Working From Home 101: Mental Wellness

Kami Lentz here, Agency Lead with Centro! I’m here to share some tips I’ve learned in my time working remotely. Wellbeing is a big topic at Centro, as well as an area that I am personally very passionate about.

Here are my top tips for taking care of your mental health while working from home:

Set up your dedicated workspace

• Setting boundaries between your personal and professional space will create structure and balance in your WFH life.

Follow a schedule (this includes breaks throughout the day!)

• Maintain a morning routine, change out of your PJs, and eat breakfast. Try to follow the same routine as you did when going to the office.
• Schedule breaks in your day to step away from your computer. Meditate (see #6 below), sit in silence, do an at-home workout, eat a healthy snack, grab water, take your dog on a walk, etc.

Eat a healthy breakfast

• Skipping breakfast can negatively affect your mood and energy throughout the day. “Hangry” is a very real feeling!

Increase movement

• Work out in the morning before your day starts!
• Take breaks throughout the day. Take a walk, download a 20 minute YouTube workout to do at home—just make sure to move!

Stay connected to others

• If you begin to feel isolated, turn on a podcast, listen to music, phone a colleague, or schedule a video conference with the team. Sometimes it even helps to have a video meeting going while you work silently. The feeling of having someone there—even virtually—is reassuring!
• If you feel that you're missing affirmations from your team or manager, initiate a conversation about how you can maintain regular interaction.

Meditate, re-focus, and breathe

• Centro offers free memberships to the Headspace app for all employees, and I've found their mini-meditations incredibly helpful for starting my morning right. If you don't have access to Headspace, there are plenty of free guided meditations on Youtube to choose from! If meditating isn't your thing, just pausing to take three deep breaths can center and calm your mind.

Here are some additional tips from my WFH colleagues at Centro:

“Get outside for Vitamin D!” –Alana Putterman

“I like to listen to Spotify Calming or Classical music channels in the mornings to get me in a zen/strong mindset for the day.” –Alyssa Brown

“I take at least 10 minutes per day to meditate. It's also okay to take 5- to 10-minute breaks throughout the day to clear your head.” –Amanda Wallman

“Keep your routine the same so that working from home doesn't disrupt your sleep cycle. Use Headspace. Use aromatherapy. Make someone else laugh with a meme. During the process you will likely laugh too.” –David Lempp

“Acknowledge when you need a break. You can still get burned out and tired while working at home. Listen to your body. You don't have to work 24/7 just because you're at home. You can still be "off" work, just as you normally would be.” –Laurie Jones

“If I start to feel detached or out of sorts, I will reach out and talk or chat with someone on my team. Proximity doesn't have to dictate whether or not you feel like part of a team.” –Matt Baine

“Be mindful if you are not feeling productive, as a little break will help you re-collect your thoughts. You may even need a little snack! This ties into my physical well-being too.” –Michael Lagioia

Interested in joining our team? Check out our careers page.