In the current times we are living in we have seen a drastic increase in the amount of people who are working from home. This is largely due to the coronavirus pandemic and factors created by the situation. This means that people are working from home in droves in order to stay healthy. The ironic part is that by working from home many people are also falling into bad habits, which can have different negative health effects.
This article will seek to outline a few different things that you can change up in your daily work from home routine in order to make sure that you are staying healthy and active, despite being at home for many more hours in a day. The time has come to take your life into your own control and start to build good habits instead of bad ones.
Exercise
One thing that every single human needs to do regularly in order to stay healthy is exercising. When people think of exercising it can often conjure up images of people lifting weights in the gym, or going for a run at five o’clock in the morning. Although this may be what exercise looks like for some people, it does not have to be the same for you! There are tons of different ways to get your daily exercise that are fairly simple and require very little investment.
For example, you could go for a walk at least once a day for an hour, which is a good amount of exercise to have as a baseline. Or if you like sports then you could sign up for an intramural sports league to make sure you are staying active regularly. If you enjoy getting in a gym then that is also another option, although this usually does require some form of membership or investment to purchase equipment.
Avoid too much sitting
One of the worst things that you can do for your body is sitting for long hours each day, every day. The act of sitting is actually pretty bad for your body, and can cause many long term issues if not addressed. If you need to be seated for your job, there are alternatives to sitting in a chair, such as using an exercise ball for your office instead of other options which do not engage your body. If you are required to work at a desk then it’s also recommended using a standing desk, which experts at standingdesknation.com can provide insight into. By using a standing desk you will be able to accomplish all of your daily tasks without damaging your body by sitting in a chair for eight to ten hours a day. Chances are pretty good that if you are sitting all day at work you probably still sit at home as well, which means that a majority of your day might be made up of you sitting down!
Eat properly
One of the main determiners of our personal health is what we put into our body on a regular basis. If you are constantly eating food that is processed, or deep-fried, then you can bet that your body is not working at its optimal level. One of the luxuries of working from home is that you are able to work from your own kitchen if you would like. This means that you could begin to prep some meals while you are ‘on the job’, and also if you get hungry then you have access to your own fridge. Make sure that you have healthy snacks on hand, such as fruit or vegetables, instead of bad snacks like chocolate or potato chips. This will ensure that when hunger strikes that the only thing available to you is healthy and not processed. This can make a huge difference in your overall health, and even your energy levels throughout the day.
Separate work and home
If you are working in your own home, then it is important to make sure that you keep your home and work life separate from each other, in order to help with your mental health and productivity. Many people fall into the trap of working from home, but then not limiting the amount of work they can do from home, which eventually cuts into their family time. This can be avoided by having a clearly delineated space and time slot which is allocated solely for work, and then using the remainder of your available time for family and house related things.
Get outside
Getting outside is a hugely important part of staying healthy if you are working from home. The sun has a positive effect on humans in terms of boosting mood, and also boosting vitamin D levels. This can help you to get better sleep each night, while also keeping you healthy and energetic throughout the day. Throughout your workday, you should incorporate a series of short breaks which take you out of your workspace, and into some sunlight for a few minutes. You will be surprised at the noticeable effects that this has on both your mood and overall productivity while working from home.
Hopefully, this article has been helpful and informative regarding the different ways that you can stay healthy while working from home. It may seem like a daunting task, if you are unable to stay productive in your work life while working from home then tasks can quickly build up, causing stress. If you implement the aforementioned tips and tricks, you should be able to stay on task easier, and you will notice that your personal health has been improving over time.
It is not an overnight process, so try to stick with the program for at least 30 days in order to begin to build good habits in your work from home routine. You will be astounded with the results, as you see your energy levels rise and you generally feel better each day. It will be difficult at first, especially if you are not someone who is regularly physically active. Stick with it and the results will be exceptionable.
