responsibility for how we manage our mental health.

For the majority, it is our responsibility and not a responsibility of the corporations we work for or our friends and families.

A lovely friend of mine who happens to work at Oracle alerted me to the single most important practice in Stoic philosophy: – Differentiating between what we can change and what we can’t. What we have influence over and what we do not.

“The chief task in life is simply this: to identify and separate matters so that I can say clearly to myself which are externals not under my control, and which have to do with the choices I actually control. Where then do I look for good and evil? Not to uncontrollable externals, but within myself to the choices that are my own…”

— Epictetus, Discourses, 2.5.4–5

Positives and negatives of working from home

Like any situation, we can look at it from a glass half full or half empty perspective, and anyone that knows me will know I am a glass half full kind of person.

Also Checkout This Blog: Working From Home My Top Tips

The Negatives of working from home

• People may not trust you to work from home
• Danger of working too hard if you don’t have hobbies
• Distracted by things you like to do
• Family and friends just drop by unannounced
• Miss out on water cooler chat
• Messy, can take up space
• Bad posture if not setup correctly
• Educate your family you are working

The Positives of working from home

• Work wherever you want
• No time wasted in traffic
• Save money on travel
• Save money on lunch
• You don’t have to shave every day
• Compensation for relevant bills
• More time with friends and family
• More productive if you stay focused
• Work to your schedule
• Better for the environment
• Less distractions ordinarily
• Time to exercise and meditate

Virtual Work Setup, Tips

Making sure your working environment rocks, is one of the most important things you can do for your happiness and mental health working remotely.

No matter how messy your desk is in the daytime you clean it up when finishing for the day, I learned this when I worked for my Father’s wine company, we had a beautiful office overlooking the countryside. It felt so much better going to work in the morning and starting with a clean desk every day.

• Treat your study or workspace like a real office.
• Noise cancelling earphones if it is a noisy environment
• Explain to people you are working and not to bother you
• Zoom: mute button, good camera, and microphone
• Workstation setup, comfortable chair, or exercise ball
• Bright view if possible, looking outside
• Clean your desk before going home

Daily routine for mental health working remotely

I used to get up every morning at 5 am and train for 2 hours. Every day!

Now with the increased level of stress, I find myself struggling to get up that early as I need more sleep to recover from the increased work that I find myself doing and the stress.

Here are a few other ideas

Great ideas below for mental health working remotely from Sahar Hashemi OBE, co-founder of the coffee chain Coffee Republic and confectionery brand Skinny Candy. Since selling both businesses she has authored two books ‘Anyone Can Do It’ and ‘Switched On: You Have It In You.’

Listen to Sahar, Nadya Rousseau and I discuss.

Sahar pretends to leave and go for work when she goes for a dog walk and a routine of cold showers works for her morning routine.

“Work fills available time.”

Professor Jerome P Schooler (My Father)

Depending on how urgent your work is and the projects you are working on of course dictates to you how much work fills your available, (valuable) time.

My tips to be productive, take control and free up your mind

Before you start, remember to be kind to yourself, if for instance one day you don’t manage to achieve what you set out to do, don’t beat yourself up about it. Remember tomorrow is another day!

• Manage social media with a daily limit (setup on your phone)
• Switch off your notifications for specific channels
• Don’t check anything on the internet until 10am
• Be consistent with your working hours
• Start work at the same time every day
• Breaks every 52 minutes for 17 minutes
• Exercise and meditate regularly
• Eat regularly and drink water regularly
• Speak to friends and family on the phone
• Sleep enough, take a break at the weekend

Improve your work life balance

Michael Tobin OBE – Live. Love. Work. Prosper: A fresh approach to integrating life and work.

Work life balance doesn’t exist. And it is actually work, life integration!

Mike Tobin OBE

Mike talks about the issue of working from home and people hiding from their spouses in the toilet doing their work on their mobile phones.

When the best thing to do is to get the work done and be honest with your partner.

Listen to Michael Tobin OBE and I discuss work life balance

Every Day. Work towards your big goal do not be distracted

When you have important things to do you need to get them done, no excuses. If what you are doing isn’t going to help you towards your ‘big goal,’ then don’t do it.

The stress of not doing these tasks is there to drive you to get them done. Focus on your mental health working remotely and being happy!

Brian Moran suggested setting up these folders for your email: – Urgent, Important, Every Day, Not Important.

If you are stressed take the time to breathe and relax and if you haven’t finished a project, then focus and get it done.

If speaking with friends or colleagues doesn’t help you, then take the time to speak with a professional.

Zoom calls best practices

Whether you are in a zoom call, Google meet or something else, if you are like me you probably feel disconnected, communicating through a filter, internet failings and reduced interactions. So try to make the best of the situation.

My online meeting tips for your mental health, despite working remotely you can be happy!

• Follow correct procedure
• Get on the call early
• Make sure your mic and camera work
• At the beginning of calls ask them if they are ok
• Don’t arrange back to back calls
• Allow time to walk and getup and stretch
• Set reminders to get up and stretch or have a walk
  

Managing your workload and your hobbies

• If you don’t enjoy doing something, delegate it
• Make time each day to connect with people
• Use the tools your company has provided
• Attend the virtual trainings your company has arranged
• Get fresh air, take the time to enjoy it
• Make plans, think of the pleasures you enjoy in life
• Expand your knowledge in other areas.
• Learn about your interests.

Virtual working with other people

• Make sure you ask plenty of clarifying questions
• If you don’t know how to do something or understand ask
• Report in so your co-workers know what you are doing
• Give feedback as to their work
• Ask for feedback as to your work and your people skills
  

My recommendations from my own experience

If you are really struggling with your happiness still and you have tried to get your routine right, cut down on alcohol and followed all the tips and tricks above, then speaking to someone may really help.

Seek out professional help

If you are still struggling with your mental health working remotely to such a degree you can’t control it, even after you have tried everything then reach out to a professional.

And if you need a quick 3 minute laugh watch this funny story with Travis Wright.

Thanks for reading, if you have any suggestions or tips on mental health working remotely, please feel free to share them below.