Managing your mental health at home

Information about working from home during COVID-19

What this fact sheet covers:

• Impacts of this new way of working
• Tips to protect your mental health
• Where to get more help

Impacts of this new way of working
In the face of COVID-19, many workplaces
and employees are grappling with the
challenges of working from home and
connecting with colleagues and clients
remotely instead of face to face.
As a health care worker, these new working
arrangements might be presenting you with
unique challenges. Demanding jobs such as
those in the health care industry are often
buffered by supportive teams and supervisory
structures that don’t always operate as
effectively in the online world.
For many health care workers, the new
working arrangements have increased their
workload, while others find themselves with
reduced work and income.
During these challenging times, some common
experiences are:
● Feeling isolated, lonely, or disconnected
from other people
● Being unable to ‘switch off from work’
● Reduced boundaries between work and
personal life

The difficulty and frustration of finding ● Having difficulty staying motivated

an adequate place to work from can be a
challenge, particularly if your work requires
space or privacy to deliver telehealth.
Many health care workers report feeling
overwhelmed from learning new systems,
concern that the quality of their remote care is
suboptimal and finding themselves exhausted
from delivering care remotely.
● Having difficulty prioritising your workload
● Feeling uncertain about your productivity,
and whether you are performing ok
● Feeling guilty about not performing work or
family duties as well as usual
● Insomnia and sleep problems

Creating a mentally healthier world

 Tips to protect your mental health
Here are some tips to manage some of
the difficulties and stressors you might be
experiencing as you work from home or deliver
your care remotely.
Set realistic expectations and be kind
to yourself
It’s important to remember that these times
are unusual and it’s not always going to
be possible to achieve your usual levels of
productivity and quality of care, and that is
understandable. You are not alone right now if
you are feeling like you are underperforming at
work or at home due to COVID-19.
It is also the case that people who are
more introverted (whose energy is largely
generated internally, from within themselves)
will be finding working from home a lot
more enjoyable than people who are more
extroverted (whose energy is largely generated
externally, from their interactions with others).
In addition, parents with children requiring
supervision are inevitably going to be less
productive than those without these demands.
Be kind to yourself during these challenging
times and set realistic expectations for what
you can achieve during this time. You cannot
compare your output with others. If you feel
like you can’t deliver your usual standard of
care/treatment remotely, remind yourself that
you are doing the best that you can and that
online care is a temporary measure to protect
the safety of yourself and your patients.
Delivering care remotely is a skill that you are
likely to get better at with practice.
Structure your workday and create
boundaries between ‘work time’ and
‘home time’
Set a routine as if you are going into work.
Establish a regular start time, and finish time,
and a structure for your day, with breaks
and exercise scheduled in. Try not to over-
book your day with patients even if you
are experiencing increased demand due to
Creating a mentally healthier world
COVID-19. It’s important to look after your
own wellbeing in order to give the best care
to others, so set limits on your hours and
availability. If possible, use a different phone
number for work, so that you can switch it off
outside of work hours. This will help reinforce
the boundary between work and home life,
minimise the possibility of work intruding into
your home time, and help you switch off from
work at the end of the day.
Create a specific place in your home
where you work - avoid your bedroom
Studies show that working from home can
interfere with sleep, especially for people who
find it difficult to switch off from work. Avoid
working in your bedroom if possible. It will then
become associated with being alert, awake and
switched on.
Stay connected with colleagues and your
manager by scheduling regular virtual/
phone meetings
Because everyday encounters with colleagues
don’t spontaneously happen when you’re
working from home, you need to be proactive
in organising meetings and social connections
to maintain positive relationships. Staying
connected with others will help to reduce
stress levels, help you feel less isolated, and
stay productive. It also helps you communicate
to your manager, your peers, or employees
any difficulties that you are facing with the
new working arrangements and creates
opportunities to learn from the experiences of
others. It can also be helpful to hear that you
aren’t alone in feeling challenged by the current
work conditions.
Schedule mini breaks between
telehealth appointments
Many health care workers report telehealth
consultations to be more exhausting than
face to face care. Consider scheduling 5-15
minute breaks between each appointment to
take a break from your screen, stand up, get
some fresh air and reboot before your next
consultation.
 Try a digital detox in the evenings
Technology makes it easier to stay connected
24-7, but the downside is that it can make it
difficult to switch off, and separate work and
home life. A digital detox can help you switch
off from work, so you can spend quality time
with family, or doing the things you want to do.
Mindful activities like reading or listening to
music are great alternatives to digital activities
like scrolling through social media.
connected with social supports, and managing
stress through problem solving, relaxation or
meditation, and thinking in helpful ways.
Where to get more help
If you need more tips, skills and strategies,
consider asking for help from your Employee
Assistance Provider (EAP) if you have one,
do an online program, or seek help from a
professional.

Get outside at least once a day
Unless you are in self-isolation, try to get
outside at least once a day. Go for a walk,
get some fresh air, and sunshine. If you are
in isolation, get in your garden or walk up
and down your driveway or go out onto your
balcony and enjoy fresh air.
There are also range of free or low-cost
digital mental health tools that are available
in Australia that can help for mental health.
The Australian government is also supporting
psychologist sessions over the phone or video,
allowing some members of the public to access
bulk-billed sessions.

Focus on the silver linings

Working from home can have many benefits: it
can reduce distractions, reduce stress, improve
work satisfaction, lower the time (and cost) you Helpful online tools and resources
spend commuting, and give you greater sense of
control over your workday. While working from myCompass
home presents many challenges, most people www.mycompass.org.au
are doing so for their safety and the safety of
Black Dog Institute Online Clinic
others. It can be helpful to reflect on why you
onlineclinic.blackdoginstitute.org.au
are working from home, and whether there are
any positives that have come out of it. This Way Up
thiswayup.org.au
Don’t forget other things you can do for
your mental health MindSpot
Exercising, getting a good night’s sleep, mindspot.org.au
eating well, doing activities you enjoy, staying

This document may be freely downloaded and distributed on condition no change is made to the content.
The information in this document is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or
treatment. Not to be used for commercial purposes and not to be hosted electronically outside of the Black
Dog Institute website.

For information: blackdoginstitute.org.au

blackdoginst @blackdoginst /BlackDogInst

Creating a mentally healthier world