Tips for Maintaining Your Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated adjustments in all of our personal and professional lives. Having to “stay at home” as much as possible can take a toll on our mental and physical health and well-being. With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, here are some real-life recommendations from INTA members.

When you work from home, it is can be hard to concentrate and to focus on work with so many distractions around you. Therefore, it is very important to have a designated space where you can be in work mode.

Try to disconnect at some point during the work day, such as following your regular daily working schedule and taking a lunch break. Or take shorter breaks throughout the day to refocus.

One challenging aspect of this unprecedented time is the loss of a definite dividing line between the weekdays and the weekend. Although it may be tempting to keep working throughout the weekend because you are at home, try your best to have downtime on the weekends.

It is important for your mental health not to stay in your pajamas. Act as if you are going into your office: get dressed. While your attire does not have to be formal, wearing business-casual or business clothes could help you feel like you are in a “work” state of mind. If you have video calls or virtual meetings, look professional.

Replace the time spent on your commute with a healthy habit. Take advantage of the plethora of online resources for virtual yoga or other workout classes, go for a run or walk, meditate, garden, or take your dog on an extra-long walk.

Reach out to your colleagues via phone or video to see how they are doing, to follow up with pending work matters, and/or to show empathy with their situation―especially people who live alone.

Try to write down your “must-do” tasks or projects first thing in the morning, before the day gets away from you. Keep the list to the absolute “must” items that you have to achieve, so you don’t get discouraged. Meeting those goals can bring back focus and momentum to a tough or under-productive work-from-home day.

Stay in touch with friends and extended family through a virtual meeting app to enable  virtual face-to-face time, letting them know how much you value them and their roles in your life. Staying connected can help you feel less alone or isolated.

Try to limit your exposure to news that is providing new information. Consult reliable sources, and don’t constantly check for updates throughout the day.

A daily gratitude reflection is a helpful way to keep perspective and focus on the positive. Writing down these thoughts could also be a useful way of recording memories during this challenging and historic time. Start a journal or time capsule.

We can all be thankful that we have professions and technology that allow us to remain connected with our colleagues, clients, friends, and family from anywhere!