How to stay sane while working from home: add structure to your day, take regular breaks outside, and play music to relax
- Unhealthy lifestyle habits can arise when working from home, and your physical and mental health may suffer if you do not make significant changes
- It can also make us more adaptable and resourceful. See positives in being out of the office and take steps to make sure you are not left feeling isolated
Yeeli Lee’s work life changed abruptly when the Covid-19 pandemic began early last year. The founder of BHuman, a beauty tech start-up based in Singapore, went from having face-to-face meetings with clients and business partners, to conducting meetings online and live-streaming activities and events.
“Like most people, I miss working closely with my team,” says Lee, whose skincare products are designed to combat climate change. “Before the pandemic my colleagues and I would take walks after lunch and have casual chats throughout the day, sharing creative ideas. Then, that all came to a stop. It was hard getting used to.
“For months after being confined to my home, I found myself checking emails and text messages all day and night – sometimes even when I was still in bed in my pyjamas. I felt anxious and had trouble sleeping, too.
“The boundaries between my work and personal life became blurred. As an entrepreneur, I also have to work on weekends, so you can imagine how tough the last several months have been. ”
Lee isn’t alone when it comes to dealing with the challenges of working from home. Almost a year after the pandemic was declared, many of us are still struggling with having to conduct meetings and the like from small, cramped spaces and managing distractions at home. We cannot interact with our colleagues the way we used to and are more reliant than ever on our gadgets and technology.