Working from home can be relaxing and rewarding, but working from home can also cause health issues, such as a sedentary lifestyle. Learn how to stay healthy and productive with our six steps.
When most companies went remote in March of 2020, for many it felt like a second chance at a New Year’s Resolution. People were going to be stuck inside their homes and this meant we had more flexibility to try to better our everyday habits. The thought was of a well-rounded breakfast and carefully prepared lunch, a light workout while going through emails, and organizing that room in your house you’ve been meaning to get to, all in between checking off tasks on your to-do list.
The reality for many, right off the bat, was sitting on your couch in your pajamas, your kids and pets becoming the main distraction from focusing on your tasks, and poor posture from squinting at your laptop late into the night.
A set work schedule might have dissolved as your home became your new work environment. It might have been hard to fully separate your work from your home life, as it began to blend into one.
How does one stay productive when there are so many distractions and no one to pop over and ask a question to? With working from home being the reality for many even still, it’s important to find ways to stay healthy and productive throughout your work day, so that you are still maintaining proper physical and mental health.
Set a Morning Routine
The easiest way to lose track of your day is to have a rough start. The beginning of your day sets the tone for the rest of it, so if you develop a routine you can begin to form healthy habits. Your routine can look different depending on your job and your hobbies, and it’s encouraged to test things out in order to find the best option for you.
Some people will want to wake up at a set time of 6 am, stretch, shower, and have a coffee, maybe even catch up on the news before getting into work, while others might want to get in a full workout routine, followed by some light reading or morning chores.
Once you’ve woken yourself up, it’s easier to start your work day feeling prepared. If you are rolling out of bed and grabbing your laptop before dozing off again for an extra half an hour, you might find it harder to find time throughout the day to really prepare.
Routines can be extremely helpful in organizing your day and feeling motivated. Plus, if you’ve taken care of your other needs before work, you are more likely to be focused on the job!
Take Regular Breaks
Just like you would go to the bathroom in the office or take a 15-minute stroll around your floor to get your blood pumping after wrapping up a project, you should be incorporating small breaks for yourself during your workday.
It can feel overwhelming when you are not doing anything but are on the clock, because no one is there to keep an eye out for you, but just remember you deserve to take a minute to yourself!
Incorporating breaks into your workday can help to split up your day and make it feel more manageable. Breaks alleviate and prevent stress, which in turn, creates a more productive and confident employee. Breaks also encourage checking in with yourself and your mental well-being.
When you take a break and leave your desk, you will come back feeling more motivated and might put in more effort to get your to-do list tasks checked off.
Make Time for Physical Activity
What has come from COVID-19 and working from home is a more sedentary lifestyle that can lead to feeling unmotivated both physically and mentally. Research has shown that there has been a decrease in mental and physical health since the start of the pandemic, associated with working from home.
If you have been feeling unmotivated, less active, or a little down and bummed out, getting up and moving your body might be one way to get back to it!
The mind craves physical activity. It wants to get the blood flowing through your body! Just by incorporating yoga, a quick workout, or a short walk around the block each day, you are boosting your health and productivity levels.
Upon returning to work, you should feel a boost of energy that will help you to power through the rest of your day.
Dedicate a Specific Area For Work
It’s so important that you find a space in your home that you can dedicate to work. When you begin to mesh your home life with your work life, things can get a bit overcrowded. It’s best to have a dedicated space so that you can really focus on your work when you are there.
Your workspace should be clean, have good lighting, and should not be on the couch or in bed. You will want a space that can be far enough away from any possible distractions, and that will signify to others in your home that you are at work.
Your workspace should be a home away from home (while still in your home!) so add decorations, bring in some plants, and keep it a pleasant area to be in through the day, segregated from where you go when you’re off the clock.
Incorporate Healthy Eating Habits
Trying to figure out what to eat and then prepping that food and finally actually eating it can take more time out of your workday than you might imagine.
If you have the ability to meal prep both your lunches and some healthy snacks, you can help to eliminate time wasted trying to find and prep what to eat. Making sure that you are eating a healthy breakfast is a great way to start the day, too, but even the best breakfast won’t hold off the hunger around lunch!
Having snacks like carrots and hummus, apples and peanut butter, or a few containers of nuts around for you to snack on is a great way to keep your energy and morale up! Making sure you are eating enough veggies and fruits is essential to promote proper bodily functioning.
Fruits and vegetables give us the nutrients and good sugars we need to feel awake and motivated. Make sure you are taking an actual lunch break to eat replenishing foods. Use this time to prepare something delicious, nutritious, and energizing, and the rest of your afternoon will thank you.
On top of trying to opt for healthier lunch options, you should be actively limiting the consumption of sugary drinks and refined carbs. These will only give you a rush of energy before crashing down!
Plus, incorporating a healthy diet into your life has many benefits, not just to improve your work-life balance.
Stay Social
In order to maintain a positive outlook and try to capture normalcy, it’s important to stay social and talk to your coworkers. Join the after-work happy hour on Coom and chat with your colleagues about hobbies, interests, or just your recently binged TV show. You are not alone in feeling less motivated or lonely — others are in the same boat as you and it’s great to use each other as support, even if it’s just taking half an hour to unwind.
Remember that not everything at work has to be about work. When we used to be in-person there was always time for a quick chat about the past weekend or future plans, big life updates, and funny stories to share, so don’t lose out on that experience just because you are remote!
It might take a little more effort, but it will boost your morale and overall performance if you are staying connected to those that work with you.
All in All
Working from home has been a gift in many ways, especially in letting us stay safe and slow the spread of COVID, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy!
Finding ways to tend to your own needs will benefit your work performance immensely. Yes, your job matters, but you matter, too! Take care of yourself and you will feel happier and more ready to work the next time you sit at your desk.
Sources:
Working from home can be relaxing and rewarding, but working from home can also cause health issues, such as a sedentary lifestyle. Learn how to stay healthy and productive with our six steps.
When most companies went remote in March of 2020, for many it felt like a second chance at a New Year’s Resolution. People were going to be stuck inside their homes and this meant we had more flexibility to try to better our everyday habits. The thought was of a well-rounded breakfast and carefully prepared lunch, a light workout while going through emails, and organizing that room in your house you’ve been meaning to get to, all in between checking off tasks on your to-do list.
The reality for many, right off the bat, was sitting on your couch in your pajamas, your kids and pets becoming the main distraction from focusing on your tasks, and poor posture from squinting at your laptop late into the night.
A set work schedule might have dissolved as your home became your new work environment. It might have been hard to fully separate your work from your home life, as it began to blend into one.
How does one stay productive when there are so many distractions and no one to pop over and ask a question to? With working from home being the reality for many even still, it’s important to find ways to stay healthy and productive throughout your work day, so that you are still maintaining proper physical and mental health.
Set a Morning Routine
The easiest way to lose track of your day is to have a rough start. The beginning of your day sets the tone for the rest of it, so if you develop a routine you can begin to form healthy habits. Your routine can look different depending on your job and your hobbies, and it’s encouraged to test things out in order to find the best option for you.
Some people will want to wake up at a set time of 6 am, stretch, shower, and have a coffee, maybe even catch up on the news before getting into work, while others might want to get in a full workout routine, followed by some light reading or morning chores.
Once you’ve woken yourself up, it’s easier to start your work day feeling prepared. If you are rolling out of bed and grabbing your laptop before dozing off again for an extra half an hour, you might find it harder to find time throughout the day to really prepare.
Routines can be extremely helpful in organizing your day and feeling motivated. Plus, if you’ve taken care of your other needs before work, you are more likely to be focused on the job!
Take Regular Breaks
Just like you would go to the bathroom in the office or take a 15-minute stroll around your floor to get your blood pumping after wrapping up a project, you should be incorporating small breaks for yourself during your workday.
It can feel overwhelming when you are not doing anything but are on the clock, because no one is there to keep an eye out for you, but just remember you deserve to take a minute to yourself!
Incorporating breaks into your workday can help to split up your day and make it feel more manageable. Breaks alleviate and prevent stress, which in turn, creates a more productive and confident employee. Breaks also encourage checking in with yourself and your mental well-being.
When you take a break and leave your desk, you will come back feeling more motivated and might put in more effort to get your to-do list tasks checked off.
Make Time for Physical Activity
What has come from COVID-19 and working from home is a more sedentary lifestyle that can lead to feeling unmotivated both physically and mentally. Research has shown that there has been a decrease in mental and physical health since the start of the pandemic, associated with working from home.
If you have been feeling unmotivated, less active, or a little down and bummed out, getting up and moving your body might be one way to get back to it!
The mind craves physical activity. It wants to get the blood flowing through your body! Just by incorporating yoga, a quick workout, or a short walk around the block each day, you are boosting your health and productivity levels.
Upon returning to work, you should feel a boost of energy that will help you to power through the rest of your day.
Dedicate a Specific Area For Work
It’s so important that you find a space in your home that you can dedicate to work. When you begin to mesh your home life with your work life, things can get a bit overcrowded. It’s best to have a dedicated space so that you can really focus on your work when you are there.
Your workspace should be clean, have good lighting, and should not be on the couch or in bed. You will want a space that can be far enough away from any possible distractions, and that will signify to others in your home that you are at work.
Your workspace should be a home away from home (while still in your home!) so add decorations, bring in some plants, and keep it a pleasant area to be in through the day, segregated from where you go when you’re off the clock.
Incorporate Healthy Eating Habits
Trying to figure out what to eat and then prepping that food and finally actually eating it can take more time out of your workday than you might imagine.
If you have the ability to meal prep both your lunches and some healthy snacks, you can help to eliminate time wasted trying to find and prep what to eat. Making sure that you are eating a healthy breakfast is a great way to start the day, too, but even the best breakfast won’t hold off the hunger around lunch!
Having snacks like carrots and hummus, apples and peanut butter, or a few containers of nuts around for you to snack on is a great way to keep your energy and morale up! Making sure you are eating enough veggies and fruits is essential to promote proper bodily functioning.
Fruits and vegetables give us the nutrients and good sugars we need to feel awake and motivated. Make sure you are taking an actual lunch break to eat replenishing foods. Use this time to prepare something delicious, nutritious, and energizing, and the rest of your afternoon will thank you.
On top of trying to opt for healthier lunch options, you should be actively limiting the consumption of sugary drinks and refined carbs. These will only give you a rush of energy before crashing down!
Plus, incorporating a healthy diet into your life has many benefits, not just to improve your work-life balance.
Stay Social
In order to maintain a positive outlook and try to capture normalcy, it’s important to stay social and talk to your coworkers. Join the after-work happy hour on Coom and chat with your colleagues about hobbies, interests, or just your recently binged TV show. You are not alone in feeling less motivated or lonely — others are in the same boat as you and it’s great to use each other as support, even if it’s just taking half an hour to unwind.
Remember that not everything at work has to be about work. When we used to be in-person there was always time for a quick chat about the past weekend or future plans, big life updates, and funny stories to share, so don’t lose out on that experience just because you are remote!
It might take a little more effort, but it will boost your morale and overall performance if you are staying connected to those that work with you.
All in All
Working from home has been a gift in many ways, especially in letting us stay safe and slow the spread of COVID, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy!
Finding ways to tend to your own needs will benefit your work performance immensely. Yes, your job matters, but you matter, too! Take care of yourself and you will feel happier and more ready to work the next time you sit at your desk.
Sources:
