7 ways to use mindfulness when working from home

In the days before Covid, most of us were commuting to our jobs and spending seven to eight hours a day with our colleagues, working in a building we saw more of than our own homes.

Then, the pandemic started and things changed and over the last two year's, we had the pleasure of spending more time at home with our loved ones and commuting became something of the past. As wonderful as this seemed, and the fact that a lot of time was given back to us because we didn't have to travel to and from work anymore, it could feel isolated. Some of us found ourselves doing more work. Exercising was limited because we got so involved with our workloads. Some of us struggled with loneliness and depression. We were probably more productive than we had ever been, but we managed to lose ourselves and neglect our wellbeing in the process.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness can help individuals in many ways and it's all about trying to be present in the moment. Try to take in what's occurring around you and what your thoughts, feelings and emotions are experiencing. It's also important to try and accept and allow things as they are. For some people with anxiety issues, it can be a daily fight with your mind and body, but mindfulness can help manage difficult situations and appreciate the good moments.

1. Decluttered desk, decluttered mind

It's easy to get bogged down with work and neglect to keep your surrounding environment tidy. Try and give your work area as much workspace as possible to help you focus and concentrate. Having everything in place keeps your mind intact and prevents worrying about trying to find a misplaced charger or car keys, etc.

Try and get away from your desk and computer and turn your phone off. Take a walk to the park or anywhere where there is nature and embrace it. You'd be amazed how calming this can be on your mental well being and distracts you from the busy world of technology and business.

2. Recharge your batteries

Find time, to take time out.

You'd be surprised how ten to fifteen minutes of shut-eye in the afternoon can recharge energy. Listening to music that makes you feel good or even an audiobook can distract you from any underlying worries that might have been playing on your mind. Try yoga or listen to some gentle sounding music or sounds of nature through a headset.

3. Get those body parts moving

As much as exercise can be difficult to endure, especially if you are someone who simply doesn't like it, the benefits outweigh the neglect to even attempt it. Its been proven that anything from a walk to a gentle bike ride can do wonders for your happiness and relieves stress from work. Try to do some form of exercise daily and set a routine to aim to reach goals. A lot of people use their lunch hour for running or perhaps your someone who is an early riser who likes to bike ride before work. Exercise makes you alert and refreshed before you start your working day.

4. Breathe

Breathing slowly is a great way to restore calmness to your mind and body. There are smartwatches and plenty of free apps for your phone that you can use to help and remind you to take deep breaths during the day.

5. Talk to people

Phone a friend or a family member. Let them know how you are feeling. Meet up and have a chat at a cafe or take a stroll in the park. If you can talk about your problems, sometimes others can see them from a different perspective and advise what you need to do to get them resolved. Even airing your thoughts to someone can make you feel all the better.

6. Schedule daily routines

Preparing daily routines gets good habits reinforced. If you can plan when you intend to exercise or learn something new in a daily or weekly schedule you are more likely to stick to it. You can also recap and see any trends where you have excelled or fallen behind and look to improve by keeping notes.

7. Don't keep the PJ's on all-day

It's easy to leave your bed in the morning and head straight to your desk or sofa and turn your laptop on. lying in bed wondering about those last emails you sent out the day before, or the messages you sent to your colleagues in your messaging tool, start to play on your mind. Before you know it, it's lunchtime then dinner time and you are still in your pyjamas. Try to dress in something different or even in work gear you would normally wear to the office. Undressing from your work clothes at the end of the day is a way of turning off from work.