11 habits that will improve your mental health while working from home
As told by a Filipino copywriter who works remotely
Welcome to Buhay Copywriter by Regina Peralta! It’s wonderful to meet you.
This newsletter is my way of paying it forward and being the person I needed when I was a young(er) writer.
Subscribe for FREE weekly content about writing, creativity, advertising, and work life as a Filipino creative. Plus, the occasional personal essay.
How has your work life made an impact on your mental health?
For those who have experienced working on-site and from home, what differences do you notice between your mental state when working on-site and working from home?
Take a minute to really think about your answer, and feel free to share it in the comments.
The second week of October is National Mental Health Week here in the Philippines. As a copywriter who knows how important mental health is to creativity, productivity, and engagement, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some of my own insights.
Remote work can have some blurred boundaries, making it mentally taxing in its own way. Sure, you don’t need to dress up and commute every day. Yes, WFH means more time for yourself, your family, and other commitments. But having just one place for work and play, the loneliness that some may feel…all that can get in your head, too.
But with the right habits in place, you can feel better, have more “brain space” for creative thinking, put out your best work, have energy to engage with your co-workers online or in-person, and achieve your goals in and outside the “workplace”.
So without further ado, here are 11 habits that will help improve your mental health while working remotely.
Eat balanced, healthy meals regularly. Go back to the basics! You can’t feel mentally healthy when you’re missing meals, lacking nutrients, or are constantly getting sick due to lowered immunity.
Working from home shouldn’t mean missing breakfast or having 11 pm dinners. Make the most out of your WFH arrangement and try to find time to cook healthy meals — even if it’s batch cooking them Sunday night. As this article from Harvard Health notes:
Studies have compared "traditional" diets, like the Mediterranean diet and the traditional Japanese diet, to a typical "Western" diet and have shown that the risk of depression is 25% to 35% lower in those who eat a traditional diet. Scientists account for this difference because these traditional diets tend to be high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and fish and seafood, and to contain only modest amounts of lean meats and dairy. They are also void of processed and refined foods and sugars, which are staples of the "Western" dietary pattern. In addition, many of these unprocessed foods are fermented, and therefore act as natural probiotics. (Source)
Personally, I love just having to grab some rice and my choice of viand, even when I’m sitting through a meeting that ate into my lunch hour!
Take breaks. Give yourself short breaks to “breathe” mentally and physically. Take the water cooler or convenience store breaks from the on-site era and make them work, from home!
Do some stretching, snuggle with your pet or kid, grab a [healthy] snack, go wash that dish you’ve been soaking, make a cup of coffee, or unbox that parcel you just got delivered. These mini-resets can help give you fresh eyes and a fresh mindset when you sit back down to work.
Get enough sleep. One thing I noticed about working from home is that it’s a bit harder for me to fall asleep. It’s probably because I’m not drop-dead tired from commuting, and my body knows I don’t have to leave the house at 5:30 am for a 3-hour commute. If you’re struggling too, you can try the following:
turn off your gadgets after a certain hour
set a wind-down routine (this can involve relaxing music or podcasts, journaling, and applying nighttime skincare)
turn the lights off and try to sleep — even if you aren’t sleepy yet
Journal and/or meditate. The great thing about journalling or meditating is that you can take these at your own pace and do them your way.
Some people like to use physical journals with stickers. Others prefer journals with prompts, or a “gratitude notebook”, or a color-coded mood tracker. I like to write on the Notion app.
Some people like to meditate in complete silence with just their breath. Some prefer guided meditations via apps like Calm. Some may prefer a more physical way to meditate, such as yoga. And this leads me to my next point:
Make exercise a part of your schedule. Exercise adjusts your brain chemistry and makes you feel happier. It also eases stress and improves self-esteem. In my case, it also helps relieve some chronic pain I’ve been feeling, which makes me less cranky. For those with exercise buddies, building that supportive community also helps ease feelings of isolation.
Whether you like to work out alone or with a group, at home or in a gym or on the road, it’s important to find time to do this. Your mental health and your future self will thank you.
Stop checking work apps when you’re logged out. Set boundaries between “work” time and “rest of your life” time. Make sure your colleagues know that once you log out of work, you really are logged out of work — you won’t be standing by to reply to that email sent after-hours.
Of course, depending on the nature of your work, there may be actual emergencies to attend to. In cases like these, let your colleagues know how they can reach you. I think that in a good workplace, managers, and colleagues would respect your boundaries and appreciate that you have other duties outside of work.
Connect with nature. This can be as simple as taking your dog for a walk before work, setting up a balcony garden with outdoor seating, or as fancy as going away to the beach or mountains once a month.
As a plantita myself, I love spending time in the garden every morning, tending my veggies and flowers before I grab breakfast and clock in. And even when I was still working on-site, I appreciated workplaces that had even just a pocket of green (e.g. along a tree-lined street, or near a park).
An article by the Mental Health Foundation emphasizes how important this is:
Research shows that people who are more connected with nature are usually happier in life and more likely to report feeling their lives are worthwhile. Nature can generate many positive emotions, such as calmness, joy, and creativity and can facilitate concentration.
Nature connectedness is also associated with lower levels of poor mental health, particularly lower depression and anxiety.
Perhaps not surprisingly, people with strong nature connectedness are likelier to have pro-environmental behaviours such as recycling items or buying seasonal food. This is likely to lead to further benefits if these pro-environmental activities can lead to natural improvements that we can then go on to enjoy. At a time of devastating environmental threats, developing a stronger, mutually supportive relationship between people and the environment will be critical. (Source)
Just some of my many, many plants. Build relationships with your colleagues. One comment I often hear from my extrovert colleagues is that working from home can be quite lonely and isolating. And while I’m an introvert who doesn’t always jump at every chance to go out, I do appreciate the little ways one can build healthy relationships at work.
These can be as simple as engaging in virtual “water cooler breaks”, joining hobby clubs, joining the small talk before a meeting starts, and greeting people during their birthdays and work anniversaries. Who knows, you might find a fellow furmom, Swiftie, home brewer, or Substacker in your team!
Nurture friendships outside your industry. Avoid getting stuck in the four walls of your home and your industry!
Here’s the thing: there’s a very big chance that you and your friends from high school/college pursued very different careers. And if that meant that you haven’t really kept in touch with them recently, this is a sign to reach out.
You already spend 40+ hours a week talking to people in your line of work — wouldn’t it be nice to see how other people talk and think as well?
Case in point: I have friends in the academe, healthcare, and BPO. While we might not always have the same things to talk about industry-wise, we still all deal with bosses, job applications, paychecks, and co-workers. I think it’s simply nice to get out there and keep learning and growing with people you’ve known for years.
Have a hobby (or two). Sometimes, the draining feeling of working from home can come from feeling that there is no life outside of to-do lists and laundry, client calls and cleaning the bathroom. Having hobbies helps you remember that you’re capable of so much more and can enjoy so much more. These hobbies can range from gardening to painting, content creation to gaming, and so on. Cherish your extra time and money — what would you love to do instead of commuting to an office every day? This article by Harvard Health underscores the many benefits of having hobbies:
[T]he researchers say hobbies — such as arts and crafts, games, gardening, volunteering, or participating in clubs — involve creativity, sensory engagement, self-expression, relaxation, and cognitive stimulation, which are linked to good mental health and well-being. Plus, taking part in hobby groups keeps you socially connected, which helps reduce loneliness and isolation. (Source)
A baby focaccia loaf I baked. I got into baking as a hobby but it also doubles as a skill that helps me prep food and save time (since my cancer warrior mom can’t have instant/ultra-processed stuff). Normalize seeking professional help. You don’t have to take on your mental health journey alone. If your employer offers mental wellness benefits as part of your package, please maximize this benefit. And if this isn’t an option for you, there are various services you can try as well. In the Philippines, you can opt for one of the following:
MindNation - they offer teleconsultation-based mental health packages for teams, but you can also book a session as an individual
National Center for Mental Health - has a 24/7 crisis hotline and tele-mental health services
Philippine Mental Health Association - offers psychiatric and psychosocial services, among others
Hopeline (Natasha Goulbourn Foundation) - a 24/7 emotional crisis hotline
You can also check out this directory by Mental Health PH, which has indicators for face-to-face, hybrid, free, and out-of-pocket services.
Remember: you can’t pour from an empty cup. You have to take care of yourself first. And the good news is that you don’t have to do it alone.
Sending lots of good vibes your way,
Reg 💜
Yessss! I've been working remotely for about two years. I had to learn all of this the hard way (and I still am). I thought the setup would be perfect as an introvert, but I was surprised to learn that unless I make intentional choices, I end up feeling lonelier and less inspired/productive than I expected. Thank you for writing this!