Remote Workplace Strategies for Mental Health in 2021

The reality is our lives have changed. And even if we’re going back to in-person things this whole like working from home thing in many ways is here to stay in so many ways. So there are three things to think about.

One is boundaries. We have trouble with boundaries in our society because many of us weren’t taught them. That’s actually learning to put lines in relationships and putting your no where your ‘no’ is and where your yes is. This is with your spouse, your kids, your friend, your roommates, whoever you live with. So it’s important to learn, to establish boundaries. And this takes practice. There’s a great book called Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and John Townsend that can really help you with that. And once you get going with it, it’ll change everything in your life. It’ll change your whole happiness in work, out of work in the home, out of the home.

The other thing is being creative when you are at home with making space and time for things. Maybe you’re going to have to sneak out and pretend you have a phone call just to take a walk around the block for your self-care. There’s nothing wrong with that.

The other thing I want to bring up is rituals. When you work at home, I know for me having to separate work at home – Well what do they say? We’re not even working from home, we’re living at work. – That’s what I’ve heard having to separate this like work and home thing is really hard. So having a ritual or several rituals is important. One that I use in my apartment in New York City is basically my desk is in the living room and it’s a one-bedroom apartment. So the way that I let myself know that the workday is over.

is at the end of the workday, I listened to some music, clean off my desk, and I slide my chair under the desk. That way my brain knows the workday is over. And after that, if I need to just throw something on the desk, it’s not even about work. It’s just, you know, a surface in the apartment that I can just throw something on. So it’s really important. Again, boundaries, being creative with your space and strategizing how to get what you need done and establishing clear rituals for yourself. So thank you for that question.