“I have been working in the same pajamas for two days, haven’t showered in three days, haven’t really left my house in nearly a week and woke up last Tuesday and thought it was Wednesday. This is getting old fast.”

The manager on the phone with me last month was articulating what many of us have realized and felt over the last nine months or so – working from home seems like a great gig and tremendously appealing, until the assignment drags on for days and weeks and months during a pandemic. Then the work challenge turns into a connectedness and mental health challenge.

To fight feelings of isolation, disconnectedness, difficulty staying motivated, prioritizing your workload or sleep problems, here are some actions you can take to guard your mental health.

Get up, bathe, make your bed and get dressed to work in a designated area.

Sound too simplistic? You’ll feel a lot better than if you work in your pajamas and leave a messy bed. These simple accomplishments mean you are already on the path to productivity that day and dressed for success.

Create a schedule and routine for the day that builds structure.

To do lists are great tools for mapping out the day. Try to establish a start and ending time, building in time for work, social activities, exercise and connecting with co-workers, friends or relatives every day.

Use virtual meetings to stay connected with co-workers.

Are these virtual meetings as interpersonal as the in person meetings we used to secretly hate attending at the office? Probably not – but you will feel more connected, less isolated and they will give you a sense of moving forward and making progress. Make sure you connect with at least two people from work every day, even if it is just to check in on how they are doing.

Go outside every day.

Take a walk, tend to your garden, sit in the sun on your patio, talk to your neighbors who have lived next door to you for ten years but you really don’t know, and do get out of the house. The therapeutic effect of the sun is well documented. On my walks I have met people I never knew who love dogs and cats and the Lakers almost as much as I do.

Stay off or limit negative, click baiting websites that will only make you anxious.

Seek out objective news, weather, sports, food reporting that informs rather than tries to sway you with biased headlines and reporting. For years I checked out three news sites and three sports sites every day. Only recently did I discover that I was depressed after reading the news sites and motivated after reading the sports sites. Guard carefully what you read and the images you see as they will affect your mental health.

Try a website like GoodNewsNetwork.org that focuses only on uplifting, positive and encouraging stories – and there are millions of them every day. Tal Ben-Shahar, a Harvard University lecturer has stated “that our perception of the world is warped by continual viewing of bad news. Too many people, assisted by the media bias, extrapolate from a few cases of people hurting others that human nature is bad.”

We know better, as most people are kind, caring, empathetic, hard-working and good hearted. Believing this positive view of the world will maintain your positive mental health, even if we are sometimes disappointed.

Keep a weekly “Gratitude List”

Make a list of 3-5 items that you are thankful for every week. This can be a list of work items like the great teamwork exhibited by your team, or personal items like the friendliness and help offered by a new neighbor of yours. Let the people on your list know that you value and appreciate them on a regular basis. You will stay connected, grounded and focused on the positive.

Best wishes to you, your co-workers, family and friends as we look forward to a connected, positive, healthy and hope filled New Year.