Working from home;How to maintain Mental & Physical Health

In a bid to minimize the transmission rate and impact of COVID-19, we are facing restrictions and majority have now had to make working from home a norm.

RiverCross staff have adjusted well and our online system allows us to continue serving customers efficiently while keeping our teams and communities safe.

However, being confined to our homes presents an array of challenges, considering expectations to achieve certain organizational goals.

In a bid to help the nation maintain mental and physical health while working from home in these difficult times, here are a few tips;

Exercise

While working from home, have a routine break that allows you have some physical activity. Research shows the importance of exercise, in line with the world health organization recommendations to adults aged 18-64 years; irrespective of gender, race and ethnicity unless specific medical conditions indicate to the contrary.

There are multiple ways of accumulating the recommended 150 minutes per week of exercise i.e. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity at least 5 times per week which improves your mood, sleep quality and mental health.

Typically, ‘moderate activity’ could be a brisk walk which raises your pulse-rate or a bike ride. Exercising will allow you take a break from the constant pressure or boredom of feeling contained in one space during this quarantine period while taking care of your physical and mental health needs.

Social interaction

During this period social distancing has being highly recommended to minimize the rate of infections. But one thing is for sure; people need people. This is why someone made so much effort to create a global community called ‘the internet’ where people relate with others from distant parts of the world.

Social support and interaction is in-built and has a positive influence on human beings' physical and mental health. It lowers occurrence of stress, depression and anxiety. While it is debatable whether any service can replace traditional face-to-face interactions, a rising number of people are choosing to engage professionals such as therapists on the phone, WhatsApp, Skype, and text messaging.

Here’s a list of some firms who offer online counselling services in Kenya and we suggest to be helpful during these times; Therapy Kenya, Intrapersonal Health and Niskize which offers telephone counselling.

Taking outdoor walks will also allow you get to maintain the feeling of social interaction. But while at it, don’t forget to maintain social spacing – keep 2 metres from other walkers.

Maintain your routines

Try to maintain your usual bedtimes and rise-times. If it’s practical, maintain your usual schedules for meals, coffee breaks and work periods.

Sleep disturbance is common especially during such uncertain times of the pandemic where you are likely to find yourself worrying too much or for some working too much.

Good sleep quality is important right now as it helps to maintain a positive mood, contributes to the energy and stamina needed throughout the day.

If you would like to build up on this advice, we have looked up on some of the best sleep improvement apps that will help you fall and stay asleep which are worth a try;

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/wellness/g26963663/best-sleep-apps/

We do hope that some of these tips will be helpful as you work from home during this pandemic.

Nonetheless, for 100% mental and physical health it is important to try and stay calm!