How I boost my mental health while working at home
Image via Unsplash
I’ve been working as a full time Graphic Designer since graduation, and I’ve been blessed enough that this job is fully at home! It’s such a nice feeling to not have to commute to and from an office every day, and I have all I need to cozily work in my own space – even though working at home is really nice, there are always days when a mental pick-me-up is needed. Sometimes it’s just been a mentally exhausting week and you need to find some peace. Regardless, it’s so important to prioritize mental health, and there are several things I’ve began taking advantage of at home in order to maintain a healthy mind for both my work day and in general.
Throughout the past few months, I’ve been trying to keep up with a routine of simple habits. Don’t feel bad if you can’t stick to a routine every day, but having some ideas in your mind will give you something to lean on. It doesn’t have to be super detailed – if it is, then you might find it a bit overwhelming to stick to (just do what you know works best for yourself)! I have a list of habits I try to follow, and though I might not get to them all each day, I at least try to stick to a few.
1. Before I get up
It’s so simple, but I just like to lay quietly in bed for a few minutes before getting up. I enjoy taking in the moment of stillness and tranquility before I have to begin working. I listen to the sounds outside and notice the sun shining through my curtains. Just being still and observant for a moment brings me peace of mind.
2. (edit) Taking early walks
It’s now May as I am dropping in this edit here, and I can honestly say taking a walk first thing in the morning when I wake up has been a game-changer for me. I wish I’d started practicing this sooner. I used to set my alarm later, but now I’ve been waking around 7am and begin my day taking a walk while it’s still slightly cooler outside. This puts me in such a great mood for the day, I feel happy and motivated. (Also great to get your Vitamin-D in the morning from the sun - no need to wear the SPF before around 10am since the UV’s aren’t strong yet). I feel so energized and motivated every time I choose to take a walk in the morning, it feels so good. I am someone who needs my peace and quiet in the early hours of the day, so this is my time to be with myself.
3. Diffusing essential oil
I recently received an essential oil diffuser for Christmas. I love diffusing certain scents for different purposes, moods, and times of day. Lemongrass is my personal favorite for when I either need some energy or I’m already feeling very productive/refreshed and just want to maintain that mindset. It just keeps me in a good mood :) . When I know it’s going to be a busy day and I just need something relaxing, I love blending the coffee and the vanilla essential oils (YES! Apparently there are coffee and vanilla essential oils!) They smell absolutely AMAZING, and that coffee smell just puts me right at ease in the morning. And in the evening, I love diffusing the Palmarosa, Lavender, and a blend called “Aromance”.
If you want to check out essential oils or some specific ones I mentioned, I highly recommend edensgarden.com – they are 100% natural and provide so much information on each oil (where they come from, what to blend them with, etc), and they have loads to choose from (this is not sponsored, I just really love their website haha).
Here’s some quick links to a few of my favorites so far! . . .
Coffee | Vanilla | Palmarosa | Lemongrass | Aromance | Purify | Cassia (smells like a cinnamon crunch bagel!)
4. Gua sha
This was such a nice purchase! If you haven’t heard of a gua sha, it’s an ergonomic stone that is used as a facial massage tool. Usually once in the morning, I pull up a guided video on YouTube (TheMoments is my favorite channel for this– discovering her really got me into facial massage and all it’s benefits!). It’s so calming and really is a moment to relax. And at the same time, it provides so many benefits — draining toxins through the lymphatic system, reducing dark circles and fine lines, promoting clear skin and blood circulation, etc. It’s such an interesting and wonderful practice, and it really uplifts my mental (and physical!) health in this moment of self care each day. (Btw, if you don’t want to buy a gua sha, no worries – you can still practice facial massages simply with your hands)
Here’s both links to my gua sha & oil, plus the videos if you are interested! . . .
Gua sha tutorial | Basic facial massage tutorial (no Gua sha)
5. Water or tea at the ready!
After I do my gua sha routine, it’s especially important to hydrate afterwards to aid in flushing away the toxins, but it’s obviously just as important in general — so I make sure there is a cup of water and/or hot tea on my desk before I begin working. Maybe this is too basic to count as self care, but I do find that going into my kitchen and starting the teapot while it’s peaceful in the morning to be very meditative. I find a lot of serenity in quiet little moments like these :)
6. Leaving during the day
Whether I’m having a rough day, or I have just been sitting at my desk for a while and need a break, getting up and leaving my house for at least 15 minutes can be so refreshing. I can fully separate myself from my work, and I can’t be tempted to walk back to my desk. Sometimes I take a walk or sit outside, and other times I will take a drive. We have a coffee shop near my house that has this sparkling natural energy drink that I obsess over a little too much, so every week or so, I’ll take a drive and treat myself to that or a coffee of some sort. Aside from grabbing a coffee, I find taking a drive and playing nice music to be so meditative as well, even if it’s just a drive to pick up a couple things from the store. Especially when it’s sunny or I can put my windows down. Leaving my house to do these kind of things is such a sweet little pleasure.
7. Yoga or light stretching
I personally struggle with keeping up with exercise these days. It’s something that I want to work on this year. I used to be really good about it until after I graduated college. Once I started working full time and fell out of my habit, it has been a challenge for me to pick it back up. I do tougher exercises when I can, but the least I can do for myself is practice some stretches or follow a yoga video, since I spend every day seated at a desk. A few months ago I discovered a new YouTube channel called Yoga with Uliana. It’s more on my level and doesn’t involve many complicated poses. A lot of her videos don’t even require a yoga mat and are stretches that you can do while standing (so highly convenient if you just need to take a quick break or don’t want to pull out your yoga mat).
Links to some of Uliana’s videos . . .
5 Minute Yoga at Your Desk | Full Body Standing Yoga | Yoga for Better Posture | Joint Mobility Yoga | Seated Yoga
In the meantime, there are other habits I’d like to improve at such as reading more consistently or exercising more, but I guess it’s not always about forcing yourself to do a million things at once. Sometimes you just have to give yourself time to work on one area first, and then move on to the next. Sometimes forcing things causes more stress, and then we are just defeating the purpose of trying to enhance our mental wellbeing! Make adjustments and be mindful – Is it something you actually enjoy doing, or is it something you’re only doing because it just works for someone else? Maybe you find it hard to focus on reading a book for 30 minutes every morning, so maybe try listening to a positive podcast instead. Listen to what works for you!
Obviously there are so many different habits you can add to your daily routine to help with your mental health when you work at home, but I hope some of these ideas help you if you’re looking for some new things to try! Don’t ever forget the importance of your mental health, and always try to do at least one thing each day for yourself, no matter where you work or what you do!
P.S.! Thanks for tuning in to my first blog post – I am by no means a professional writer of any sort, so apologies in advance for any and all errors you may find, haha!
*Nothing mentioned in this article has been sponsored*