By definition, sanity is ‘the ability to think and behave in a normal and rational manner, sound mental health’. However, in today’s world, what constitutes normal? Expecting to maintain our career trajectory, nourishing our children’s minds and bodies 24/7 without the benefit of a classroom, and keeping a home in working order is all far from rational.
How do some manage to stay sane when working from home? It’s a combination of discipline and self-awareness. While you need to work productively and efficiently, you also need to monitor and evaluate your limitations and personal needs. Check out our recommendations to ensure you don’t go off the rails while working from home.
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Set realistic goals
Working from home can be a temporary arrangement or one in which you telecommute a set number of days per week. Still, others find themselves self-employed or freelancing from a home office. Whether you are your own boss or have a supervisor to report to, it is instrumental to your mental health to set realistic goals.
Don’t set yourself up for failure by being too idealistic about how much you can tackle daily or weekly. It’s always better in life to under-promise and over-deliver, so start slow and work yourself up. You will continue to feel better about yourself as you smash each of your goals. Your boss and your clients will also appreciate your ability to manage your timeline.
Stick to a routine
One of the most significant benefits of working from home is flexibility; however, this should be the exception rather than the rule. Retiring to bed at roughly the same time and waking up daily at the same time is best for your general well-being. Similarly, your family will start to be trained about when your working hours are and hopefully start to understand when it’s work time. Force yourself to do this for just one week, and we are confident you will be amazed at how much better you feel.
Outsource
You’re working from home, so you must have more time to make home-cooked meals and clean your house, right? Unfortunately, this common misconception can add to the feelings of anxiety for those that work from home.
Think rationally about how much your time is worth. If you get paid $30 an hour working online freelancing, then outsourcing any chores that can be done for less than this makes financial sense. Book a maid for homes service to take care of the weekly cleaning chores or a food delivery service that comes complete with meal plans. These days, you can outsource just about any task so think about how best to use your time wisely.
Working from home has unique challenges, but it also has a host of advantages. Finding the correct balance can be tricky initially, but we recommend that you stick to our recommendations for a few weeks and see how your sanity improves.
