Wellbeing

Wellbeing

By Pacific Office Interiors

And just like that, a whole year has flown by since the pandemic began. Lockdown and self-quarantine became the norm, and work from home an essential. However, even as the monotony of the new life set into place, no two days were ever the same, and it became necessary to roll with the waves.

The work-life boundary all but disappeared and it became difficult to switch off. In fact, while research reported a higher rate of employee productivity, it also showed a higher rate of burnout owing to everyone being constantly available. In addition to the general burnout, Zoom Fatigue is real; it’s as if we are constant prisoners of the screen, and there is no escape!

Working from the office made it easier to ‘switch off’ from work, ending the day with a distinct transition from the busy workspace to the calm of home – it is now that we realize the importance of this daily commute. With remote working, however, we have all needed to find a delicate balance in our lives to remain productive and deliver results. 

Prioritizing our overall health and wellbeing during this disruptive year has been complex. While I don’t think anyone can confidently admit to having a balance figured out, we can all agree that it is imperative to focus on self-care.

While we no longer have a distinct office environment, setting up the right workspace at home is often a good start to create distinct spaces for work and ‘home’ life. Even so, the need to simply ‘unwind’ cannot be overstated. 

We surveyed our team to gauge how all of us have been tackling WFH. One of the recurring responses across the board when it came to hindrances in work and personal life was the lack of boundaries. Here is what they had to say when it came to battling the current predicament.

QUESTION 1:
How have you set boundaries between work/home life to make the best of WFH?

TEAM’S ANSWERS:

• Scheduling uninterrupted work time, if possible.
• Delineated workspace – and personal space. Creating a physical/visual barrier to keep the two distinct.   
• Switching off work applications at a set time
• Keeping a routine and not letting work creep into personal hours.
• Turning off email notifications between evening to morning hours to cut off the anxiety of overbearing emails.
• Creating a transition routine immediately before and after work hours to mentally cue the change. 

QUESTION 2:
What are some of the ways you minimize distractions during the work hours?

TEAM’S ANSWERS:

• Airplane mode on Phone during meetings, or when I want to hyper focus.
• Avoiding multitasking to buffer stress.
• If distractions are unavoidable, I take a quick break for better processing. 
• “Closed Door Policy” during working hours and meetings.
• Decluttering my working space so that my mind can stay focused on the tasks at hand.
• Music/Noise cancelling headphones help shut out distractions.
• Boosting Focus/Concentration with the help of aromatherapy + audio therapy.
• Closing emails for bursts of 30-60 minutes a day so that I can focus rather than be flustered by a flooded inbox.

 

QUESTION 3:
What do you do, or would like to take up as a part of your personal wellbeing routine?

TEAM’S ANSWERS:

• Meditation!
• Power Naps/20 minutes of shut eye during the day to help me reset.
• Take myself outdoors to get the daily dose of Vitamin D and some fresh air!
• Stretching/Workout/Yoga – restore the body with movement.
• Cooking
• Planting/Gardening
• Replenish/Rehydrate your body with good nutrition and ample water – Healing starts from within the body.
• Set timers on certain apps – or schedule downtime/screen-free time to avoid information-induced brain fog.
• Getting creative and spending time doing things I love.
• Sports helps me de-stress.
• Spa time!!! A bubble bath goes a long way especially when paired with some aromatherapy.
• Add a sit to stand desk to get more mobility throughout the day.
• Taking some “Me Time” during lunch breaks.
• Puppy/pet therapy!

Self-Care is not a waste of time. Self Care makes your use of time more sustainable”.  

We hope that this post gives you some ideas on how to maintain personal wellbeing at work amid constant distraction, and helps you move one step closer towards a more balanced life.

What are some of your suggestions? We would love to hear from you!