Taking care of your mental health when working a remote job

Imagine trading your daily commute for an easy shuffle from bed to laptop, all while finally being away from your toxic boss.

Sounds like the dream right?

This is what a number of us envision remote jobs to be, oblivious of some of the drawbacks remote workers face.

Speaking to Mtaa Wangu, Cynthia Ndeta, Martin Maina and Felix Odero, shed some light on some tips that have helped them navigate remote working.

Cynthia Ndeta begins, "There's many things no one tells you about online working and one of those is that you can't escape work. Your boss can call any time and projects can at times go all the way to the wee hours of the night."

To prevent burnout, Cynthia shares that she intentionally sets boundaries.

"I intentionally block out the weekends to get a chance to unwind and pursue my hobbies such as reading. The only time I compromise on this boundary is during an emergency at work."

Additionally, Cynthia notes that a big helper in not experiencing burnout is taking breaks to help you stay fresh.

Agreeing with Cynthia, Felix Odera shares, "Remote work really is a 24/7 thing. So, I always take an hour or two to fully unplug. In this time, I enjoy a walk or just switch off my devices and take a nap."

Adding onto this point, Felix notes that another thing that has done wonders for his mental health and productivity is connecting with other remote workers.

"I found a community of remote workers that can relate to the challenges I'm facing. I now have a community. We also have monthly fun activities just to get a way to unplug."

Chiming in on the discussion, Martin Maina shares, "The deeper I got into remote work, I had to create a dedicated space for my work. This has been a big help with helping me to mentally switch off from work at the end of my working hours."

Validating all these various methods of coping with remote work, counsellor and therapist, Caroline Njuguna speaks on the importance of finding time to unplug.

"Introvert or not, humans are social beings and remote working can tend to get in the way of socializing,” she says.

Ms Njuguna adds that relationships with other people are important for our holistic growth and mental health.

She notes that it is also a form of self-care, since remote working can tend to be lonely and mentally draining.

“You can take some time to enjoy a nice chat with your friend or at least go for a walk and enjoy the sun and nature," Caroline Njuguna closes off.