Five Ways to Make Your Home a Place of Rest During Covid-19

If you’re wanting to make your home into a place of rest during Covid-19, you may have come up against some difficulties. Here are five ways to make your home a place of rest during Covid-19.

They say home is where the heart is, but these days, home is also where work, school, play, meals, exercise, and entertainment is. If your home has been feeling like more of a place of stress than a place of rest, you’re not alone.  Because we are at home so often now, it’s important to make your home a place of rest during the coronavirus pandemic. 

A New Normal During Covid-19: Staying Home

In a pre-pandemic world, we are accustomed to having our routines, allowing us to compartmentalize different aspects of life. Generally, where we work, study, eat, sleep, play, entertain, and relax are in various places. Now with COVID-19, all of these parts of life are taking place in the same place: our home. When we are able to have different places for different parts of life, we are better able to release stress and tension to fully unwind at home. The pandemic has all but eliminated our ability to separate aspects of our lives, allowing the stress of work and school to spill into the sanctuary of home. 

How To Make Your Home a Place of Rest During Covid-19:

1. Set specific work hours and honor those times.
2. Eat in a different place than where you work.
3. Keep your sleep schedule consistent.
4. Create a separate workspace.
5. Start a midday mindfulness practice.

A restful Work from Home Place:  Set Specific Work Hours and Honor Those

Our routines have been lately completely upheaved for the past year, largely due to COVID-19. With a higher number of people working and schooling from home, it is crucial to create as much of a schedule as possible. Set hours in which you will solely focus on work and school, and be sure to keep those. If you know you need to work later in the day, set a specific time in which you will finish. Then close your computer, your book, or your meetings, and give yourself permission to rest for the remainder of the day. You will not only feel more refreshed; you will also be more productive the following day.

Eat in a Different Place Than Where You Work

When we are constantly bombarded with stress triggers with limited ways to release that stress how we may be used to—such as traveling, going to the gym, spending time with friends—our brain continues to release stress hormones that result in halting our digestion. Allow yourself a place to eat that is separate from where you work and study. If possible, you can physically remove yourself from a place of stress to a place of relaxation. Go to your dining room or some other location when eating, and leave your laptop behind. Focusing on relaxation will help your digestive system work better and leave you feeling healthier.

Keeping Your Sleep Schedule Consistent is Important during Covid-19.

Our bodies are best able to reset and recharge through a good night’s sleep. The brain has a process of cleansing and releasing toxins when we reach deep sleep. When we repeatedly lack a beneficial sleeping routine, our brain builds up toxins that can make us feel groggy, tired, and unable to concentrate throughout the day. As much as possible, keep your sleep routine consistent—even on the weekends. It can be tempting to allow yourself to sleep in; however, doing so can cause challenges in maintaining a fully healthy, beneficial sleep schedule. Prioritize your sleep to help get the best quality rejuvenation for the day. 

Create A Separate Workspace for Working From Home during Covid-19

If possible, create a space where only work is accomplished. This will allow you to better compartmentalize places of work and productivity to rest and play. In creating a separate workspace, you will be more productive and better able to accomplish the work or studies you need to do for the day because your brain will be trained to understand it as a place of work. Additionally, it gives your mind permission to unwind and relax when you are not in your designated workspace. 

Start a Mindfulness Practice in the Middle of the Day

Ideally, we would all be sleeping well in the night, eating nutritious meals, and having a perfect sleep schedule. Yet, as we all know, life happens. That’s why it is valuable to create a habit of mindfulness in the middle of the day. Studies show that you can reclaim up to 80 percent of the energy you had in the morning by having a mindfulness practice, like BrainTap. BrainTap facilitates brain waves that help bring your mind to a state of healing, rest, and relaxation, such as found in deep sleep. 

A Multipurpose Home

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc in our day-to-day lives—especially in our home routines. Many of us are spending significantly more time within the walls of our own home due to the pandemic. Our homes have become the place where we accomplish nearly every task throughout our day, and we are seeing the consequences in rising stress levels. However, we can choose to retake control in our lives by helping compartmentalize our homes, allowing for separate spaces of work, play, and rest.