Working from home has seen a significant rise in recent years, providing a new convenient choice for parents that want to continue their careers while remaining close to their growing children. That said, this setup comes with its own set of challenges that can catch up to individuals unexpectedly.
Time management, distractions, and ironically, a lack of work-life balance can become tough to deal with when working from home. Parents, in particular, may struggle between fulfilling their work and familial duties. It’s easy to overlook the value of a mental health day because you are already at home, but it’s still important to take the time for a restorative break.
There are tons of valid reasons to set aside a mental day, especially as it will help you feel better and make a work-from-home setup more sustainable in the long run.
Your Well-Being Matters
Too often, parents feel guilty for focusing on self-care. It’s important to remember that it is not overly indulgent to give yourself the love and relaxation that you deserve. This is what enables you to remain positive, take on the responsibilities of the day, and have enough energy to accomplish your goals.
If you look at the 12 tips for taking a restorative mental health day, you’ll see that it’s important to disconnect from work so that you can have a day that’s really just for you. It’s good to take a beat and do little things that make you feel relieved and cared for. Even if you don’t feel like doing something big like a spa day, you can improve your well-being with little things like getting enough sleep, meditating, spending time on a hobby, or eating a healthy meal.
It Will Help You Recharge
Because you’re controlling your schedule and your space, it’s easy to end up overworking yourself and blurring the boundaries between work and recreation. As you take on the noble task of being a present parent while actively working, you need to take some time to recharge so you can continue to juggle these responsibilities well.
Some of the 5 ways you can successfully work from home with young children include organizing your days and building a dedicated workspace. This helps you set that line that has the right mood for work and keeps you going. At the same time, you get to completely disconnect yourself from that world when you leave that space.
By setting that firm demarcation, you allow yourself to recharge the moment you step away from it. So, you can truly embrace days where you don’t have to immerse yourself in a work environment and just focus on other things you want to do.
Children Emulate You
It’s no question that children copy their parents and pick up on their habits over time. So, it’s good to remember that taking time off to take care of yourself isn’t just beneficial to you. It’s a stellar way to set an example for your children on how to balance work and life. This also allows you to lead them positively with how you prioritize the different aspects of your life.
Studies on good parenting show that proper emotional management is an essential pillar in building up your children’s abilities to regulate their own emotions. When you use positive examples and styles, your children are more likely to develop well mentally and emotionally.
You Can Spend More Time With Your Family
Spending enough time with family is one of the main reasons many parents opt to work from home. Of course, this still doesn’t get achieved a lot of the time because parents end up focusing primarily on work despite being in the home. When you take a mental health day, you can spend some quality time with your partner and children.
Some of the 10 important benefits of spending time with family include stronger family bonds, improved academic performance from children, and greater general happiness for every family member.
Taking Time Off Helps You Refocus
Becoming too engulfed in your work can just hurt your productivity. Too much stress can make you feel unfulfilled and ineffective in your job. So, it’s worth seizing the opportunity to take a break and refocus.
When you feel like you have to fit everything together, you may end up becoming overwhelmed and unable to be the best self you can be. Despite having fewer cases, Nigerians have been recorded as experiencing a prevalence of insomnia, depression, and PTSD since the COVID-19 pandemic. Regularly take a mental health day so that you can tackle these issues and center yourself. You’ll end up feeling more productive if you rest up and engage in other interests.
