This simple mistake in your home that tends to get unnoticed may be affecting your mental health!
In our opinion, these two things should never get mixed together! (As much as possible.)
While we understand that this choice may not be attainable for all individuals especially for those who are residing with their parents or in rental rooms, it is a great option to consider when you eventually move into your own household!
Reasons why working from your bedroom is not ideal:
1. The bedroom is not as relaxing
There is something about having separate spaces in your home. We all need our personal space to recharge and energise, heal, process and take a break physically and mentally. The bedroom should be a relaxing environment that promotes sleep, and peace. Study desks, and all that comes with them, can interfere with that serenity. Ideally, it’s best to dedicate separate spaces for eat, sleep and work.
Additionally, bedrooms are where we spend our first and last hour of the day. It’s great to unwind in a space that doesn’t remind you of work. Likewise, the first moments of your mornings can easily set the mood for your day. Whenever you are ready to take your desk out of your bedroom, monitor the difference on how it makes you feel and the change in your mental wellbeing!
2. Segregation between work and home
Throughout 2020, COVID-19 forced companies to switch to remote working very quickly. The great side to this, we would say is – being able to work in our pyjamas, extended sleep hours on mornings, and have the flexibility to take care of appointments and errands etc. However, this also brings with it some difficulties and drawbacks. This means we are more susceptible to falling into bad habits and risk productivity that could eventually affect our mental wellbeing for example, working from bed. It can be absolutely tempting to cozy up and work from your bed, especially in this new normal of working remotely. Unfortunately, this habit might cause you more pain than productivity.
Working from home can mean that it can be challenging to isolate work from your regular life because you unwind and work in the same place. Your inability to create a barrier between work and home can lead to stress and may lead to a burnout. When it gets left unaddressed, problems like stress, depression or anxiety can snowball into larger underlining mental health issues. A Harvard Business Review case study mentions: “Unless you are careful to maintain boundaries, you may start to feel like you’re always at work and losing a place to come home to.”
3. Lower Quality of Sleep
In order to fall asleep quickly and to have a great quality of sleep, your bed should be for sleep and intimacy only. Your brain needs to understand that the bed and the bedroom is not a place to over work, or for to-do lists and other things that may be stress-inducing factors.
Working from bed or in the bedroom would mean bringing a laptop, a smartphone, tablet or notes into bed, and this can be bad for a person’s quality of sleep. Working right before going to bed and looking at bright screens from your phone or laptop reduces the melatonin levels in your body – the sleepy hormone you need to fall asleep. According to Harvard Health, the blue light emitted from electronic devices, “suppresses sleep and melatonin production“.
Getting consistent good quality of sleep is important for your mood, energy levels and even for your learning, cognitive and memory ability.
4. Disrupted creativity flow
Whether you study, work from home, create, write, edit your photos and video, or anything else, you need a good space to let your creativity and brain juices flow. That means a space that’s free from most sorts distractions… especially a tempting bed!
It sets a message and a goal to yourself that you’re serious about your work, and helps you to focus! Whereas doing work from your bedroom – the place for relaxation – gives you permission to be distracted by social media, Netflix, YouTube, the temptation of lying down in your bed and other things… did someone say another episode of ‘The Umbrella Academy‘?
How to create a balance between home and work
Recognising that not everyone have spare rooms they can utilise to turn into studies or home offices, here are some ways you can appropriate to segregate work, from home.
Find a space or a corner in the house where there is natural sunlight and is generally quiet. This can be a spot in the balcony, lounge area, or corner of the living room. It also helps if the rest of the household is out when you are using these areas. If there is a lack of space, consider visiting libraries or source for a quaint and quiet cafe. If all else fails, consider installing a divider or a curtain around your bed and desk to create some segregation.
For individuals who want to work remotely from home long term, it’s key to maintain that physical and mental break between work and home.
