It is no surprise that our lives have changed since 2020 as the pandemic hit us. Everything has its pros and cons and so does the situation of us working from home. The ongoing pandemic has altered several things for employers and employees alike in financial, emotional, physical and mental state. As the work from office concept was relatively far more fun with free food in the office, quick short chat and coffee break with our colleagues, active brainstorming, engaging in fun social activities, etc., these benefits might not be most relevant for companies to offer with the current situation. 

With work from home being the new normal for the past one and a half years, the majority of people have mixed feelings about it. While all of us were quite elated with the WFH concept, in the beginning, we eventually realized that it isn’t as pretty later as it was in the initial phase. Celebrating Professional Wellness Month in June, here are a few tips to help you balance and maintain a healthy work-life and lifestyle at work. 

Work from home has blurred the lines between professional and personal lives leading us to work way past our official work timings, burning the midnight oil, never fully detaching ourselves from work and hence opening the door for burnouts. This regular pattern has made a negative impact on our minds. The stress levels have shot up the roof with a majority of the workforce putting excess pressure that is hampering people’s mental health. It is important to look after one’s mental wellness and cut down on unhealthy stress. This is where professional behaviour is vulnerable during situations of extreme stress and anxiety. The pressures of the work environment, working for longer hours, lack of sleep and fatigue are some of the reasons that cause stress. With these kinds of situations badly affecting the employees, organisations need to go the extra mile to ensure people’s mental wellbeing. Conducting wellness programs to promote health and happiness via engaging in fun and holistic approaches to wellness will contribute to increasing employees’ productivity. 

Learning to adapt and utilize effective stress coping mechanisms is of utmost importance. It will be a slow process but a very effective and positive one. Working from home can often consume us with the feeling of loneliness, less productivity, suffocated and sometimes even lingered with depression. It is a no-brainer that if you care for your employees, they’ll most definitely return the favour. Here are some of the ways companies can boost their employees’ mental health- 

• Conduct yoga/ dance/ Zumba/ fitness/ meditation sessions once a week packed with fun and enthusiasm 
• Schedule a virtual ‘Unwind party’ every Friday post-work hours wherein all the employees socialize with each other and engage in fun group activities
• Conduct stress management/ resilience sessions by experts that teach how to tackle situations high pressure without the anxiety and stress reaching unprecedented levels
• Work from home has changed our working patterns and hence a 24-hour available therapist and health physician/ digital helpdesk would be great when an employee wishes to just pick up the phone and talk it out. This service would provide confidential support for issues like anxiety, stress and depression
• Get your employees’ creative side out by setting up interesting cooking lessons, guitar sessions, painting and art sessions to name a few

While these are some of the things that companies can do for their employees, at the end of the day, our wellness is in our hands. Don’t let your job steal you from doing what you love and what makes you happy. Take a quick 15-minute break and go for a walk to get your mind off for some time. Make some coffee and listen to music, play with your pet, meditate in between for 10 min or before you start work. 

Indulge in some self-care and you’ll be surprised how much these little things have a huge positive impact on your mental and physical health!