Mental Health Awareness Week: Home Office

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, so we’re helping our colleagues around the UK and Europe to celebrate the event. Aside from the Art and Crafts Competition focused around this year’s MHAW theme of "kindness", we’re sharing tips on how to look after your mental wellbeing. First up is a guide to achieving a productive, welcoming and efficient working arrangement at home.

Get comfy
By this we don’t mean lying on the sofa, but instead arranging your home office so that you remain comfortable whilst working. For instance, your desk or workspace needs enough room for easy movement and your keyboard should be positioned in a way that prevents wrist ache. Also, the top of your computer screen should be at eye level or a little lower and you can adjust the brightness to prevent eye strain. Arranging your home office setup around comfort will ensure that you don’t develop aches and pains, all while helping to maintain a positive mood.

Keep it clean and tidy
Multiple studies have proven that an organised and hygienic workspace does wonders for mental health. From minimising clutter and creating an effective storage system, to removing mugs, rubbish and waste paper on a daily basis, by keeping your surroundings clean and tidy you’ll find that there are fewer distractions.

Take breaks
Some people take shorter breaks whilst working from home or even forget about them entirely. If this applies to you, set an alarm or reminder so that you stretch your legs and take a breather when you normally would. If you live with family, this is a good opportunity to have a chat with them and find out what they’ve been up to, or you could call a friend for a catch-up. If you own a dog, take it for a walk during your lunch hour and enjoy the fresh air in the process.

Stay hydrated
Chances are you remember to have a cup of tea in the morning, but are you drinking enough water throughout the working day? Some of our colleagues find it easier to drink water at work because they take it in turns to fetch some for their team, but this isn’t an option at home. Instead, you could try filling up a large bottle with fresh water and keeping it by your desk, with the goal being to take regular sips and finishing it off by the end of the day.

Catch up with colleagues
Are you taking part in Virtual Cuppa Breaks? We recommend having these on a regular basis with your workmates as a way to unwind and stay connected. Many of our colleagues are also holding quizzes, bingo sessions and other activities on an evening through video conferencing platforms, which are a great way to have fun and stay in touch.

What else will help your wellbeing?
There are all kinds of other small changes you can put in place that will make a big difference to how you feel whilst working at home. Some of these are so simple, such as opening the window, listening to your favourite tunes or adding some plants to breathe life into the room.

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Don’t forget that our chosen charity for this year is Mind, which offers help and support to anyone struggling with their mental health. If you’d like to make a donation, please visit our JustGiving page, 

We’d also love to hear how you’re getting involved in Mental Health Awareness Week, so if you’d like to share anything please tag us in your pics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

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