Mental Health In Times of Work From Home
What is being called “the new normal” has been quite unnerving for the best of us. While lockdown and ‘work from home’ can improve the physical health of working professionals, these practices are exposing them to mental problems like anxiety, stress and depression. According to Indian counselling firms, the month of April saw a 35% to 40% rise in cases of stress and panic attack as compared to the previous months. For employees, all social interactions have gone virtual, and the ‘real’ intimacy has been lost — be it jokes in coffee breaks or a congratulatory handshake by the boss.
The psychological cost of self-control
Add to it the significant amount of self-control that is required while working from home. The mind has to work extra hard to focus on work and not get tempted to switch on the TV, lie down on the couch or go scavenging the fridge. As per research in occupational health psychology, frequent acts of self-control are associated with psychological costs, which can manifest in impairment of mental health and well-being. It has been proven that engaging in self-control at work can consume your mental energy, just like engaging in physical activity consumes your muscular energy.
Acceptance is the key
The stress to deliver work coupled with the incessant attempts to focus and exercise self-control can leave you mentally exhausted at the end of the day. But these ailments are hard to detect. Notice the behavioural changes like anger, fear, anxiety or frustration and acknowledge them instead of ignoring them. Having such feelings are indicative of your body’s in-built protective mechanism being triggered. It is absolutely normal to have such emotional reactions and accepting these feelings, instead of suppressing them, can significantly improve your mental health.
Accept that anxiety and stress can get to you, no matter how cheerful or positive you are, or how successful you are. Depression doesn’t discriminate. As NBA star Kevin Love explains, “success is not immune to depression or mental illness, no matter how much you’ve accomplished in your life”.
You need to consciously be attentive if your body is giving you signs of mental illness. Here are some symptoms that can tell you if you are nearing anxiety, stress or depression:
◘ Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
◘ Building negative scenarios constantly
◘ Disinterest in things you normally enjoy doing
◘ Changing behaviour due to an inherent fear
◘ Ignoring family and friends
◘ Obsessing over getting sick
With the help of an online psychological assessment tool, you can identify these symptoms at an early stage and take preventive measures.
Mindful breathing: Staying in the present moment
COVID-19 is perhaps the biggest challenge we will ever face as a generation. These are unprecedented times and the best way to deal with the uncertainty is practising to stay in the present moment.
The essence of mindful breathing is learning to stay in the moment. It is the simplest form of meditation and very effective in dealing with anxiety and stress. Just focus on your breath. Paying attention is the first step — focus on the inhalations and exhalations, the pace and rhythm of your breath, your thoughts and the sensations or the feelings arising in your body. Accepting these sensations and feelings is the second step. Let the thoughts pass, don’t resist or fight them. Notice them, let them go and come back to the rhythm of your breath. Mindfulness breathing calms you down and helps you focus on the present moment. It teaches you awareness and acceptance, and reduces the occurrence of repetitive thought patterns which are detrimental for your mental health.
Exercising your way to the parasympathetic nervous system
Physical exercise helps increase the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system (the-rest-and-digest-system), thereby reducing the sympathetic activation (the fight or flight response).
Research suggests that aerobic exercises such as jogging, running, swimming, cycling, and dancing can reduce anxiety and depression. Exercising strengthens not just your body but also your mind. Pushing your body generates neurological feedback similar to what comes with anxiety. Physical exercise subconsciously trains you to handle this feedback and not get overpowered by it in a mentally stressful scenario.
Exercise also makes you happier as it increases levels of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and serotonin, which act like antidepressants. Enhanced physical activity releases proteins that improve brain function and help you feel better. Working out between 30 to 60 minutes, 3 to 5 times a week, is recommended. A 45-minute session, three to five times a week has proved to be the optimum mental health benefiter.
Working from home doesn’t bind you to follow the clock but not having a routine can make you lethargic and depressed. It doesn’t have to be strict or with just one lunch break. Take multiple, planned breaks, and finish work at the designated time. Also, use intelligent methods to limit your media consumption. Scrolling through social media and watching the news for long will burden your head with too much unnecessary information. It’s best to check your phone at the end of the day.
Strive to build an ecosystem that completely supports your emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. No matter at what age you are focusing on brain health is the best boost for concentration, focus, memory, and mental agility. Implementing these practices will be quite rewarding.
You can assess your mental health status and track changes in symptom presentation on an ongoing basis by using an online self-rated evaluation. If you feel that working from home for weeks is taking a toll on your mental health, you can seek continued counselling support online for any mental health issue with the TickTalkTo mobile app.
